Despite Smaller Crowd & Questionable Layout, A Time Was Had At Army Fete 2024
By the time army fete rolls around I’m usually on the verge of collapse. Given the feverish pace at which we’ve been operating, which is directly related to the shortness of the season, this year is no different. Even so, Army fete is almost always guaranteed to unearth and unleash all the dormant energy needed to carry me through the rest of the season. This year was a bit different. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time. But there’s no denying that the Army energy we’ve all grown to know and love just wasn’t there. To me, the first sign that something was amiss, was the fact that I was able to move in and out of general with relative ease. proof that my initial observation was right- there weren’t as many people this time around. While pockets of people in general, VIP and the cooler section could be seen vibing to the DJ-played music and live performances, the overall vibe just wasn’t in keeping with Army fetes of old.
Yung Bredda, Wadicks, Farmer Nappy, GBM Nutron, Mical Teja, Lyrikal, Nailah Blackman and Nadia Batson all delivered solid performances.
There was a bit of a furor raised by a group of ladies in general when Rome, one of the hosts for the evening introduced Barbadian artiste, Alison Hinds.
He said something to the effect of her posterior being as big as the Queens Park Savannah.
“But what the…” one woman shouted. “That boy doh know he place. We know she backside big, we could see…”
Another said his comments reeked of misogyny.
“You think they’ll introduce a male artiste like that? No! They’ll talk bout their talent and their accomplishments but they’re always trying to reduce women to what they look like. Blasted misogyny, I hope they don’t bring him back here next year.”
“I wasn’t going on that stage til he apologize if was me,” another woman declared.
Hinds appeared on stage seemingly unfazed by the introduction. Though brief her set which was a mix of her classics and some of her newer musical offerings, was well appreciated by the Army fete crowd. At least from where I was standing.
Olatunji brought the energy and left it all on stage! He took time to remind those present just how special we are as citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
“All yuh don’t know how good all yuh is you know. To fight slavery, you know what we did? We chantuelle, we played instruments and we gimmicked our slave masters. We invented party! That is history. We didn’t invent the sixth or the seventh, we invented Steelpan and calypso. Steel pan plus calypso equals party. We not like them. We’re blessed, give thanks and praise to the most high God.”
Patrice Roberts didn’t let a wardrobe malfunction deter her from giving her adoring fans a taste of what they could expect at her show on February 7. Her set started with her 2024 hit Anxiety and continued with a mix of her classic and newer hits. To say it was well received would be an understatement.
During her time on stage, she made way for Preedy who sang his monster hit Beat Road. The general sentiment expressed was that he should’ve been given more time on stage.
Dynamic duo, Bunji Garlin and FayAnn Lyons closed what was to many, an epic show. FayAnn took issue with the layout of the venue, comparing it to a maths problem. The patrons agreed. The Soca power couple, like several of the artistes who preceded them on stage, included old and new songs in their set. While many believe that Mical Teja’s DNA is destined to win Road March, Army Fete proved what I’ve been saying all along: the impact of Bunji’s Carnival Contract should not be minimised or taken for granted.
All in all, Army Fete 2024 was great. The vibe was different, but it was there. There weren’t as many people compared to previous years, but most of those who did attend, like us, seemed to have a great time.
Despite the awesomeness of the Army Fete experience, for YCG, it wasn’t all fun and games. We took the opportunity to do a quick pulse check with some of your favourite artistes.
Preedy described the 2024 Carnival season as short and hard but sweet.
He told Your Caribbean Guide that the rising crime and the cost of living have contributed to it being a tricky year.
“To be honest, it’s weird but the music is so good across the board that it’s actually battling against the negative. To me I think it’s a learning year, it’s a reset year. We have to go back to the drawing board. Although I said it’s hard, I didn’t say it’s a bad Carnival. It’s definitely one we need to go back to the ground, get back to the people and push a good energy.”
Questioned about his monster tune (which we believe isn’t getting enough airplay- fix it DJs!) he said:
“It’s a song for the people, honestly. I put myself in the environment of if I had one opportunity to just enjoy myself during the Carnival I would beat road from night til morning and that’s what you have to do, it short…”
The Queen of Bacchanal said the Carnival was a slow burn at first, but she’s happy it’s finally picking up.
“Just this morning I was saying oh my gosh I’m so tired. I don’t know how I used to do three band gigs in one night and then ten solo shows back in the day. It’s like wow! This season, I felt like it had a slow start but I think it’s now picking up in terms of the energy of the whole country… tonight in Army, I felt the vibe.“
Having landed two huge international collabs, Jadel is counting her blessings.
“So far the bookings good, you’re seeing me in fetes near you.”
Lyrikal said despite the shortness of the season, Carnival 2024 has been great.
“It’s a short season, a six-week season but we’re making the best out of it. It still feels like a busy season to me because it’s show after show, you know what I mean? It’s been a great season so far, so much love to all the fans, and all the supporters who supporting the music online and in the fetes. All the promoters, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2024 to the world.”
