Entertainment Macco

Mista Vybe is also featured on “A Caribbean Soul Christmas” I am sure you all have never heard “Little Drummer Boy” like this before. No exaggeration is intended when I say that Vybe sang the Christmas into this Christmas Carol…..I soooo want to meet this Little Drummer boy now! **giggles**

AND THE DIGICEL RISING STAR FOR 2009 IS MISTA MISTA DONELLE JOB.

Aye allyuh!!! Donelle win!! Mr. Tobago…Mr cocky himself took it home…..The first male Digicel Rising Star and the second winner from our sister isle, Congrats hun it was a well deserved win. Now what I want to macco/see/hear is whether or not this 10% of your winnings you promised will really go to “one special child” in an orphanage…remember is you that promise the public that eh or was it marketing gimmicks, playing with emotions…Boy, I really hope not! This is how I feel with no apologies, Afiya’s performances were not winning performances, if the final performances were the determining factor in deciding the winner, Donelle would have won it still! There I said it!

Whey……Junior Don came out with a vengeance boy!! Allyuh eh see that trio performance? “I’m Alive” was Junior’s time to shine…he chantttttttttt…..just how I wanted to see him for so long. I love this song..great job guys and excellent performance Junior Don.

Now on to the performances (last time I started with Donelle so this time Afiya going first)

Afiya Athill – The $60 000.00 Cinderella!

“Lord you are Holy” by Helen Baylor – During this performance Afiya was a little out of breath and horse as usual. I felt as though this song selection did not give her an opportunity to showcase her vocal ability. Afiya your dress code was on point as usual; absolutely gorgeous brown dress, flowing, elegant but it did not mask the fact that you did not deliver 100% :-( Great diction but the performance just did not do anything much to me.

“Missing Generation” by Ella Andell – Ummm a little off in the beginning and I am sure that I was not the only person who heard a couple offkey notes….Afiya were the low notes too hard to stoop to? You worked the stage much more in this performance and the song was transformed into your interpretation which I appreciated…This one was much better than the first performance.

“Stronger” by Mary J Blige – This performance was executed with more feelings and emotions..much more entertaining and I think it was a true representation of you. Glenda Collens keeps saying that you are a fighter and a strong woman..so I guess if that is the truth then this is your song. This performance was extremely beautiful and touching…very close to pore-raising. Loved the Cinderella Black Dress Ms. Athill!

Hi Mr. Tobago, Mr. $100, 000.00…guess what? It is your turn now!

“Beauty for Ashes” by Crystal Lewis – Donelle from the time you stepped out on stage the vibes was there. It was a vocally flawless performance although there was a low energy point but it was hard to detect..an absolute beautiful and appropriate opening song. :-)

“Love is you” by Daniel Winans – You love the Winans ent? You do their renditions so beautifully. More vibes…more fire…you looked so comfortable and I appreciated that. Another vocally flawless rendition, for me this was one of your most engaging performances; very warm, very loving performance.

“Giving Back” by Donelle Job – Is it safe to say you had Gospel Swag (it is copywritten eh peeps…I own it hmphh). I wonder if any one other than me felt like willy-bouncing for Jesus! The energy level was high, passionate and a really well thought out composition; a catchy song. I also need to add that you looked absolutely smart in every part of your suit throughout the performances. :-)

I am a little sad that the competition is over but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

I would like to thank Mango Media for the invitation to Blog.

Nicole Phipps you rock! Thank you for welcoming me to the competition and for showing me around during the auditions and allowing me to do and see as much as I wanted to; keep up the great work.

Joanna De-Silva I stole/borrowed so many of you gorgeous photos; Thank you so much! The photos used this week are for then to now purposes....before they were the top 3! :-)

Fellow maccos the comments, oppositions and reactions were greatly appreciate, please continue reading and commenting.

Ah well *sniffs*……gotta find something or someone else to macco.

2NTRIGUE is a sensational sister duo and they have been making major climbs in the music industry. The sisters - Charli & Kelli Griffith are featured on "A Caribbean Soul Christmas" with their beautiful and unique rendition of "SILENT NIGHT." At the end of this interview the audio video is attached so you can hear their beautiful voices! :-) Enjoy and all the best for the upcoming Christmas season!! So beautiful.... The macco just started feeling the Christmas Spirit. :-)




Entertainment Macco: What does Christmas mean to you?

Charli: "Christmas signifies a time for Unity, Rebirth and Family gatherings."

KELLI: "Christmas means Family,Friends and even Strangers unite to LOVE,SHARE and CELEBRATE."

Entertainment Macco: What is your most memorable Christmas experience?

Charli: "It was the Christmas I worked at the wrapping booth in a mall, everyday was special, hearing the carols and parang, seeing different people coming in leaving happy it was to be in that type of atmosphere, it breathe a constant reminder of the time of year and then I also got what I wanted for Christmas."

