CLICK THE PHOTO TO VIEW THE VIDEO!

Carnival may be over in Trinidad And Tobago but the Carnival spirit will never die. That being said, did you listen to (and DOWNLOAD) the BRAND NEW “Mad Again (Doc Jones HD RoadMix)” yet?

Well? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Hmm.. maybe you need a little inspiration! In THAT case you’re in luck, because that’s what the BRAND SPANKING NEW EXCLUSIVE PROMO VIDEO is for! *evil grin*

As usual with all of our MistaVybeWorld.com videos, this clip is available for viewing on Youtube, Vimeo, Facebook and Myspace – as well as on my personal website, MistaVybeWorld.com, of course. *wink* (Oh and for you Twitterers out there, there’s a TwitVid of it as well lol)

So now that you know the deal, you need to STOP WASTING TIME and GO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROMO VIDEO… and then GO DOWNLOAD THE ROADMIX NOWWWWW!!!

Blessings to you all, and remember – Trinidad Carnival 2010 may be over, but Soca is FOREVER!

That’s all for the moment. As always, remember to LEAVE A COMMENT and let us know what you think! Mista Vybe OUTTTTT!!!

“MAD AGAIN” ROADMIX PROMO #1 from Mista Vybe on Vimeo.

DJs and Fans alike have been CLAMOURING for a RoadMix ever since “Mad Again” was first released back in December, and I’m happy to say that the time has finally come!

I don’t want to take up too much time blogging because I’m soooooooooo anxious for everyone to enjoy the RoadMix, but I would be remixx if I didn’t big up the AMAZING people that made this CRAZY RoadMix possible in the first place.

The majority of the hard work on this one was done by my lil brother in music – super-talented drummer/producer/arranger/programmer extraodinaire Doc JonesHD. A nativson of St. Kitts and a respected live musician there, Doc Jones is now working out of Toronto, Canada. I was fortunate to be introduced to him and his limitless talent while I was in Toronto back in 2009 handling business. Thanks for the GREAT work on this one Doc! I guarantee you’re gonna have some big trucks BANGING on the road to this for sure!!!

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Jester (at top) and PRODUCER/ARRANGER Doc JonesHD working on the RoadMix at Jugglin Studios (Toronto, CA)

I also have to seriously big up my musical brother from another mother – North America’s Most Versatile DJ himself, AKA Jester, for overseeing this project and making sure the RoadMix came out HARD and READY TO HIT THE ROAD. Thanks bro! (If Jester‘s name seems familiar, perhaps you know him as a member of the X-Caliber Entourage Sound System or as one of Clinton Sparks’ Smash Squad DJs – OR maybe it’s because you’re one of the 1700-and-counting people who downloaded “Soca Certified Smash” – our mixtape collaboration. If you DIDN’T already download it, then CLICK HERE IMMEDIATELY to fix that problem *wink*)

Last, but by NO MEANS LEAST, thanks and all my love to my cousin, sidekick, friend, confidante, advisor and (most importantly) Manager, Joanne Marcano of The Marcano Management Group, without whom NONE of this would be possible. Love yah Cuzzie! LET’S GO GET ‘EM!!

Okay folks – I’ve spoken my piece , so there’s not much else to say except DOWNLOAD THE ROADMIX – NOWWWWW!!!

Thanks for all your support throughout Trinidad Carnival 2010 and look forward to much more from Mista Vybe (inna yuh Dancehall again) throughout the coming months. TRUST ME when I say that for 2010 “It’s NOT just Soca”! BIG TIME! *evil grin*

Okay… TAKE A LISTEN TO “Mad Again (Doc JonesHD RoadMix)” now and ENJOY YOURSELF FOR TnT CARNIVAL AND BEYOND!

Blessings to one and all! For Carnival 2010, Mista Vybe is OUTTTTTTTTT!

