Caribbean American Cultural Caucus Inc. presents the Caribbean Cultural Music Conference  at the Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036 beginning today through tomorrow Friday, September 23.

This conference has received official endorsements from the office of Brooklyn’s Borough President, Marty Markowitz, and the City of New York. In 2009 and 2010, the Caribbean Cultural Conference hosted a wide cross section of stakeholders including musicians, artists, attorneys, producers, educators, record label executives, music business students, and entrepreneurs, traveling from across the US as well as from Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados and other Caribbean territories. Panelists and guests from ASCAP, COSCAP, VP Records, Golden Krust, Headline Entertainment, Tunecore, SoundExchange, SiriusXM Radio, IRIS, A2iM, The Orchard and RightFlow were also present. We expect similar support this year. Check out the entire program after the jump.

CARIBBEAN CULTURAL MUSIC CONFERENCE 2011 PROGRAM GUIDE
DAY 1       September 22, 2011 
 

Topic: INSIDE THE PRODUCTION BOOTH
Panelists: Computer Paul, ED Robinson, Mastermind, James “Bonzai” Caruso 
11:40 am – 01:10 pm: Plenary Session 2

Topic: A look at Publishing
Moderator: Michelle Arthurton
Panelists: Alex Holtz, Jonathan Jones, Erica Smith, Heather Cunningham
01:20 pm – 2:50 pm: LUNCH
03:00 pm – 3:30 pm: One-on-one interview:

PITCH IT! (Music Service Company)
Jamaicansmusic.com
03:40 pm – 4:50 pm: Plenary Session 3

Topic: Brand Building, Endorsements + Marketing – Your Music in a Digital Age
Presented by: ASOM Production
Moderator: Irwine Clare
Panelist: Jay Warsinske, Stacey Bethel, Trevor Smith, Mario Evon, Keishel Williams
04:50 pm – 5:00 pm: Closing remarks

DAY 2 – September 23, 2011

Topic: Artist Management
Moderator:
Panelists: Camille Evans, Victor Lewis, Shamita Carriman – Natasha Andrews
11:10 am – 12:40 pm: Plenary Session 2

Topic: Navigating the New Music Business. What are my options?
Moderator: Karen Marie Mason
Panelists: David Weiss, Steve Gordon, Tyesh Harris, Kelly Griffin
12:40 pm – 01:25 pm                LUNCH
01:30 pm – 02:30 pm:

Topic: Financial Management
Tips for Music Business Practitioners
Presenter: 
02:40 pm – 3:40 pm                    Plenary Session 3

Topic: The Do’s and Don’ts of Touring
Moderator:
Panelists: Oliver Millwood, Copeland Forbes, George Michailow – George Crooks
03:50 pm – 04:50 pm                  Plenary Session 4

Topic: The Changing face of radio
Moderator: Stan Smith
Panelist: Gary Bernstein, Pat McKay, Dubmaster, Sidney White, Kerry Dennis
04:50 pm – 5:00 pm        Closing statements

ARTIST SHOWCASE CLOSING PARTY
6:30 PM – 11:00 PM
LIVE Performances By Ed Robinson, Lyrikal, Mario Evon, Mastermind
Artist Showcase Contest, Caribbean Dance off, PLUS invited celebrity guest and host
MUSIC BY:  Road International
WEBSTER HALL @ THE STUDIO
125 East 11th Street NY N.Y 10003
ADM: $15.00
Sponsored By: RedStripe Tower Isles VP Records Road International ASOM

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With over 400 people in attendance, the Emerge! Runway Showcase, which showcases new designers during fashion week,  brought together the best of what fashion has to offer.

The night opened with designer Tracy Reese presenting the 2011 Fashion Innovator Award to Constance C.R. White, Editor-in-Chief of ESSENCE Magazine.  The audience applauded as White took the runway and expressed her gratitude to the fashion industry and confidence in the Emerge! production.

Jamaican born, Constance White was recently took on her current role as Editor-in-Chief at Essence Magazine earlier this year, but she has been a staple in fashion for some time. Prior to joining Essence, White served as style director for eBay, where she developed content and strategies for women. Additionally, White is the author of Stylenoir, a book on black style. Her work has appeared in British Vogue, Glamour, Essence and the Herald Tribune.

The Collections – September 2011 Runway Show featured designers Adriana Osorio Lugo of Adriana Osorio Lugo Designs, Kirk Johnson of b.-Vain Couture; Berny Martin of Catou; and  Borris Powell of Borris Powell Designs, Oscars Designer Challenge 2011 Winner.

The audience included fashion icon Freddie Leiba, Tamron Hall of MSNBC, Rebecca Crews, ESSENCE executive editorial staff, fashion executives, buyers, bloggers and socialites.

