Monthly Archives: March 2014

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Chattrisse Dolabaille – #60days Bio

Oh goshhhhhh that was a lot to fit into one 30-second video!  Thanks for checking out my bio here, and getting to know me a little bit better.

At the moment I’m stationed in Dubai, singing at a resort and meeting people from all over the world and LOVING that I found a way to escape winter! :D

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I’d say I’ve been able to travel quite a bit in my lifetime … not as much as I’d like to (haha), but certainly more than the average person … and when folks back home ask for pics/video or some other way to experience the journey vicariously through me, I take the request seriously.  This is even more true since one of my little cousins has health issues which prevent her from flying.  The ability to get on a plane is a blessing I don’t take for granted, and I bring my camera everywhere I travel — even if it’s just to London, Ontario!

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Both of my parents were born in the Caribbean and grew up in Toronto; Mom is Jamaican and Dad is Trinidadian.  This has given me a unique perspective on some of the differences between countries and cultures.  As you might expect from a Caribbean-Canadian, I love roti and jerk chicken and poutine and hot weather and (most) reggae and (almost all) soca and Caribana (it’s so hard to remember to say “Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival” every time, lol).  In fact, being the Island Connoisseur would mean I am not playing mas in Toronto for the first time since 2004 … but I’m sure I can get over it … ;-)

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Keeping it all in the family is another reason I’d love to be in Tobago this summer: my dad’s big family reunion, which I originally thought I wouldn’t be able to attend, is in Tobago this July — how perfect would that be?!

3 generations from "Papa Guhn" ... Pedro Segundo Dolabaille's son, grandsons and great-granddaughter

3 generations from “Papa Guhn” … Pedro Segundo Dolabaille’s son, grandsons and great-granddaughter

Not that it’s all fun and games.  You want your Island Connoisseur to be someone who takes a great deal of care with what they’re doing and how they represent themselves; kind of like being an international diplomat, but one who can wear flip-flops to work.  You can view my online resume here for onscreen testimonials from professionals I’ve worked with over the years, and of course I encourage you to check out the rest of my blog, my YouTube channel, my Facebook fan page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account too.

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On that note, I’ll quickly mention that no copyrights have been infringed or compromised in the making of my official submission video; the music you hear in the background is one of my own songs, and I created the mixed-flag graphic using Keynote.  Of course, the pictures and videos and voiceovers are my own property.  To respect the privacy of people tagged in my photos, if you’d like to see more pictures from previous trips that are not on my public Facebook fan page, please contact me directly.

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Sun and sand and sky and sea … Tobago’s calling, please send me!

 

Thanks so much, and may the best Island Connoisseur win!

 

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10 RULES OF FÊTIQUETTE

The first Tuesday of March 2014!  Of course this means the third installment of Top Ten Tuesdays here on my blog, but it also means Carnival is in full swing for lucky partygoers in places like Trinidad, Brazil, and even New Orleans (Happy Fat Tuesday).

Being in Dubai, I am far away from any carnivalerie, so I decided to contribute somewhat by dedicating this Top Ten post to the aforementioned partygoers – here are some words of wisdom gathered by my friends and I during the last decade or so of fêting.  Enjoy …

 

1.  When you are waiting outside to get in, know that there is a direct correlation between the amount of jokes cracked and the speed at which time will pass. To this end, it is advisable to befriend strangers in line and poke fun at whatever and whomever is nearby.

crash-party-weekendHowever, when the line starts to get too chubby at the front, the time for jokes has passed. Band together with your newfound friends and push through the blasted door.

2.  It is not okay to hold up the line at the door on your way in (or the line at the coat check on your way out) because you lost your ticket.

whiteout 2008Put your ticket inside a pocket … inside a shoe … inside your phone case …  with your ID … or, ladies, put in your bra (or your friend’s bra, if you’re really dressed to fête).

3.  So basic, but apparently this needs to be reiterated a whole lot. When you’re attempting to dance on someone and they move away from you, they are not challenging you to follow them.

no danceDisengage.

4.  Females who arrive at a fête in high heels and/or flip flops should not be mocked gratuitously for their poor selection of footwear. Keep this in mind, but feel no obligation to go out of your way just to avoid them hurting their feet …

pain scale… it’s the only way they’ll learn.

5.  Non-essential objects which fall to the floor have a retrieval time limit. If more than 30 seconds have passed since your bracelet, ring, or rag fell into the sludgy mess under your shoes, let it go.

stopwatchIf it is your earring that has fallen, no amount of time will make it safe for you to wear it again — do not, for any reason, attempt to put that piece of metal through your earlobe. Your mother raised you better than that.

6.  Those who can hold their liquor: drink freely. Those who cannot: do not ruin this night for the rest of us.

DSC08010If you are not sure which group you belong to, ask your friends.

7.  Men and boys: you know how you love looking at women’s bodies but you’re really quick to judge them?

mindblowinglyhotWomen and girls are the same way, so hit the gym before you show up and take your shirt off.

8.  Men and women: teach the boys and girls what to do and how to act. The recent influx of soca novices who seem unable to comprehend and execute even the simplest of dances …

Palance-Icon … is untenable, and action must be taken now to prevent this situation from getting worse. (And while we’re on the subject … Can we please retire Palance???)

9.  If you, like me, are tired of wining competitions which take up half of an artist’s set, meet me at the bar as soon as the selection of contestants from each Caribbean country begins.

DSC06087And to those of you craning your necks to watch the whole thing go down, don’t be surprised when Trinidad wins.

10. Enjoy yourself. To the fullest.

Return Fete 2008Carnival will come back every year … genres of music will come and go and come again … our kids and their kids will have lots of fun at parties too … but the vibe will never be the same.

Oh goshhhhhhh I’m itching to go to a fête now … miss you all!  Til next time ;-) xoxoxoxoxo