CREDITS:

Mad Again (Doc JonesHD RoadMix)

PRODUCED & ARRANGED BY: Doc JonesHD

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jester X-Caliber Entourage & Smash Squad DJs)

RECORDED, MIXED AND MASTERED AT: Jugglin Studios (Toronto)

WRITTEN & COMPOSED: Mista Vybe

ORIGINAL PRODUCTION BY: Madmen Productions

ORIGINAL VERSION CO-PRODUCED BY:Mista Vybe

With Carnival Wednesday (the Wednesday before Carnival) already upon us here in sunny Trinidad and Tobago and the counting down to Carnival on the road ticking away, I thought it would be fitting for me to give everyone a crash course in Trinidad Carnival 101… AKA The Professional Soca Lover’s Guide To Enjoying Carnival … AKA Carnival Made Simple… OR, as I prefer to call it “Carnival Etiquette For Dummies”. This is only the first installment in what is sure to be a fun, smile-inducing series of blog posts that I’m sure will be thoroughly helpful to any Carnival newbies that have just landed on our shores and equally entertaining to the many Carnival Jumbies to whom this yearly ritual is of the utmost importance.

Without further ado – let’s begin our series with a special list… the TOP TEN THINGS TO DO AS SOON AS YOU LAND IN TnT FOR CARNIVAL:

1). BUY SOMETHING!!! Your family or friends or significant other will appreciate your visit even MORE if you show up bearing GIFTS. Trinis love foreigners who come bearing presents. Nothing makes a Trini smile harder than a foreign loved one’s “grip” (translation = “suitcase”) opening to reveal “something from the cold” (i.e. a present)… or better yet, we LOOOVE picking up someone from the airport and seeing that Duty Free bag in their hand (cause we know there’s liquor in it lol). DO invest in rum, scotch (whisky), and other such “gazool” (alchohol) that will be useful later on to your and your pees in your fete-ing and liming adventures. DON’T bother to buy your Trini loved ones “I Love Trinidad” T-Shirts or other such memorbilia (we live here, so we don’t need to be nostalgic about it much – we’d much rather drink something and take a wine up lol).

2) FREEZE!!! Nooo, silly – I don’t mean the weather is cold here. Quite the opposite actually. Fact is, even if you arrive in the middle of the night, it will still be way warmer than if you were back in, say Washington D.C., or Canada lol. No, what I’m saying is The FIRST thing you should do once you get through those class doors in Piarco Airport is to just PAUSE. STOP for a a minute and take it all in. Fresh air… warm weather… YOU’RE IN TRINIDAD! Take a second to enjoy the fact that you’ve officially arrived in paradise and to thank The Universe for blessing you with such a wonderful gift. (Some people go as far as kissing the ground… personally I don’t recommend it, but if that’s what makes you happy then by all means, go for it! As we Trinis love to say “What doh kill does fatten”, right?)

3) GET CONNECTED! Any true Trini will tell you that surviving in TnT in 2010 is MUCH easier when you’re HOOKED UP. I’m talking about a PHONE of course. The trick is to spend TIME finding out what options are best for you (pick a network, decide if to bring a phone with you or buy one here) – preferably BEFORE you even land. All the phone networks here have extensive sites so feel free to google them and see what the options that best suit you may be. Don’t under-estimate the importance of a phone in TnT. How you gonna call your family or text your crew to link up for the big fete without a cell? Better yet – what happens when you and your mas “pardners” hit the road and are separated in the band of your choice by THOUSANDS of other masqueraders? Thank goodness for texting, right? Also, if you’re a tech-head like me, you’ll want to make sure to enquire about the internet options wherever you’re staying (hotel, family’s house etc.) so you don’t wind up going into internet withdrawal during your Carnival trip.