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Fashion’s Night Out is an international event, so it’s only right that I connected with my Caribbean sistren Irie Diva for the scoop on how her experience was in Jamaica! We swapped FNO experiences, give our readers a taste our adventure. Check out her FNO experience. (Make sure you check out her blog regularly and follow her on twitter!)

I went to a lot of stores. Looking back on all the FNO wrap-up blog posts I did, I count 16 stores in all. In 4 different parts of the city. I’m exhausted from just counting. I must say that I am glad I thought out a plan and executed it fairly well on the day or I would have gotten stuck in this crowd!

I went to the stores where I felt I would find the most sales first, grabbed the best from the racks and then headed to spots that were more about being seen and schmoozing with friends and celebrities and then moved on yet again to spots that had food, drinks and live entertainment.

Some stores started offering their discounts early in the day and I appreciated those so that I could shop sans crowd. Even though I started out early and figured this was a great idea, it actually worked against me in many ways. There were some stores that were sticking to the 5-10pm time line and so didn’t have any set up yet for FNO when I arrived. If they planned for drinks, they weren’t yet there, if they planned for entertainment, it wasn’t yet set up and if they were showing a specific designer, the display area was drawing a blank. You really had to make up your mind if whatever they were offering was worth the crowds. I didn’t stick around to see the Shenna Carby’s display at Ammars like I really wanted to because the thought of the crowd made me want to break out into hives.

When I went to Soho where Vivica Fox was expected to be, I missed her, again because I was too early. If I had my way or rather if I had the foresight I do now, I would have stayed here until she made her grand entrance as my FNO experience could have really used a mid-way unwind and Soho was offering music, food and wine. I realise now that this “mid-way unwind” is a very essential part of long haul shopping, blogging, runway shows, photo-sessions etc etc as it gives a much needed breather, a chance to recharge and get the energy and creative juices revved up for round two. This was definitely what my experience was lacking as by the end of the night I was tired and cranky.

My final stop had atmosphere, live music by way of Protoje, cupcakes and vodka, exactly what I needed. When I finally left this location I felt it was all worth it. I had a busy day but it was exciting to buzz around and hit all the hot stops. I missed a few from my list with much regret but next year I will be even better at this! I’ve never done FNO anywhere else but in my sweet Jamaica but I must say it is a raving hit!

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What I wore: Blazer: H&M | Camisole: Forever 21 | Pants: Rachel Roy | Shoes: Calvin Klein | Bag: B. Makowsky

KMS California styled blogger’s hair during the entire conference. It was a perfect perk since it was raining the whole day. Blogger Chris Osgsueng of The Tiny Tie Rant to advantage, having them add a few curls to her crop cut.

Larger than life doll Marina was there in the morning blogging and tweeting courtesy of Target Missoni collection which premieres in stores, September 13.

Aldo was also onsite showcasing shoes from their fall 2011 collection.

I met  some really great fashion bloggers as well! Shainna Tucker of A Thick Girl’s Closet

Stylist and Blogger Marley Simone , designer Beth Smith of My Chic My Way and Donyale Walton of LivLuxMag

Philly bloggers Farj Muhammad of A Stylish Thought and G.Danielle of Fashion Love Affairs

And got a picture with my favorite fashion blogger Claire of Fashion Bomb Daily she was one of the panelist.

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In a weekend where there are plenty of options for Caribbean entertainment, I chose to head to Roy Wilkins Park with good reason. Great music under the sun (and stars) makes a music festival that much better. It’s was one of the few family friendly events promoted and unlike stereotypical Caribbean events, they started on time and ending at a decent hour. Reggae, Rhythm & Blues at Roy Wilkins Park, organized by Irie Jam Media, is the first concert in the New York City area to combine Reggae, Soca, R&B and Dancehall on one stage. While the line up may have seemed like a mixture of artist, this is not necessarily a new set up. Music festivals with a variety of artists like Glasonbury Festivals and Jamaica Jazz & Blues have had years of success, but this is a first for Caribbeans living in New York City, but it’s no secret the Caribbeans love all kinds of music and this show was evident of that stance and truly set itself apart from the other concerts happening over Labor Day weekend.

I got to the park a little early and caught a few of the opening reggae and dancehall acts as check out a few of the vendors in the park — checking out some jewelry vendors, sampled sweet plantain chips from Grace Foods and got a refreshing Fruit Punch from a Pina Colado boothe.

I returned to the stage area just in time to catch the end of legendary Leroy Sibbles took the stage early singing all of his hits from his Heptone days as well as songs from his solo career.

