Hey folks, Ray J here ... new member to the TJJ family and here to give my account of the US Embassy’s All Inclusive fete. Now the journey to the Embassy’s fete was an interesting one and some of the details I’d rather keep to myself (could be a bit embarrassing ... lol), but on arrival we could see the readiness of the partygoers. Readiness for a night ramp packed with entertainment that is!

Now before getting a chance to check out the eats and drinks being offered, Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon had taken the stage. So I suited up and headed stage side. Kicking off the on stage action for the night, Ms. Saucy Wow had the crowd moving with her as she put down a performance, and if you ever saw Denise perform, ya know how she could wuk that waistline!

At around 7:15 PM, Maximus Dan came on, rocking the people with nothing but positive vibez and of course a couple crowd pleasers like, the Soca Warriors Anthem "Fighter" and “Kick It Way”. In the midst of all the moving and grooving the ambience was such a great one, that I found myself being held down and wined upon. Well allyuh done know, I had to represent for TJJ and take a lil’ three wine!!

Photos By Rahaan J., Keith B. & Peter C.Q.
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After Maximus Dan's performance there was an intermission and so I had my first chance to see what eats were available. With a wide array of foods ranging from Bake & Shark to Wings, Fried Cassava Chips, Indian cuisine, Ribs, Gyros and Fish Kebabs ... I was able to sample almost everything. A personal favourite however was the Sweet Potato and Cassava Chips. They were great and talk about the Paw-Paw sauce which went with it ... heavenly!

Drinks were widely available also with Smirnoff, Baileys and Hennessey all having their own independent bars. Besides those there was also the main bar offering almost anything else that you couldn’t get at those special bars. We talking about Johnnie, 1919, Royal Oak and Dewar’s just to name a some.

Not wanting to slow the vibe and pace down, Destra and her Band were next to hit the stage and the crowd was ready to kick it into the next gear. Performing crowd favourites like “Hott” and “Sassiness”, Destra definitely had the crowd eating out of her hands. Denise made a return presence on the stage with Destra to perform their Carnival collaboration “Obsessive Winers” (ft Alison Hinds also) and believe me, they proved why they should be called such.

With the crowd’s echoes for Destra’s song “Bacchanal” getting louder and louder, she decided to call up random people from the crowd to prove just how crazy one can be. Two male patrons put back and bellies to the floor, in an attempt to prove themselves, even bumping into Destra and all. It was crazy ... lol. In closing off her performance the much requested hit “Bacchanal” drove patrons into a frenzy and had energy levels soaring. From the looks of things, like this hit will be a big contender for Road March 2009.

After a large dose of Destra, the crowd was then moved by the rhythmic sounds of the Bussaclan Tassa group. In the mean time patrons and us alike took the opportunity to run and get a bite to eat and even a little drink to keep the throat moist as well, because Roy Cape All Stars was pumped and almost ready to go.

With Blaxx, Trini Jacobs and Olatunji in the frontline, the crowd was taken on a musical journey from the new into the old back and then back into the new. Talk about ending with a bang, Blaxx gave away hampers to two partygoers (male and female) who could sing his song, “Tusty” best. Well talk about entertainment and laughs! Especially the Atlanta national who had the crowd on their toes with his version.

From the tasty foods to premium drinks, even to the Exotic Holiday snacks and Häagen-Dazs ice cream that were being offered, all and in all the night was a great one. I am definitely looking forward to what the US Embassy has to offer next year. Special thanks to Cicely for the most hospitable accommodations as usual.

Ray J. for the TJJ Fam.

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Related Galleries
U.S. Embassy All Inclusive (2007)
U.S. Embassy All Inclusive (2006)