4) “FULL YUH BELLY!!! (For you non-Trinis that means enjoy some good Trini Food lol). Everyone that has been here at least once has some kind of food ritual that accompanies their arrival in TnT. Some people need to chow down on a hot doubles (maybe right there in the airport, or at one of the many hot spots around like U-Wee Doubles, George’s in St. James, “Sauce” in Curepe Junction, etc)… Some folks look forward to their first box of “chicken and chips” (the KFC vs Royal Castle debate is never-ending in Trini so I’m not even getting into that here lol)…. Maybe you just want a roti from Hott Shoppe (or wherever your favourite roti shoppe happens to be… Or perhaps you’re been craving a more snackable delicacy (phoulourie, snow-cone, tamarind balls, sugar cake, coconut bake,,, the list is endless). The bottom line is stop fantasising about your favourite Trini dish and just GO GET IT! Yuh “reach” (as the song goes), so why not celebrate? Oh, and while you’re at it, why not have something Trini to drink too? (Mauby, leftover Xmas sorrel or ginger beer, peanut punch from a good “punch man”, a red Solo to go with that pepper-filled roti, a Shandy, an ice cold Stag/Carib, or just a nice lime with Uncle Johnny (Walker lol) will guarantee you start off your trip to TnT with a HUGE smile on your face (and a full belly too). BESIDES – you’ll need the ENERGY from all those delicious goodies for all the wining, wukking up, jumping and waving that’s to come.

5) GET FAMILIAR! If you haven’t been here for a while you might have to get used to a few new things, since the landscape here is ever-changing. If you weren’t here before the Summit, then you’ll certainly be seeing a few new sights on the drive home from the airport (“improved” highway, a now-finished overpass, etc). My best advice would be find a Trini who’s been here for at least a year and ask “Like Trini real change up?” They’ll be happy to point out a myriad of changes whether good or bad and add in their personal take on the situation, including financial and political commentary and probably a little bacchanal (gossip) thrown in. You’ve got to learn the landscape so you know how to get to and from all the fetes and mas, so what the heck? Sit back and enjoy the “tour”!

6) SETTLE IN! Get to your “home” for the season – whether that’s a hotel room, a guest house, a rented space or your family’s comfy home – and quickly put down your luggage, change clothes, PACK AWAY those thick sweaters and winter clothes (you WON’T be needing them for a while), and GET READY TO HAVE FUN! Nooooooo – don’t lie down on that bed. Don’t relax in that chair. Real Trini’s DON’T SLEEP at Carnival time! Sleep for after Ash Wednesday!!! A real TRUE TRINI’s first duty upon reaching home during the Carnival Season is to change into warm weather gear IMMEDIATELY and then PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP!

7) LINK UP!!! Find out who you know that’s in TnT and ready to fete. Ask around and see what is de hottest lime/fete in town. Get tickets organised. Double check transportation arrangements. Who’s dropping you off, or who are you travelling with in the maxi/taxi to bacchanal central and how are you getting back home afterward? Whose plane landed already and when is the rest of the gang getting here? Make sure everything is all set up so you can proceed to the next step which is…

8) “BUSS A LIME”!!! Find a bar, rumshop, restaurant, sports bar, street corner, friend or relative’s house or any other place and enjoy a good old fashioned Trini lime. Drink a Stag/Carib “in the road” (well on the pavement actually, but you know what I mean lol). Take a wine on the corner. “Crack” (translation = “tell”) some jokes. Just enjoy being in TnT. “YUH REACH”!!!

9) HEAD TO THE NEAREST FETE! Even after a quick lime, it’s STILL not time to rest. Remember what I said in #6 – “Sleep is for after Ash Wednesday!!! Make sure and PAY YOUR MONEY. Don’t play Zuki & TimTim and try to “storm” (illegally enter) the fete because you WILL get thrown out or worse lol). Get EEEEEEEEEEEN a party and get ready to…

10) MASH UP THE PLACE! (Not LITERALLY!!!) Jump! Wave! Wine! Eat! Drink! Make Sure you have a designated driver! Be Merry! Carnival is yours – ENJOY! Have a safe and happy Carnival and enjoy the fete-ing.

Oh and if there was a #11 it would be “STAY TUNED TO MistaVybeWorld.com for the next Blog-isode of MISTA VYBE’S GUIDE TO TRINI CARNIVAL”!