The crowd got an early treat from Soca Monarch King, Machel Montano and the HD Family. This was my first time seeing Machel in concert and there was not a person in the crowd that was not whining their waistline. Although his energetic performance was abruptly disrupted by a power outage his band and dancers continued to perform somewhat a freestyle set until the power came back, proving his humble ability to rock a crowd regardless of the circumstances. We all know, had the same thing happened to some artist they would have just walked off stage. Performing “Bend Over”,  “Go Dung”, “Jumbie” and a slew of other hits hist performance was nothing less than outstanding.

R&B songstress Monica has a great catalog of hits like “So Gone”, “Love All Over Me” and “Still Standing” which she seemed to run through them all too quickly. Her songs resonated with the audience, but it seemed like we were watching a rehearsal more than a performance and she was dressed for a lazy brunch.

Babyface had a phenomenal performance! It was my first time seeing him as well. Dressed in a full white suit Babyface was looking dapper and ready to please the crowd! The R&B vertaran not only did songs from his own extensive catalog “Whip Appeal”, “Never Keeping Secrets” and “Cool In You”, but also performed hits which he wrote for Bobby Brown, Tevin Campbell, Johnny Gill and Boyz II Men. Babyface’s performance simply delightful, the newly added R&B line up to the roster proved to be a success, this addition was the best part of the night.

Dancehall newcomer I-Octane has been making quite a name for himself and is probably one of the hottest artistes right now, with only five minutes to perform the talented singer breezed through songs like “No Ramp Wid We” and ‘Mind Who You A Diss” . The crowd definitely wanted him to stay longer, but he was under time constraints.

Tarrus Riley did a mini tribute to Buju Banton before delving into a few of his songs including “She’s Royal” and “Contagious”.

Closing out the night, The Gully God, Mavado was clearly the most anticipated in the crowd. This weekend was the first time he’s performed in the U.S. in two year. The singjay was clearly happy to greet his fans with a few of his well known songs “On The Rock”, “Money Changer”, “Last Night” and his latest hit “Delilah”.

Irie Jam also honored recently murdered producer and VP Records own Joel Chin in a video montage. In addition Jamaican American U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke honored the King of Dancehall, Beenie Man for his contribution to music for over 30 years.

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(Image: From NY Daily News)

For Carnival weekend being cute is an option, but having fun is mandatory. We Caribbeans love to look and feel our best, but aside nails done, hair done, everything did; you’ll need a few additional essentials to survive the West Indian American Carnival.

1.) Sneakers: No matter how cute you think you are in those heels, ladies please be sure to wear a pair of comfortable sneakers on the parkway. Be sure they are a pair that you mind getting them a little dirty if you plan to wuk up on de parkway.

2.) Water: Keeping hydrated during carnival weekend is essential to avoid a hangover from all the rum in your cup exhaustion.

3.) Phone with a Camera: Documenting your memories via phone is part of the fun of living in the digital age. Make your Facebook friends jealous with pictures, your tweet up with friends or keep them up to date on what your’re doing and see if you get any special deals along the parkway on Foursquare. (I wonder if WIADCA has check in badge?)

4.) Crash Pad:  If you’re planning on partying hard in one borough, but live in another then make sure you have an official crash pad. Stay with a friend to avoid driving, especially if you will be drinking. Be sure you know exactly how to get there.

5.) Flag: Represent your country to the fullest!

Bonus: If you’re a newbie, attend with someone who has been before. They will know how to navigate the crowd as it tends to get thick.

Stay tuned … tomorrow I’ll non-costume fashion for carnival.

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While some head to the Hamptons, Caribbeans in New York City – or those visiting the New York area – head to Brooklyn! Labor Day weekend has become synonymous with Carnival in New York (aka the West Indian American Day Parade). Caribbean events will be at an all time high this weekend and it’s one of the best times to partake in festive events as sort of a last “hoo-rah” of the summer. The weekend is filled with fetes and festivals sprinkled throughout the boroughs. Here’s a list of a few events on my radar that you may want to check out over the weekend.

Hot 97’s On Da Reggae Tip is hosted by Bobby Konders & Jabba. The duo have been holding down the riddims on Hot 97 every Sunday for years with their radio program On Da Reggae Tip, this concert is an extension of their program and has become the unofficial kick off to Labor Day weekend. Performances by Mavado, Stephen Marley, Barrington Levy, Gyptian, Demarco, Elephant Man, Stephen & Chino McGregor, Ding Dong. If you can’t make it to the concert, the after party at BB Kings.

Reggae Rhythm & Blues is one of the first attempts in the New York City area to present Reggae, Dancehall, Soca and R&B on one stage. On Sunday, Sept. 4 Babyface, Monica, Mavado, Machel Montano, Tarrus Riley and recently added John Holt and I-Octane will all hit the stage in true reggae festival style at the outdoor venue, Roy Wilkins Park in Queens.  As a family friendly event, children under 12 are free, for additional details and ticket information click here.

