"Passa Passa" Videos in Cayman

JAMAICAN STRAIGHT UP PASSA PASSA STYLE (you don't need a dancehall)
JAPANESE DANCEHALL

Passa Passa - Another Jamaican brand gets big abroad

BY JONIQUE GAYNOR, Staff Reporter

Bootleg videos, music, and pirate software are not a big deal in the Caymans, because no laws have been instituted against it yet.  The business stays in and amongst islands. You can get a lot of bootleg Passa Passa videos from Cayman Island video outlets.

Passa Passa is known as a stage for showing off the latest dance moves. These youngsters show their talent at one of the events. - FILE

WHEN PASSA PASSA came to life on Ash Wednesday in 2003, no one imagined the event would attract such a following becoming a model for street dances at home and abroad.

Because the downtown, Kingston, business district shuts down at midday on Wednesdays, Swatch International used the opportunity to 'put out the system and tune it up'. People eventually started showing up at the 'tunings' to drink, play dominoes and enjoy the music. The event then evolved naturally.

The promoters also felt this was an opportunity to bring the neighbouring communities of Tivoli Gardens, Hannah Town, Rema and Arnett Gardens together, without strife and tension.

The name Passa Passa was coined by Maestro, a selector with the famed Swatch International, promoters of the event.

BLENDING OF CLASSES

Passa Passa means a blending of, or simply, 'mix up' and is used in reference to the blending of cultures, nationalities and classes that occur at the now renowned dancehall event, Maestro explained.

The high energy street dance usually gets into gear at about 3 a.m., and continues long after the sun rises. Skimpily clad ladies are another highlight of the event and their risque, sometimes x-rated moves have become synonymous with the name.

Swatch International selectors fuel the vibe by providing a slew of popular dancehall hits throughout the night.

Controversial and exclusive dub plates also add to the unique street vibe - it is dancehall in its truest and undiluted form.

Innocent passers-by and motorists often get caught up at the carnival, and persons wishing to 'go about their business' must avoid Spanish Town Road in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Maestro said the party has such great appeal because of the excellent promotion. "A tru wi promote wi ting man, a dat mek it so popular, " he said. Word of mouth also plays its role. It's hard to keep such a big thing secret - word gets around. The stories are too tempting - people just can't stay away.

Passa Passa also attracts several familiar faces. Popular artistes such as Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Capleton and Kid Kurupt are frequent visitors. But the visitors don't stop there. The party has been successful in bringing out people from the middle and upper classes - people that perhaps had previously had no experience with dancehall culture.

PUBLIC NOTABLES

Public notables like Courtney Walsh, Jodi Ann Maxwell, Bruce Golding, the CEO of Moet/Hennessy and several fashion designers have graced the Passa Passa asphalt. The New York Times also did a four page spread on the party and there have been several features by the BBC and by the Japanese based NHK television station.

Versions of the party are in several Caribbean islands such as the Cayman Islands, Grenada, St.Vincent, and St.Kitts. The party, or at least the name, is also popular in North American cities such as New York and Miami - cities where there is a large Jamaican community.

The Far East has also been infected with the Passa Passa fever and the Japanese are frequent visitors to the event. And though the Japanese admit to not fully understanding what Passa Passa means, they love it "because it is a real ghetto street dance."

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

THE STAR spoke with Japanese visitors who said Passa Passa offers something different. They said most Japanese sessions are held in clubs, and when they are held outside, they "have to finish early and they can't play on the street."

The party is often videotaped and the DVDs have created the large international following. This is one of the main reasons for the party's popularity.

The DVDs are available on the streets of almost every major town in the Caribbean and in North America. They are also readily available in Japan. Access to the DVDs is extremely easy.

The 'bootleg' DVDs retail for US$15 (Ja$975) in New York, CI$6 (Ja$468) in the Cayman Islands, 1800 yen (Ja$900) in Japan and EC$20 (Ja$480) in Grenada and other Eastern Caribbean islands.

Dylan Powe, chief operations officer of Passa Passa Limited, the registered and copyrighted company, told THE STAR that the organisation had commissioned someone to videotape the sessions but that there had been no professional monitoring of the distribution, hence the rampant pirating.

