on Dec. 22 at the Brooklyn
Music School Playhouse Theatre,
downtown Brooklyn.
“The event was hosted
by artist and educator, Miss
Tanisha Burke, and was well
attended by an appreciative
audience,” Aimable said.
“Salieu Suso was the opening
act of the evening and was
well received, as he entertained
the crowd with the melodious
sounds of the African Kora,”
he added.
Aimable said the Urban
Dance Opportunity, under
the mentorship of Rakiah
Henderson, “showed off their
special dance moves,” with
Tropicalfete Voices delivering
“a unique rendition of ‘Silent
Night,’ ‘Winter Wonderland’
and ‘Savannah Grass.’”
“With only four Saturdays
of practice, voice coaches Miss
Daria Primus and Miss Gayrleen
Orange were the ones
responsible for such a feel-good
performance,” Aimable said.
He said soca artiste Julius
“had the crowd singing and
dancing to the pulsating sound
of the sweet soca music,”
and that “the crowd went in
an uproar when the hostess
announced that it was time
for the Tropicalfete Stilt Dancers
Hazell hits high notes
Caribbean L 26 ife, January 3, 2020
to perform some dancing
tricks.”
“Under the guidance of
Roshamba Marcelle, Charles
Watts and Caitlyn Pierre, the
ever-enthusiastic stilt dancers
put on some incredibly performances,”
Aimable said.
“One of the noticeable performances
was by the three
male stilt dancers, who did an
impersonation of the Incredible
Hulk; while the Limbo
Dancers under the leadership
of Miss Augustine Abadia,
also known as Miss Candice,
showcased their flexibility in
the most amazing styles,” he
added.
Aimable said another muchanticipated
performance was
the closing act.
“When the Tropicalfete
Steelpan Ensemble hit the
first note, the crowd gave
them a standing ovation,” he
said. “They gave an exhilarating
performance, which was
enjoyed by all and sundry.
“The performers and attendees
are already looking forward
to Tropicalfete, Inc.’s next performance,”
he added.
Aimable said the event was
Limbo dancers raising the temperature at Tropicalfete’s fi nale concert putting the audience
“very interactive,” with the
audience participating in the
spinning cultural wheel competition
in which two members
won “very attractive prizes.”
On behalf of New York City
Council Alicka Ampry-Samuel,
he said citations were given to
teaching artists, Daria Primus,
Orange and Charles Watts.
Aimable said awards were
also presented to the Best Stilt
Performer, Best Steelpan Player
and Tropicalfete Voices.
In addition, he said Tropicalfete,
Inc. presented four students
in its program with college
scholarships for the forthcoming
school year.
A minute’s silence and tributes
were paid to persons in
the arts who transitioned in
2019, Aimable said.
Additionally, he said glowing
tributes also paid to Johnson.
“Miss Johnson was a strong
and inspirational individual to
every member of the Tropicalfete
Family,” Aimable said. “In
the blink of an eye, she would
jump on her stilts, and everyone
would be encouraged to do
the same.”
On playing the steelpan,
instructorAshley Mystiq Murray,
nicknamed Johnson,
“Woman on de Bass”, Aimable
said.
“Miss Johnson will definitely
be missed for her kind words of
encouragement and perseverance,”
he said.
on the edge of their seats with their acrobatic moves.
Continued from Page 25
‘Queen of Soca’ crowdfunding
We have 15 days to reach our
goal and if we don’t reach our
goal, all funds will be returned
to the respectful funder. Your
support can assist with the
development of the film industry
and the diversification of
the nation,” said the producers.
Kevin Adams, writer and
director of “Queen of Soca”
said “growing up in the United
States I was fascinated by Spike
Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ and
John Singleton’s, ‘Boyz in the
Hood, as they brought African
Americans stories to life.
I would like to do the same
for the Caribbean by telling
stories of women and people of
color across all the islands.”
Queen of Soca is about
the choices and risks a person
makes to determine who
they will become. It focuses
on the struggle and courage
of a young black girl in search
of adulthood hoping to change
her life of a lesser meaning.
The film touches on religion,
classism, sexuality and the
soca industry said Adams.
Olivia, (Terri Lyons) a
25-year-old street vendor and
lead singer in a church choir
must decide whether to pursue
her dream of becoming a Soca
star competing against her
idol Deja, four times winner of
the biggest Soca competition
in Trinidad, and risking the
relationship with her religious
mother (Penelope Spencer)
who hates Soca.
Tropicalfete’s tribute
Lead actress Penelope Spencer (right) with lead lead Terri
Lyons. Seed & Spark
Following the successful
Nov. 5 release of her latest book
‘Suitcase of Dreams,’ Caribbean-
American Mental Health Advocate,
Hazell McKenzie has been
impacting readers, been in high
demand for speaking engagements
& appearances and has
gained fulfilment through the
achievement of life and career
goals.
‘Suitcase of Dreams’ explores
Hazell’s transition to life in the
US as an adolescent Caribbean
immigrant and all the growing
pains, trauma and subsequent
battles with various mental
health challenges that followed
and led to her eventual path of
triumph.
The success of the book has
been a phenomenal and humbling
experience for the author.
She shared, “Since its release
the outpour of support for the
book and for me has been amazing.
I’ve received so much positive
feedback from readers and
even professional book reviewers.”
These sentiments include:-
“Suitcase of Dreams is an
incredibly affecting, beautiful
story of perseverance in the face
of hardships and of overcoming
obstacles that seemed insurmountable
at the time. I think it
will give hope and inspiration to
anyone who reads it.”
“The characterization is good.
I felt like I got a vivid picture of
everyone, and I felt very emotionally
invested in her story.”
“The character development is
excellent. Changes in people that
take place over long periods of
time are portrayed well.”
“The depiction of Hazell and
her family and their persistence
and resilience despite the difficulties
they face is the strongest
part of the book. It’s the heart of
the story, and it’s done incredibly
well.”
“I liked the repetition of
the “suitcase of dreams” motif
throughout the book; it added
to the sense of cohesion and the
overall message. The chapters
are well-paced, and are a good
length.”
With its easy to read flow and
diverse yet relatable topics ‘Suitcase
of Dreams’ has intrigued
readers globally, promoted a
positive message about mental
health and has become a useful
tool in initiating conversation.
about this subject with individuals
and within communities who
Continued from Page 25