The artist line up for 5 Alarm Blaze looks like you may get exhausted (in a good way) so make sure you have enough energy for this concert/party Sunday, Sept. 4. Damian & Stephen Marley, Elephant Man, Mr Vegas, Bunji Garlin, Faye-Ann Lyons, Lyrikal, TallPree, Serani, Ding Dong, Ricky Blaze & more will perform Sunday night, Sept. 5 at Webster Hall.

Taking in the parade on Monday, Sept. 5 is a must! Whether you are playing mas or watching from the sidelines, the West Indian American Day parade is a great time to see Caribbeans coming together carnival style. The elaborate costumes, the music blasting from huge speakers, the flags waving, hips gyrating … and the food!  It’s a great time for newbies to experience Carnival culture and if you’re not into the parade you can always participate in J’Ouvert to see the floats setting up. Check out the West Indian American Day Carnival Association for parade route and details.

If you’re not too tired, head to lower Manhattan for Rice and Peas Party. The Labor Day edition of the monthly party kept every first Monday of the month is sure to be filled with good vibes to close out your Caribbean weekend.

For additional parties and events going on this weekend check out sites like Trini Jungle Juice, DatzWhatzUp and Event Bug.

Stay tuned for the my NY Carnival Survival Kit, everything you need to survive this weekend!

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I’ve been blogging and tweeting a lot about Africa Fashion Week New York, and let me tell you the designers did not disappoint! I was only able to attend the second day, but the plethora of designers gave a great taste of modern African fashion. From elegant evening gowns to over the top one of a kind pieces, the range of talent and creativity varied. My favorite pieces were the designers that incorporated traditional fabrics with a modern design for everyday wear.

Bill Witherspoon was the only all menswear line of the evening. Fur, leather and patchwork were the most prevalent throughout the collection. The oversize leather hat seen on the models gave an interesting touch to the line adding a cohesive element to the collection. The colorful designs and over the top garments were definitely high fashion, but could be wearable for a style innovator. At the end some of models showcased his underwear line, although it was great eye candy for the ladies, I thought it could have been left out of the collection.

Nigerian designer AsakeOge had beautiful combination of form fitting  and free flowing dresses for women. Using traditional tribal prints on the shorter dresses, the longer dresses were more elegant; the two-pieces with the images on the skirts stood out in a great way. All her her pieces were definitely for special occasions.



Washington Roberts was one of the designers that didn’t have much traditional African patterns, but I didn’t expect every designer to have those elements, after all not every designer has to incorporate tribal prints merely because they are from Africa (that’s like saying every Caribbean designer has to use bright colors in their collection.) Roberts’ collection had tailor made suits and hip hugging dresses and was extremely cohesive right down to the suit lining. His keen attention to detail worked very well with the shapes he created throughout the line; a low neckline here, high split there and use of asymetrical lines showcased very well.

(Above photo courtesy of Adiree)

Danielle Martin created gorgeous evening wear dresses for women. Her pieces were clean and sophisticated. The nude and white pieces were my favorites, the red necklace partnered with the white cocktail dress was one my favorite accessories of the night. Some of the longer white dresses screamed wedding dress, the white mermaid shaped dress stood out the best in the collection.

Fikite Addis’ use of light weight  linen-like and other traditional Ethiopian fabrics were absolutely great. I usually see linen in pants, blazers and skirts, but most look so plain. I loved the jumpsuits with the split up the side of the leg and the belted dress. These pieces would great for the summer to stay cool and fashionable.

Suakoko Betty was my favorite designer of the night. Her pieces really popped on the runway. Even though some of the pieces wearable separates, her use of color and pattern mixing (stripes and traditional African patterns) went well together without distracting you from each piece. Blending patterns on dresses and shirts, even with similar fabrics she created variety of shapes with each piece.

The Africa Fashion Week in New York was a great look into key designers coming out of Africa, each embracing their own unique style creating wearable trends and shapes for anyone. Check my video of the last walk through for all the designers as well as a gallery with a few other designers.

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Alicia Keys recently had an intimate performance at Joe’s Pub in honor of the 10 year anniversary of her first album Songs in A Minor. (Video by Trace TV)

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New York radio station Power 105  is back with Power Live featuring Miguel and Olivia at BB Kings

Finally! A great line up with a variety of Caribbean women doing their thing.  DJ Norie of Power 105.1 presents Melanie Fiona, Alaine, Spice, Tifa and Lumidee will be at BB Kings in New York City July 17. (Newly added to the line up Patra)

Nikki Z presents Lakefest in Connecticut. Enjoy a great Reggae concert outdoors on the lake. The show headlines Beres Hammond and Wayne Wonder with more to be added.

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