He said they intend to take a more professional approach to marketing the DVD. Powe also told THE STAR that they hope to produce bar-coded DVDs that can be sold "in places like Blockbuster". He admits that they will have to 'clean up' the videos, but says this is something that they also plan to work on.

Fitzroy Patrick, a 23-year-old Jamaican living in the Cayman Islands, told THE STAR about the popularity of the DVDs. He also said the DVDs provide a lot of information on the dancehall culture. "Yeah man, di DVD dem sell off. Mi know all the latest dances through the video, and mi know all di dancers and selectors." He said the fashions featured on the DVDs are often recreated on the local party scene. "The younger people that party a lot, take on everything. They have the cornrows and the blazer and the man dem have di tight pants," he said.

A Passa Passa party promoter in Grenada, Steve Duncan, believes the party has become popular in his country because of the DVDs. "I think it all stems from the DVDs. They're all over the island and people are buying them. The DVDs have made the party a household name."

The fashions at Passa Passa have also gained international attention. In honour of this, the promoters are planning to launch a Passa Passa clothing line "by the middle of summer". The line will include male and female T-shirts that will boast the logo and catch phrases from the party.The promoters also hope to secure sponsorship from a popular sneaker company.

Such huge popularity however, breeds negativity. There have been many instances where the company's name is used to promote parties of which they have no knowledge. Powe told the STAR that the promoters will be moving towards legal action against any individual or group that attempts to misuse the name and that can potentially damage their reputation. He also added, "You can't call a Jamaican event Passa Passa without talking to us. You can't use our name to push a product that we're not aware of . We've worked hard to build our brand and and we're trying to protect the interest of the brand."

In late 2005, when the organisers got wind of information that street parties called Passa Passa were being held in the Cayman Islands, they released a statement decrying the practice and threatening legal action.

The statement read partially: There are some unscrupulous promoters who are using the names Passa Passa and Swatch International for events of which we have no knowledge. This is very unfortunate as we have set a standard of quality for our events that is unsurpassed in the dancehall arena. This is something we have worked very hard at and we refuse to let it be destroyed by these fly by night individuals.... we will be using any means necessary to protect the integrity of our brand. We have retained the services of several lawyers who will be taking cases of infringement to court." Powe told the STAR that while they have not had to take any matters to court, "we've had our lawyers and legal representatives speak to people very strongly."

Steve Duncan, a popular club owner and party promoter in Gouyave, St.John's, Grenada, confirmed the growing popularity of the party in the island. He admitted that he has thrown parties with the name 'Passa Passa' in his club before, but says it is something that has "been all over the island." He said the string of street parties started in Grenada after Hurricane Ivan as a means of "bringing out the community and relieving the stress." He said the parties are not rip-offs as he has brought in Jamaican selectors like Matterhorn to his parties.

Duncan told the STAR that he is doing nothing wrong by using the name as he is "not doing it to make money. It's not only in my club it's in every parish. It's all over the Caribbean...it's in New York." He says, Passa Passa is just a slang that has become synonymous with great parties. He also likened the name to the word 'bashment' and its popular use.

Complete Info on the Caymans

Background Note: Cayman Islands

PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:

Cayman Islands

Geography

Area: 259 sq. km. (100 sq. mi.) on three islands: Grand Cayman (76 sq. mi.), Cayman Brac (14 sq. mi.), and Little Cayman (10 sq. mi.).

Capital: George Town (pop. 20,626.

Terrain: Flat.

Climate: Tropical.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective --Caymanian(s).

Population (2006 est.): 45,436.

Annual growth rate: 2.56%.

Ethnic groups: Afro-European 40%, African 20%, European 20%, other 20%.

Religious affiliations: United Church, Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic.

Language: English.

Education: Years compulsory --to age 16. Literacy (age 15 and over)--98%.

Health: Infant mortality rate --4.8/1,000. Life expectancy --Males 77.45/Females 82.74.

Work force: 22,420.

Government

Type: British Overseas Territory.

Constitution: 1972; called the Cayman Islands Order.