For now this is your Carnival reporter Mista Vybe signing OFF! Vybe outttttttttttttt!

This just a quick note to say THANKS to EVERYONE for your support with “MAD AGAIN” and all my other releases and to respond to the virtually endless stream of messages on various forums about requesting “Mad Again” (and my other songs as well) on Trini Radio stations. For everybody (and it was ALOT of you) who have been emailing, FB messaging, tweeting, etcetera to ask how you can REQUEST “Mad Again” on your favourite Trini radio staions, READ ON: HERE’S THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

96.1 WEFM: CALL 628-9696 or TEXT 9696

RED 96.7FM: CALL 628-4967 or TEXT 4967

Boom Champions 94.1FM: CALL 623-3941 OR TEXT 9494 (Text the word “CHAT” followed by “Mad Again by Mista Vybe“). You can also send requests via SKYPE to Skype Name “boomchampionstt.com”

NEXT 99.1FM: CALL 628-3006 or TEXT 78247 (Text the word “NEXT“, leave a SPACE, and then type “Mad Again by Mista Vybe“)

Soca 91.9FM: TEXT 9191 or CALL the relevant number (BELOW) for your location

Trinidad 648-1012, 648-0091, 622-9154 or 628-2126

Tobago 639-0791 or 6310219

New York 718-874-3860

New Jersey 973-665-2367

Toronto 416-840-5805

Miami 305-509-8332

So NOW you have ALL the info you need… if you’re not hearing “Mad Again” on YOUR favourite TRINI station as much as you would like, CALL OR TEXT and REQUEST IT NOW!!! The power is LITERALLY in YOUR hands! ;-)

Blessings to all, and remember the slogan for Carnival 2K10: MAD AGAIN FOR 2010!!!

Mista Vybe outtttt!!!!

For starters, BIG UP to the Youtube community who – barely twenty four hours after its official release yesterday – have already embraced the “Mad Again” movement! Someone sent me links to two Youtube users (Canchozi and trinisocajunkie) who put up their own home-made “videos” for my new single “Mad Again”!

Check out Canchozi’s ode to “Mad Again” on Youtube – it’s pretty cool. :-)

In breezing through Canchozi’s channel I also found a clip for my tune “The Oil Pan Song” (off Madmen Productions’ Oil Pan Riddim) as well – make sure and check that out too.

The clip trinisocajunkie did is much simpler, just representing the red, white and black (Trinidad’s national flag colours, in case you’re a foreigner), but I still have to give kudos to them for taking the time to pay tribute to my song on Youtube. Check trinisocajunkie’s video clip out too and show them a lil love nah?

In other news: barely a day out of the gate, “Mad Again” is rated the Twenty Fourth Most Played 2010 Soca song (at the time of this post) over at IslandMix.com! Click the screenshot below to see for yourself!

Yes people – THE MADNESS HAS BEGUN!

Stay tuned for updates on the “MAD AGAIN” FOR 2010 MOVEMENT… for now, this is Mista Vybe inna yuh Dancehall again OUTTTTTTTTT!!!

I’m going to get right into giving credit where credit is due, because I’m DYING for you to hear this BEAST of a tune, so let me just big up everyone who helped create the MAYHEM that is “Mad Again”, so you can get to the part where you LISTEN to this madddddd tune lol.

First and foremost, I can’t say enough great things about Madmen Productions and their work on this tune.

Big up Mr. Ricky Bobby himself AKA Ricardo Rameshawar for blessing this track with some amazing keyboards and great music in general. Big shout out to Marlon Roach for co-arranging the vocals with me as well as playing those HYPE live horns. And – last but by no means least – large up my DAWG Madman Johann for doing such an awesome job throughout the production, mixing and mastering – oh and for working with me on the drums, too.

