With Tropical Storm Irene now but a memory, all systems are a go for this weekend's West Indian Carnival celebrations in New York. Tomorrow, the grounds of the Brooklyn Museum will throb to the sound of sweet pan when ten steelbands with their arrangers in tow, clash in a royal battle in the Panorama final. The last band standing will be declared the pan champion of 2011. Word on the ground is that Arddin Herbert and Casym, buoyed by Arddin's fourth placing this year with Caribbean Airlines Invaders in Trinidad and Tobago's National Panorama finals, is taking no prisoners with Doh Be On Dat. Herbert is coming with guns blazing and is hoping to beat Yohan Popwell and Pan Sonatas like a bobolee, the ignoble traditional Good Friday character. Popwell is banking to run pole to pole with Showtime. Another name making the rounds is Terrence Marcelle (BJ) whose interpretation of Benjai's Trini is expected to lift D'Radoes to top spot. Other arrangers looking for that Trini flavour are newcomer Odie Franklin of Despers USA. It will be interesting to see what Odie has to offer. Another name in the mix is the fast-rising Leon Foster Thomas whose Crossfire is expected to heat up the place. Like Benjai's Trini, Destra's Calling Meh gets a look-in from three bands-Metro (Seion Gomez), Pantonic (Keith Roberts), and, the grand-daddy of arrangers Eddie Quarless with Harmony. Andre White of Ad Lib (Do Something for Pan) and Boston Metro's Glen Gabriel are tackling Soca Night. Tomorrow's NY Panorama final is expected to be one of the hottest and keenest in years.
Meanwhile, everything is in place for the 44th edition of the Labour Day Parade which will commence on Monday with J'Ourvert celebrations. Later in the day, the Parade of Band and floats, featuring the music and beauty of the West Indian and Latino family, will take place along Eastern Parkway. Meanwhile, organisers are hoping for less regimentation by the New York Police (NYDP) department which over the years has been heavily criticised for heavily policing the festival. Boston Carnival, which should have taken place last weekend, was rained out as Hurricane Irene kissed celebrations goodnight. In calypso news, TS Irene caused the opening of Brooklyn's Calypso & Soca Revue Tent, a part of Brooklyn's Caribbean Carnival, to be delayed by one day, opening on Monday instead of Sunday. The Calypso Revue was scheduled to open by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and other public officials on Sunday. (courtesy Keithos).
It takes a very brave man to make a boast that he sells the best soup in Port-of-Spain, if not in Trinidad and Tobago. This is exactly what Richard Quamina did when he opened his De Boss Ah Soup on Tragarete Road, Newtown (near to Cipriani Boulevard), on Monday. I know lots of people who make similar boasts to Quamina's, like The Soup King on Ariapita Avenue, the folks at the Breakfast Shed, Nex' Door Pub, Martin's on Woodford Street, Chaplain's head chef Donna Camejo on French Street, and my good friend George Smith on Bellesmythe Street in Woodbrook. Quamina's new venture can give your tastebuds what they've been crying out for...homemade soup made using the freshest and finest ingredients, just like your Granny made. De Boss himself, Richard Quamina, says, "We use only natural, island-grown ingredients of the highest quality in our soups, which are created using homemade recipes.
There is no added butter and we use only the freshest seasonings and ingredients. They're rich, nutritious and filling-perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner." The original De Boss Ah Soup opened in Stumpy's Compound, Canaan, Tobago, just over a year ago, selling family favourites like corn, pig tail, cow heel and fish broth. The new Trinidad premises will also be offering these, along with new additions such as beef, chicken and vegetarian.
All the ingredients are bought from local suppliers. "Supporting local growers, fishermen and meat suppliers is an important part of the business," says Quamina. "I truly believe that T &T offers the finest products and it is exciting to be able to use these amazing ingredients to create a truly delicious soup which appeals to all ages. "Soup is a vital part of our culture and heritage. It's great to be able to taste a piece of our heritage with soup made exactly the same way for generations. For me it takes me back to my childhood where soup was a staple of Saturdays. De Boss Ah Soup in Tragarete Road is scheduled to operate seven days a week, between 7 am and 7 pm. "It's nice to say you're expanding from Tobago to Trinidad, taking a piece of Tobago heritage to it's bigger sister island, plus you can taste it all the year round," says Quamina. "Try a new taste -I guarantee you'll like it. There are many imitators out there but remember if it's not De Boss, it's not de bess."
2010 results
Panorama
1. Pan Sonatas-Battlezone (Edwin Pouchet)
2. AD LIB-Pan Army. (Len "Boogsie" Sharpe)
3. Casym-Tell Them (Arddin Herbert).