KELLI: "Can’t pick just one…as most of my childhood Christmas memories,I remember waking up to the smell of my mom’s Freshly Baked ham,my dad washing the car and whistling to the carols on the radio,then getting all dressed up for church…those were the good old days!"

Entertainment Macco: What made you choose this particular Christmas Carol?

Charli: "Well, it was the one I thought if executed well, the twist we put on it would be a lullaby , soothing effect fitted for especially Christmas Eve."

KELLI: "The simplicity of the song,yet awesome meaning it had. Plus the idea of not much music accompanying us,let’s people really pay attention to the lyrics."

Entertainment Macco: Is this Christmas Carol your favourite or is there one closer to your heart? If there is one share it!

Charli: "Nat King Cole’s: O Come All Ye Faithful."

KELLI: "It is definitely ONE of my favorites,but O Holy Night is another one that I Love."

Entertainment Macco: This is the first time I have heard you sing/play in this style, and it is great can we look forward to hearing this style more often?

Charli: "Well we have a song on our forthcoming album that has a similar type of vibe even though it is not a Christmas Carol and it leans more to sexy, sultry type of soothing."

KELLI: "Of course you can,we grew up on Al Green,Aretha Franklin,Donna Sommers etc. Not to mention being in a youth choir, so you will definitely hear a lot more of us singing this style of music on our upcoming album,as well as live performances."

Entertainment Macco: What challenges if any did you face in your interpretation of this carol?

Charli: "Actually we really didn’t have a problem with the interpretation, pretty much with the concept that Mastamind presented, a Caribbean Christmas, the idea came easy, I thought keep it organic, focus on harmonies and we arranged it with that in mind."

KELLI: "Interpretation was not really a challenge because we knew the significance of the song itself,plus working on it with Shawn “Mastermind” Noel and Natasha Noel was a BREEZE!!!"

Entertainment Macco: What Christmas traditions do you “MUST” follow every year?

Charli: "Going to church with the family Christmas Morn."

KELLI: "Baking the Ham Christmas eve night…Hey,that’s what my momma taught me and I’m sticking to it!"

Entertainment Macco: What is one thing you taught, or plan to, or would like to teach your child/children about Christmas?

Charli: "Well the importance of what Christmas signifies, which is the birth of Our Lord and his purpose and even though we express our appreciation by exchanging gifts, it is not the most important aspect of Christmas."

KELLI: "I would teach my child/children what I was taught,which is the true REASON for the Season…The day Jesus Christ was born to save us from ourselves through Loving , Sharing and Forgiving unconditionally."

Entertainment Macco: What is your absolute favourite Christmas dish?

Charli: "Hmmmm I love pastelles, with a Christmas salad and my Mom’s Stuffted Chicken recipe, with pigeon peas and Christmas rice, lol"

KELLI: "Pastelle and Ham with a glass of Sorrel is a MUST!!!"

Entertainment Macco: Are you the early preparation type and comfortable type OR the last minute hustle and bustle, smelling the fresh paint type?

Charli: "Definitely the last minute type."

KELLI: "Oh we are born and bred “last minuters” and proud of it!"

Entertainment Macco: Do you think Christmas is appreciated, as it should be?

Charli: "No it is not! The substance of the season is gone….totally misunderstood."

KELLI: "It is appreciated,but not necessarily for the what it really signifies."

Entertainment Macco: Does the actual day mean as much to you as the season?

Charli: "Yes it does."

KELLI: "YES"

Entertainment Macco: Parang VERSUS Carols; which one do you prefer?

Charli: "I love both!!! I love variety!"

KELLI: "Both bring a fuzzy feeling that can’t be explained…I would never dare choose!"

Entertainment Macco: Do you feel the same about Christmas as an adult in comparison to your feelings when you were a child? What has changed?

Charli: "The excitement is still there, the meaning of it, the difference is when it comes to gifts, I have to do the buying of stuff now, lol"

KELLI: "Yes,I feel the same as an adult because I do the very same thing I did as a child for Christmas,which is spend it with the people who I Love and care for (Family and Friends)"

Entertainment Macco: If there was one thing you could change about Christmas, what would it be?

Charli: "The rebirth of the true meaning of it."

KELLI: "Probably to make everybody understand what CHRISTMAS really means."

Entertainment Macco: Are you on the Naughty or Nice list? I hope you are not getting coal in your stockings this Christmas… lol

Charli: "Well my naughty is nice as well, so I’m definitely getting what’s on that nice list! LOL Merry Christmas everyone!"