Oh – did I mention YOURS TRULY (Mista Vybe inna yuh Dancehall again) PROGRAMMED DRUMS AND PERCUSSION on “Mad Again” with some help and technical input from Madman Johann) on this one? Yeahhhh – your BOY has an official CO-PRODUCER credit on this track, marking my (long overdue) return to production and arranging after several years focusing on writing and being an artist! :-)

Needless to say the song was written by ME, with ALL VOCALS (yes, LEAD and ALL BACKGROUNDS) performed by ME (Mista Vybe) as well lol.

Finally, thanks to my amazing TEAM for working with me to create an unprecedented online marketing strategy via MistaVybeWorld.com and pretty much every major form of social media (emails, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.). Thanks and much love to you guys (Joanne, Sandhya, Miche & The Fuzion Movement crew),

Extra special thanks to our latest MistaVybeWorld.com Team addition, Fatiah De Matas. For all those who have been asking, Fatiah is the SUPER-TALENTED photographer and graphic artist who shot all the CRAZY photos and created the BREATHTAKING “Mad Again” artwork that has had the internet (and the whole Soca scene) buzzing for a while now since we started teasing with the “Mad Again” flyer over a week ago.

Ok – no more waiting… hit PLAY on the music player  at the bottom of this blog post NOW or CLICK HERE to go to the MistaVybeWorld.com MUSIC PAGE and take a listen to a truly MADDDDDD tune!!!

For Trinidad Carnival 2010, your boy Mista Vybe is definitely “MAD AGAIN” without a doubt! Don’t forget to leave a comment after you listen, because you know we LOVE your feedback.

Blessings! Mista Vybe outttttttt!!! LOOK CHUUUUUNE!!! :-P

(CLICK FLYER TO ENLARGE)

What yuh waiting for? Go ahead and CLICK THE LINK, so you can get your hands on the FIRST OFFICIAL SOCA MIXTAPE HOSTED BY A REAL SOCA STAR (Yours Truly of course)!

I could go on to say that aside from Your Favourite SupermodelRockstar being the HOST of the mixtape, this BLAZING mixtape also features EXCLUSIVE REMIXES OF SOME OF THE HOTTEST SOCA TUNES FOR 2009… or I could add that the whole thing is EXPERTLY MIXED by NORTH AMERICA’S MOST VERSATILE DJ and 2009 STYLUS SOCA DJ OF THE YEAR, Jester (from the X-Caliber Entourage)… but I know I don’t need to because you already started dowloading, right?

Oh – did I mention LIVE DRUMS on some of the remixes (“Wicked Jab” and “Til The Morning”) were played by T-Dot & St. Kitts’ own Doc Jones HD? While I’m at it, shout ot to the homies DeLaVega and Kid Kut for assisting Jester in mixing the remixes. What? You DIDN’T hear the EXCLUSIVE REMIXES yet? Then DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE!!!

How you mean yuh didn’t download it yet? Yuh MAD or wha? Don’t you want to hear my NEW TRININDAD CARNIVAL 2010 RELEASE “Jam In De Road”?

Steupse!!! Look – don’t get me VEX, eh? Just click the link below and DOWNLOAD THE DAMN MIXTAPE!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE

You gotta be NUTS if you’re NOT downloading yet.

Did you look at the TRACKLIST???

As you can see, the “Soca Certified Smash” mixtape features 53 BIGGG SOCA TUNES, inlcuding SIX BRAND NEW EXCLUSIVE REMIXES (all featuring YOURS TRULY) and a whole bunch of  EXCLUSIVE X-CALIBER DUBS (courtesy Jester and the X-Caliber Entourage), so STOP STICKING AND DOWNLOAD IT NOW!

One last thing, if you listen closely to the mixtape, you’ll keep hearing a VERY FAMILIAR SMOOTH VOICE (other than mine, I mean lol) announcing all over it. I won’t call any names, but I will say that the VOICE should be really familiar to those of you who (like me) watch BET frequently… ;-)

Okay, that’s it – I’m done. All I have left to say is: “THISISJESTER.COM PRESENTS SOCA CERTIFIED SMASH” – THE MIXTAPE : HOSTED BY MISTA VYBE!