Branches: Executive --Governor and Governor-in-Cabinet (representing British monarch), Cabinet. Legislative --unicameral Legislative Assembly (15 elected, three appointed members). Judicial --Summary Court, Grand Court, Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, Her Majesty's Privy Council. Subdivisions: Eight districts.

Political parties: People's Progressive Movement, United Democratic Party.

Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Economy

GDP (2002 est., purchasing power parity): $1.9 billion.

Growth rate: 0.9%.

Per capita income (2002 est., purchasing power parity): $36,500.

Natural resources: Scenic beaches and underwater attractions, favorable climate.

Agriculture: Products --Minor production of vegetables and livestock, turtle farming, aquaculture.

Industry: Types --tourism, banking, insurance, mutual funds, finance, and construction.

Trade: Exports (2004)--$1.2 million: turtle products, manufactured consumer goods. Major market --United States. Imports (2004)--$722.4 million: machinery, manufactures, food, fuels, chemicals. Major suppliers -- U.S., Jamaica, U.K., Netherlands Antilles, Japan.

Official exchange rate (Nov. 2003): CI $0.82=U.S. $1.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Cayman Islands remained largely uninhabited until the 17th century. A variety of people settled on the islands, including pirates, refugees from the Spanish Inquisition, shipwrecked sailors, deserters from Oliver Cromwell's army in Jamaica, and slaves. The majority of Caymanians are of African and British descent, with considerable interracial mixing.

Great Britain took formal control of the Cayman Islands, along with Jamaica, under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670. Following several unsuccessful attempts, permanent settlement of the islands began in the 1730s. The Cayman Islands historically have been popular as a tax-exempt destination. Legend has it that Caymanians in 1788 rescued the crews of a Jamaican merchant ship convoy which had struck a reef at Gun Bay and that the Caymanians were rewarded with King George III's promise to never again impose any tax.

The Cayman Islands, initially administered as a dependency of Jamaica, became an independent colony in 1959; they now are a self-governing British Overseas Territory.

ECONOMY

Although Caymanians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world, about 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported.

From the earliest settlement of the Cayman Islands, economic activity was hindered by isolation and a limited natural resource base. The harvesting of sea turtles to resupply passing sailing ships was the first major economic activity on the islands, but local stocks were depleted by the 1790s. Agriculture, while sufficient to support the small early settler population, has always been limited by the scarcity of available land.

The advent of modern transportation and telecommunications in the 1950s led to the emergence of what are now considered the Cayman Islands ' "twin pillars" of economic development: international finance and tourism. In 2004, there were more than 70,000 companies registered in the Cayman Islands, including 446 banks and trust companies. Forty of the world's largest banks are present in the Cayman Islands.

It is estimated that financial services represent 40% and tourism between 30-40% of gross domestic product. Unspoiled beaches, duty-free shopping, scuba diving, and deep-sea fishing draw almost a million visitors to the islands each year.

Education is compulsory to the age of 16 and is free to all Caymanian children. Schools follow the British educational system. The Government operates 10 primary, one special education, and two high schools. In addition, there is a university and a law school.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

The Cayman Islands' physical isolation under early British colonial rule allowed the development of an indigenous set of administrative and legal traditions which were codified into a Constitution in 1959. Although still a British Overseas Territory, the islands today are self-governed in nearly all respects. The Constitution, or Cayman Islands Order, that now governs the islands came into effect in 1972 and was amended in 1984.

The Cayman Islands' political system is very stable, bolstered by a tradition of restrained civil governance, sustained economic prosperity, and its relative isolation from foreign policy concerns by virtue of its colonial relationship with the United Kingdom. Public discussion revolves around public sector expenditure and social services, the pace of additional economic development, and the status of the large foreign national community on the islands.

Principal Government Officials

Head of State--Queen Elizabeth II

Governor--Stuart Jack, since November 2005

Leader of Government Business--The Honorable Kurt Tibbetts, since May 2005

U.S.-CAYMANIAN RELATIONS

Although the United Kingdom is responsible for the Cayman Islands' defense and external affairs, important bilateral issues are often resolved by negotiations between the Cayman Government and foreign governments, including the United States. Despite close historic and political links to the U.K. and Jamaica, geography and the rise of tourism and international finance in the Cayman Islands' economy has made the United States its most important foreign economic partner. Following a dip in tourists from the United States after September 11, 2001, over 200,000 U.S. citizens traveled by air to the Cayman Islands in 2004; some 4,761 Americans are resident there (2005).

