If you were on the Bahamasair charter flight from Trinidad to New Providence on Wednesday night you were likely depressed ... and asleep the entire time. There's no real cure for your Carnival tabanca (a depressive state caused by the end of Carnival).
But, the memories will last a lifetime, and in a few more weeks we'll be jammin' still at Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
I told you just before we jetted off to the happiest party on earth, that Bahamian songstress and former Miss Bahamas Khiara Sherman, would be donning a frontline costume in the Cherokee section of Yuma. I looked up and down Yuma for Khiara, only to find her just before we crossed the stage. It's always a special feeling to catch up with another Bahamian at Trinidad Carnival ... it's always love!
Khiara was in Trinidad for three weeks experiencing Trinidad Carnival to its fullest, eager to get a full understanding of what it is in order to help her future music projects. But she was also busily promoting her new single "Til' Ah Morning".
"I just wanted to absorb the culture," she said. "If I'm producing Soca, I felt it important to be here."
During her time in Trinidad she has been working with and speaking to producers in Trinidad and also connecting with producers in Jamaica for more crossover material.
So far though, she said Trinidadians have been receptive to her music at the concerts she has been a part of.
"At the few shows that I've had, people seem to be real curious and excited to know who I am," said Khiara. "They say 'Til' Ah Mornin' has a jouvert feel, and I've only been getting positive remarks."
And she has now done jouvert -- Jouvert Morning as it's known -- as part of her Trinidad Carnival immersion experience.
We played Jouvert Morning with Jouvert Jumbeez, who had some of the most vibes on the road at 3 a.m. The drinks and paint started in the Socadrome stadium, where we later crossed the stage with our carnival band, Yuma.
For me, it was my first experience with Jouvert Morning. It was also Khiara's first, and also her first time playing Mas on the road with a band. And Yuma is a great band to catch the vibes on the road with.
As far as former beauty queens go, Khiara wasn't alone on the road with Yuma. Former Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennel, helped to lead Yuma through the streets of Port-of-Spain.
"This is my first time on the road, and I'm blessed to be here today as a section lead for Cherokee," said Khiara. "I came here to promote the single, but I also came to network and absorb the culture."
Before Monday and Tuesday the parties leading up to Carnival Monday and Tuesday are where we primed ourselves for the road.
We chose A.M. Bush to start our wutless behavior. Caesar's Army throws one of the hottest parties in a secret location in the back bushes of western Trinidad, where we bathed in paint and booze in the wee hours of Saturday morning, jumping to the hottest Soca songs.
On Sunday, our beautiful Trinidadian guides, Levana and Lakeisha (Muffin) Herbert carted us off to a boat cruise party called "Bess Lime". It was amazing to see the beautiful coast of Trinidad while we partied the evening away. Later that night, we hit Ariapita Avenue for some food, and prepared our lives for Jouvert Morning. We likely hit less parties than most people do -- but it is not how many you go to, it is how hard you pelt your waist at each one.
We now prepare ourselves for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. If we follow suit and carry on playing the 2017 Soca we heard in Trinidad, this year should be a good one.
We haven't heard too many Bahamian songs that we can take on the road as yet, though Wendy and Dyson have been in the lab, but we hope to get a special treat before we hit the streets of New Providence.
Khiara said she has not heard from anyone regarding performing for Bahamas Carnival, but she'll be in town and ready to let we jam.

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