Celeste Williams and 4Front have been included on the bandstand of the upcoming Cape Town Mardi Gras 2007, which runs from January 31 to February 3.

Heart 104.9 and the Cape District Football Association (CDFA) are hosting this fun-filled programme at the William Herbert Sports Ground.

Entertainment on February 2 and 3 includes Alistair Izobel and Zayn Adams, 4Front with Randal Cyster, Mickey Rorich and Sammy Webber, the Junior Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, RD and Protιgι. There’ll also be a Mr and Miss Mardi Gras Competition offering R30 000 worth of prizes. The Brassband Kings, the South Peninsula Minstrels team competition, will open the show at 7pm on January 31.

Teams including the Philadelphians, Lavender Hill Starlites, Parkwood Entertainers, Montague Young Brass Sounds and Heideveld Entertainers will battle it out to be crowned the first Brassband Kings. The winning team will take to the streets on Saturday, in a parade with Mr and Miss Mardi Gras 2007. The 4Front ensemble will contribute their acid-jazz funk to the pageant.

Said Celeste Williams: “As a group we’ve been together for five years. Sammy and I both sing, and while it’s a small unit we get a big sound. We do quite a lot of material that Sammy writes and now we’re all going to write together. We want to keep the band as it is, and also the African identity will never not be there because it comes so naturally.”

A music anchor for M-Net’s Lieriekeraai, Williams also does development work with her Bergvliet Girls project.

“I coach them to play jazz funk. We put together something specially for the recent Jazzathon and it worked so well we’re thinking of keeping it together. It has a synergy and everybody is on the same page.”

On the nuances of her keyboard style, Williams says: “The fact that I’m a women makes a lot of difference for people who watch. They always comment how nice it is that I play an instrument and don’t just sing. Being a woman in the industry is very difficult because whether we like it or not, it’s still very male dominated … (and men) expect you to prove yourself before they listen to you as a musician.

“That’s the battle I fight for the girls I teach more than anything else. Many girls are wanting to play now, but the non-musical challenges are sometimes more disheartening than playing, and that’s what I’m very passionate about - helping girls overcome that barrier.”

Williams will bring out her own solo album later this year. “Music is a strong vehicle because you can reach so many people. I have some songs that talk about women’s issues that ultimately are societal issues, and then there’s some fun songs and a ballad or two.”

Comedian Wayne McCayne will be on stage in a beer garden along with karaoke artist Hilton Carelse, who’ll offer a karaoke competition with winners featured on Heart 104.9.

There will also be rides like bumper cars, the Octopus, Rocket Ranger and Mexican Hat. The top 20 cars from the Fast and the Furious car show will be on view, with an exhibition of car accessories, gadgets and a Sound Off competition.

Adults pay R12, children pay R5. Gates open on Wednesday and Thursday at 4pm, on Friday at 2pm and on Saturday at 10am. For more information, call Rayyan on 021 797 9935. 

The Mardi Gras Ozarks Style 2007, sponsored by Bull Shoals Lake-White River Chamber of Commerce, has added a new event this year, a Miss Mardi Gras Pageant slated for 2 p.m. Feb. 4 at Bull Shoals Theater of the Arts.

The pageant is for girls ages four through 12th grade. The entry fee is $15 per contestant.

Judging will be in five divisions: pre-school-kindergarten, first through third grades, fourth through sixth grades, seventh through nine grades and 10th through 12th grades.

The winner in each division will receive a crown, sash and flowers. Runners-up will receive flowers and sashes. Rehearsal will be announced later.

Photographs will be available. Winners and runners-up may ride in the Feb. 10 Mardi Gras parade.

Applications are available by calling (870) 445-4443 or e-mailing tower@southshore.com.

Admission to the pageant is $3 for adults, $2 for students and children not in school will be admitted free.

We still aren’t sure if the new Mardi Gras at Universal Studios musical lineup is an example of good diversity or weird diversity.

Where else can you see Wynonna one week and Sean Paul another? The Mardi party has an eclectic group of performers for this year’s event, including Los Lonely Boys on Feb. 3, Donna Summer on Feb. 10, Huey Lewis and the News on Feb. 17, Taylor Hicks on Feb. 24, Wynonna on March 3, The Doobie Brothers on March 10, The Temptations and the Four Tops on March 17, Sean Paul on March 24, Daughtry on April 7 and KC and the Sunshine Band on April 14.

Tickets are available now. Details: www.universalorlando.com

The 10th Annual Mardi Gras Minden Parade, sponsored by the Main Street Project, will be Saturday, February 3. Lineup will be on Elm Street, beginning at 3 p.m.