KELLI: "On the NICE list…cause that’s just the kinda girl I am! Till there’s a reason to be Naughty (shhh)"

The Judges - Michael Sallickram, Glenda Collens & Johnny Gonsalves

Props again to Joanna de-Silva for the beautiful and very useful pictures...do not worry hun the stealing/borrowing is almost over! Thank you so much for sharing them with me…

Last week the contestants had to sing a Power Soca and any slow song from a Caribbean artiste and this week they had to sing a hit song from the year they were born and a song from the current year!

To macco good you all need to follow the trend of THEN and NOW…. look for the key words!

Last week I got a headache. I was so disappointed Akilah Wilson-Claxton because you have so much potential to be something great. Clearly both songs were out of your league, it is not your style, you were not comfortable at all and neither was I. I do not want to believe that you filling in for Junior Don with that off-key, off-beat kind of confusion.

When I heard you were going to sing “Voices from the Ghetto” – Singing Sandra, I was excited, I figured someone who sings with as much soul as you, should have been able to mash up that song. What went wrong babes? :-(

On the up side I really liked your outfit for “Max it up” – Destra. However I am sure Destra was quite disappointed after you convinced her and everyone else that you were going to mash up the place and then what we got instead was no rhythm and absolutely offkeyyyyyyyyyyyyness! (yes I making up my own words, A Macco can do that)

Last week again Afiya Athill, I had an issue with your constant reminders that you are “Shy” I did not buy it the first time you said it and it still not convincing. You did a fabulous rendition of Heather Headley’s “I wish I wasn’t”. Yes Yes Yes it was another moving performance from you. I had some problems with the second song “Sassiness”; that was the most boring version of that song I have ever heard/seen in my life. I felt as though something was missing from the execution of that song, maybe you were tired OR was it the “shyness”? Afiya surely has a voice but that didn’t sound like a soca to me nah… “ah ah ah” what was that? Girl, I thought you were in pain?

NOW Afiya really moved the crowd with her version of Whitney Houston’s “Saving all my love” She is now the queen of the pact and she stands out well. Her second selection was “Stronger” – Mary J. Blige and it is only fair to admit that it was a well meshed performance vocally, she took her time; it was calm and not an overdone performance.

However, I found that she sounded a lil “huskier” than usual @ Stronger but she worked it; really honest and genuine attempt.

Next up, the very cocky Donelle Job, week after week Donelle is not spectacular or surprising, he sticks in his comfort zone and the sister isle continues to vote (big shock right **sarcastic grin**).

Last week he sang “You told me” which was originally sung by Fred Hammond and Commissioned, and was very similar to last weeks’ performance, same energy level, not surprising at all because he is a comfortable performer but he was very soothing. Now, now, Donelle hunny I did not know that “Reach” – Rizon is a soca! Wait did you speed up the song? Donelle not because Rizon from Trinidad means that everything he sings is Soca OK! I am quite familiar with that song and that is not the speed I know, I have never heard that song so fast in meh life…. Rizon whey yuh?…….say summinnnnnnnnnnn! Is your song a soca? I think not!!

NOW this week Donelle chose Daniel Winans “Love You” I am really upset still because this boy really does not challenge himself at all. I disagree with Glenda talking about he challenged himself? Blehh I eh see/hear that! His second selection was of praise and worship; a gospel reggae originally sung by Jermaine Edwards - "Make you Smile" and was wayyyyyy better than the first but I still feel like he has to make some adjustments for the next round. He was good as usual but he is so safe… the consistency is there but break out your shell a little bit nah…What I can say is that you know how to pick your comfortable selections well.

Junior Don, Boy all I want to know is, sooooo long it took you to learn how to sing properly? Last week I really wanted to scream out and tell you that you really didn’t do too bad with that Barrington Levy “Too experienced”…I am surprised. However, you had a really low energy performance when it came to the second song “Higher than High” ….. I mean is a Machel you were doing **sighs** I can see though that you were trying to focus on the vocals aspect of your performance, you know that is what you get bashed for all the time but you were out of breath badddddddddd! Better you did sing Breathless yes because you had that aspect of the song down pack… lol **dead** Well I already realize that I could say what I want about your performances; the females still love you. Yuh hear what the judges say? Finally boy you figure out what you are supposed to sing and I was right you are a reggae/dancehall/chanter man. I still have my reservations about you being a “Soca man.” Anyhoos JD I will lay off your case for now!

NOW Junior you are really lucky eh? After you “buss” singing easy songs like “If I ever fall in love again” – Boyz II Men you decided to sing Michael Jackson’s “Rock with you” and John Legend’s “Everybody Knows”….well I nearly dead, I am close to being speechless (I cannot be totally because I have to finish writing this blog..lol)

I can tell that your vocal trainer (Glenda Collens) worked over time with you boy, it was what you really needed and you did not fail but made those songs your own and I liked that…. every week it continues to show that the crowd and ladies love you. :-) You came out and you delivered.

Next week somebody going home (at least they going home with money) and there will be the final 2 and performances..I have my top 2 picks do you?