For U.S. and other foreign investors and businesses, the Cayman Islands ' main appeal as a financial center is the absence of all major direct taxes, free capital movement, a minimum of government regulations, and a well-developed financial infrastructure.

With the rise in international narcotics trafficking, the Cayman Government entered into the Narcotics Agreement of 1984 and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty of 1986 with the United States in order to reduce the use of its facilities for money laundering operations. In June 2000, The Cayman Islands was listed by multilateral organizations as a tax haven and a non-cooperative territory in fighting money laundering. The country's swift response in enacting laws limiting banking secrecy, introducing requirements for customer identification and record keeping, and for banks to cooperate with foreign investigators led to its removal from the list of non-cooperative territories in June 2001.

Click here for: Cayman Islands Hurricane Watch

Hurricane hazards come in many forms: storm surge, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding. This means it is important for your family to have a plan that includes all of these hazards.

The BEST places to dine in Cayman

Yes Cayman is a small island, but don't go to these loctions looking like a freakin' tourist and show up wearing Bermuda shorts and Birkenstocks, or a T-Shirt and surfer pants.  Put on some proper clothes and look like you were raised in a decent home.

Neptunes -Best for appetizers, delicious free bread with an olive oil and balsamic accompaniment, and bruschetta.   Generous seafood, and a great T-bone steak.

Papagallos - Take your cameras, a one of a kind, upscale restaurant.   Presentation of food is top notch and they make substitutions.  Lovely homemade pasta,  and seafood. Their T-bone steak is not as good as it should be.

Deckers - Tuesdays all you can eat lobster is expensive, and you may or may not like the taste of caribbean lobster.  Their T-bone steak is top notch, melt in your mouth taste.

Race relations in Cayman

If you are easily offended, read no further.

Most Caymanians are either Black, White, or a mix of the two races, and perhaps a helping of some other race. In fact there are many mixed race Caymanians who look visibly caramel to White complexioned.

My own observations:

Whites are looked upon favorably. That said a Caymanian is quick to sum up in their mind if they are white trash or white with money. As well if they are an expatriate or if they are at least one generation Caymanian apparently makes a difference in how well the White person is viewed.

Blacks are separated in to skin color in the mind of the observer. Light skin rules. Light skin Caymanian is at the top of this pyramid. Light skin foreigners come in second. Dark black skin and brown-blacks are acceptable if they are Caymanian and have some "redeeming" qualities such as "good hair", thin noses/lips, and/or slenderish bodies. Dark Black, with typically black features are viewed with suspicion, as they could be Jamaicans. Jamaicans must assimilate in Cayman as they are not warmly regarded and have usually come to the island to do some kind of menial labor, which most Caymanians avoid like the plague.

All other blends of races are at the bottom of the stratosphere. They are usually expatriates who are on the island to do menial labor and crap Caymanians are too proud to do. East Indian, Flipino, Turkish, Spanish (mostly from Honduras) and Middle Eastern people are viewed with suspicion. These people perpetuate the suspicion by keeping to themselves, and socializing only with their own kind. Speaking of only socializing with their own kind, rumors abound about Filipino's eating stray cats and dogs in the Caymans for example because of this. Most younger Filipino (and Asian for that matter) women however, have taken the age old approach of aligning themselves with a White boyfriend and and thus alleviating some of the suspicion that usually follows them everywhere. As well rumors abound about Spanish women having AIDS and working in underground dens of iniquity on the island (strip clubs and prostitution are illegal in Cayman). They can be found working in local island bars where they never seem to understand how to make a proper mixed drink, or even know where to locate the Angostura 1919 you may be pointing at. They are also the "pets" (aka sex servants) of semi-well off older (and unattractive) White men. Again, they were imported on to the island, and speak only 2 words of English. Chances are they left their 5 children behind and will send for them at some point.

