EVERYBODY SEE WE AND THEY SAY WE ACTING UP!
WE'RE JUST LIVIN'
Fetes (parties) and Carnival time are the exception to everything. For those who don't know, fetes & carnival consists of big crowds, loud waist wining riddims and pulsing bass in your ears.
People are always drinking & some unaware of personal space when the right song comes on. Me, personally, I can be on the road, constantly getting my eye poked out by someones feathers, left arm sticky, smelling like some alcoholic beverage someone accidentally spilled on me, and my foot mashed up from someone trying to run to get in their section *(cue Lil Natty & Thunda - Get in ya Section)* and I will not get upset.
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Why? Because Carnival time is euphoric. It's a time to relieve stress and throw your worries away... this isn't even something that can be explained - it's just an event you have to go and experience yourself.
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"THE ROAD"
"The Road" is considered the miles and miles you're going to chip down from morning to night passing big big trucks playing all your favorite Soca songs for you to wine to. Trucks? Yes, trucks. Every mas (masqueraders) band provides trucks on the road for different purposes. One truck leads the rest, followed by a music truck, a drinks truck, a food truck, another music truck, a truck to hold your feathers (sometimes), a rest truck when you need a break from the hot Caribbean sun (sometimes) a bathroom truck - everything.
Every Carnival is different - yet they are all special in their own way. Most Carnivals have a different element that separates them from others. For example, Trinidad is the Motherland. Jamaica incorporates Dancehall - (which is an ongoing debate but like.. you're in Jamaica - the land of Dancehall - shut up). Grenada has Jab Jab and an unmatched J'ouvert - which is a different energy all around. St. Lucia has Dennery and the most cruise fetes ever lol. Carnival is just an amazing time because you're constantly making new friends and creating vibes with complete strangers from all over the world. Women hyping up other women when they're doing their thing dancing and fixing each others costumes without knowing each other. Even men physically supporting other men with an arm or leg to lean back on or get low to reciprocate the woman's waistline. Or even patting each other on the back for just "doing their thing."
IT'S ALWAYS CARNIVAL SEASON!
Fetes in NYC
If you aren't attending any Carnivals or need a Soca fix, no worries. There's always the next best thing - fetes. Luckily for New Yorkers, fetes are also all year round. Most fetes occur around the same time, every year - because there's always a reason to celebrate and dance - even when it's not a holiday.
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Starting from New Years Day, to Trinidad sendoffs, to I AM SOCA (every March), P.C.D (Post Carnival Depression) & TRUCKED (Relive the Carnival Experience) which happen a few weeks after Trinidad Carnival to fix that Carnival tabanca you may have, to Memorial Weekend fetes, to Independence day fetes, Labor Day Weekend (NYC version of Carnival), to fetes during Halloween time, to Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Christmas, until it's New Years Eve again.
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There are also after work events, brunches, day parties.. the point is, there's always an opportunity to dress up, dress down and wine on somebody's son/daughter!
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