The parade begins promptly at 5 p.m. in front of the Webster Parish Library and will go down East and West to McDonald Street.  It will follow McDonald by Academy Park and intersect Main by the Minden Medical Center parking lot.  The parade will then go down Main, turn left on U.S. 371 and back onto Broadway.  It will proceed down the entire length of Broadway back to the Elm Street intersection. 

As many people work very hard on these floats, the extended parade route will let more parade-goers view them.  This route will hopefully also give those who live on these streets an opportunity to have fun events to coincide with the parade and encourage family outings in such places as Academy Park, said Main Street Project Manager Judy Thompson. 

 This year for the first time, a special award will be given for “the best party.”  The party must be along the route or lineup at a private residence, park, lot, etc. In order to be considered, those hosting or sponsoring the party must register with Thompson, 371-4258.

There will be no theme for the parade; however, participants are urged to remember this is a family-oriented event and a decade of Mardi Gras Minden.  A rotating loving cup will be presented to the Best Overall winner.  The parade will have trophies for four categories:  commercial, non-commercial (including organizations, churches, individuals), schools and best marching group. 

Past Overall Winners include:  (2005 and 2006) Sassy Scarlet Ladies Red Hat Society;  (2003 and 2004)  Krewe des Ambassadeurs; (2001 and 2002) Krewe of Xcellence; and  (1998 to 2000) St. Paul Catholic Church.  There is no charge to enter the parade. However, it is necessary to complete and return an entry form. For more information or entry forms, contact Thompson at 371-4258. 

The parade grand marshal has not yet been announced. With its floats and number of participants, the Mardi Gras Minden Parade rivals the larger towns for the quality of entries.  Last year more than 1,000 people rode, walked or marched in the parade.  There were thousands in attendance.

Mardi Gras Poster Unveiling Ceremony
Mardi Gras! Galveston 2007 begins February 9th and continues thru Fat Tuesday February 20th, and is projected to be one of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations the Island has ever seen. For complete highlights, count on Galveston.com!

On Wednesday, January 24th, the official poster and medallion for Mardi Gras! Galveston 2007 will be revealed! The poster unveiling starts at 6:00 pm and will be held at the Tremont House Hotel, located at 2300 Ship’s Mechanic Row in Galveston.

This is great opportunity to learn more about upcoming the Mardi Gras! Galveston events, as well as a chance to meet the artist of the official poster, Gay Griffin. Griffin is a local Galveston artist, and will be available at the end of the night to sign posters.

Throughout the night, hors d’ euvres will be served, and there will be a cash bar available. The official Mardi Gras! Galveston poster and medallion will be available for purchase. The posters are $10.00 each and $20.00 each for a signed copy.

For more information, contact Paula Brown, Public Relations Manager, at 409-797-5152.

About Mardi Gras! Galveston…

Mardi Gras, the traditional festival of feasting and merrymaking that precedes the season of Lent, has been publicly observed on Galveston Island as early as 1867 and later revived in 1985 by Galveston-born preservationist and developer George P. Mitchell. This year’s celebration marks the 21st consecutive year of Mardi Gras! Galveston since its 1985 revival.

Now coordinated by the Galveston Park Board of Trustees in conjunction with 18 participating Krewes, the success of Mardi Gras! Galveston continues to grow as hundreds of thousands of revelers participate in Texas’ largest Mardi Gras celebration.

FIn 2007 merrymakers can expect a traditional Mardi Gras celebration with plenty of parade processions, entertainment, art exhibits, sporting events, and elaborate masquerade balls.  The entertainment line-up as well as official Mardi Gras! Galvestonor continuous updates, visit the Galveston.com Mardi Gras guide, or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.

To book lodging, click here, or call toll-free (888)939-8680. When you book online via Galveston.com, you’ll receive hundreds of dollars in money-saving Galveston Island coupons to use during your stay.

To purchase discounted tickets online, https://tix.extremetix.com/tix/SilverStream/Pages/pgIndex.html?siteID=66&SalesRef=calendar

Related Links > http://www.galveston.com/mardigras

The City of Crowley has announced plans for its Carnival d’Acadie Mardi Gras celebration.

The events will begin at 6:15 p.m. February 19 with a welcome from Mayor Greg Jones, followed by performances from Blaine Roy and Second Wind at 6:30 p.m. and Chris Ardoin and Nu Step at 9:30 p.m.

On February 20, Travis Matte and the Zydeco Kingpins will perform at 12:30 p.m. The grand parade, float judging and costume contest will begin at 3 p.m., followed by a performance from Krossfyre at 4 p.m.

Anyone wishing to enter the parade must complete a parade entry form by February 12. Entry forms may be picked up at city hall. For more information, call 783-0824.