The tourist industry has brought many Canadian's and British ex-pats to the island. Canadians rule the serving and bar industry for other tourist, and usually end up with a drinking or recreational drug habit. Brits can be anywhere, and are easily identified by their annoying low-class cockney accents. Those from the US like to represent themselves as entrepreneurial fortune-seekers, or who may be into the low-paying diving scene or label themselves "captains" of sea vessels.

Anyway, Caymanian men seem to love visiting the areas where the Canadian bar-servers work. They are usually mixed, or dark-skinned Black men who follow the US pattern of hip-hop adornment. They may also have no sense of style which is laughable in and of itself. Young and old they cruise the bars of areas such as Treasure Island, Next Level, or Royal Palm (to name a few) looking for lonely or drunk women to talk to. Most of these women happen to be White, or perhaps they are purposely looking for White women. They usually have some level of success and their collection and stable of deluded White women grow weekly. The Caymanian women usually stay at home and turn a blind eye to what goes on at the resorts and bars. They are most likely reading bible passages, or stuffing their faces with artery clogging food, and hoping for the best from their men.

At some smaller degree of interracial dating, White male expats end up with other races as well after striking out with the White female bartenders, or servers. They can be found drinking heavily so that their level of inhibition disappears, and their wandering eyes and hands come out.

Finally, lonely often ostracized Turkish, or dark-skinned Jamaican men whom nobody seems to care about outside of what labor they can contribute, often find themselves sitting alone on the beach oogling scantily clad female tourist and perhaps jerking off in their oversized shorts. I've seen it with my own eyes.

Overall, money rules on this island, and race is secondary. Most expatriates are here to make money, because Caymanians don't want to work shift work, work on Sundays (the Lords day), or do menial labor. Ones color and race only comes into play if they don't have the fancy things that money brings.

Use your cell phone in the Cayman Islands

Get an unlocked phone in your part of the world, bring it to Cayman and go to Digicel and get a SIM card.  Then just top up your minutes.  It's the easiest thing you will ever do.

If you are here on business, you would be wisest to get a VOIP service such as Vonage.  Use the orange Vonage usb connection on your computer, sign in, then use the little cordless looking phone that you also bought from Vonage to walk around your room and call people all across the world for $45USD unlimited a month.

Find a job in Cayman

There are also some hard to find direct links to UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other hotspots around the globe...email me for details about those.

CAYMAN JOB LINKS

BARAUDINTERNATIONAL.COM

CARIBBEANJOBS.COM

CMLOR.COM

PERSONNEL2000.COM

STEPSTONE.COM

BRIGHTSTAFF.KY

Spray Plane Pilot Grounded

From The Cayman Net News

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

RAINY SEASON IS FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER!  HURRICANES ALSO ARE PREVALENT FROM JUNE TO NOVEMBER.  MOSQUITOS own the island unless sprayed and killed during this time.

Efforts to control the spread of
mosquitoes in Grand Cayman have suffered a major blow after one of the
pilots involved in the spraying operation was grounded pending the
completion of an investigation by the authorities.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman
Islands (CAACI) has banned the pilot who is employed by the Mosquito
Research and Control Unit (MRCU).

The banning of the pilot comes at the beginning
of the mosquito season, putting a serious strain on the MRCU�s ongoing
programme to eradicate the mosquito population in Grand Cayman.

A complaint made to the CAACI allegedly claims the aircraft came too close to a cruise ship moored off George Town.

According to one source, the pilot was engaged in
a flight authorised by the MRCU and the incident may have occurred
while he was positioning the aircraft to enable a passenger riding in
the back seat to take photographs.

The CAACI has confirmed that they are investigating an incident but refused to provide any specific details.

Attempts to obtain a reaction to the complaint
from the MRCU or to find out what impact the investigation is having on
their spraying programme at the time of going to press proved
unsuccessful.
However, MRCU Assistant Director Allan Wheeler
recently said the next few weeks would be a critical time if they were
to ensure that the mosquito population is kept under control.

The MRCU has also just issued warnings that they
would have to step up both airborne and ground-based spraying after
recent heavy rains increased the levels of standing water and the areas
where mosquitoes can breed on the Island.