DOWNLOAD IT NOWWWWWWW!

Mista Vybe outttttttttt!!!

You know what they say – “There’s no place like home”. Even though I got a whole bunch of things done while I was in Toronto, Canada for the last few weeks, and even managed to have a little fun there as well, it’s GOOD to be HOME in Sweet TnT at last! As the classic Calypso goes: “Trinidad is MY land, and of it I am proud and glad…” ;-)

No time for me to sit around and chill now that I’m home in TnT though. Aside from my personal responsibilites to take care of, there’s A WHOLE LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE and no time to waste!

Studio sessions to book, tunes to finish recording and mixing for Carnival 2010 and several releases that are out already out (“Little Drummer Boy” from the “A Caribbean Soul Christmas” album as well as “False Pretender” on the Picture Frame Riddim and my solo single “Jam In De Road”), which I plan to promote more now that I’m home. Plus there’s lots of other business for AFTER Carnival 2010 to be handled as well. ;-)

First and foremost, I’ve got to thank my cousin, manager and my right hand, Joanne for making the entire trip AMAZING and helping me get SO MUCH DONE in T-Dot! Also thanks to my family over there in T-Dot (whaddup Naughty V, and HI Auntie Muriel!) for showing me a wonderful time “in the cold”. :-)

Special thanks as well to all of my new extended family, friends and assorted crew: Sandhya, Jester (GO DOWNLOAD OUR MIXTAPE NOW!!!), Cheryl, Doc Jones HD, DeLaVega, Kid Kut, Leisa, Jez (still well groomed bredrin – doh worry), Janelle, Carey, Tisha, Dion (thank you for all your help!), Emti (NO, you’re still NOT new anymore lol), Future The Prince (thanks for the intro again my dude), DJ Chief, Kenetha (thanks for hooking my hair up hunny), Fatiah (thanks very much for the wonderful photography!!!), Ice (enjoyed your shindig, dude), Football Steve (you kill me! lol), Darling Nicky, Ms Paige, Tenika (how I ent see you UP to NOW? lol), D Ultimate Sting (tell Peaches and Moms I said hi), Billy D Kid (we go link next time bredrin), Kevin (big up FeteNet.com and Mystic Impact crew), Ivan (iSkin and FeteNet.com), Stefan aka Jax (”Velcro” for 2010!!!), White Wine, Laura-Leah (keep grinding hun – I’m proud of you), Nikki (AKA Miss Onika), Dee, Mizz Kayzzz, Sweetness (and Team Sweetness too!), D’ Enforcas (thanks for everything guys – keep doin it big!), Nurse Karen, Playhouse, Dirty Dez (see you in Trini big man), Bandit, E-Man (whaddup hoss?), Big C, Brenton B, De Pong Chune Man and anyone (and everyone) else whose name I don’t have space to list here… thanks and much love to you all!!!

Also special thanks to: (in order of appearance) Wale, Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, Drake, Kid Cudi and Lady Gaga for ALL the inspiration! lol…

Oh and don’t worry T-Dot crew, I won’t even BOTHER to show off on you guys by mentioning that while it’s SNOWING in cold-ass T-Dot, we’ve had BLAZING HOT SUN HERE IN TnT ALL DAY LONG!!! LOL!

Alright, that’s all for now. This is a stronger, wiser, smarter, faster, new and improved Mista Vybe saying “Goodbye Toronto!” and “Hello Trinidad!”.

Time to buckle down and work… Mista Vybe Inna yuh Dancehall again – I’m OUTTTTTTTTT!

What are you waiting on? Don’t just sit there staring at your computer screen! Click your way over and get your copy of “Jam In De Road” NOW via TrinidadTunes.com – and while you’re there feel free to pick up a copy of the album “Ma$tamind Productions Presents: A Caribbean Soul Christmas” which features my rendition of the Christmas Classic “The Little Drummer Boy” as well (wink-wink)!

Merry Christmas and Happy Carnival 2010 in advance! Mista Vybe outttttt!!!