That's One Baaaad Boat

-
Months ago when I was laying out a schedule of performances for Verse iTal, one in particular had me very curious. This particular performance was going to be at the Pool Party Festival, in Antwerp Belgium. I was told it was a large boat completely decked out with a pool. As always, I assigned a picture to the description and so I thought maybe I was heading to a large multi deck ship, similar to the Trinidad party ship the Treasure Queen. “How would they layout a festival on that kind of vessel?” I wondered.

On the morning of the performance, Verse and I left Den Haag early to head to Antwerp as he had a practice with the Asham Band first.  This time we travelled by train and not only was it more comfortable than the bus ride we took last time it was faster and way more interesting. Between reading, napping and gazing at the landscape through the window as it rolled by, the time passed quickly and within an hour and 50 minutes we arrived at the beautiful Antwerp Station.

The band practice went well as they rehearsed six tunes for the upcoming Smile! Reggae Festival.  This time the band member who works the board was there and during some of the instrumentals he added a cool dubwise effect to the music. Rushing out we said our goodbyes and headed to the festival with the band manager.

On the train heading to Belgium

The train ride was more comfortable and interesting than the bus ride to Belgium

Verse practicing with the Asham Band

Arriving at the dock the boat came into view. Sounds of glass could be heard (in my head) as my image of the boat we were going to was shattered into tiny pieces. This boat was impressive. It was crazy. It was…baaaad as its name implied. Badboot is a converted ferryboat, which boasts a long and narrow warm water pool, a restaurant, terrace and two large spaces for events. The festival was spread throughout with a good variety of food and an even better variety of drinks! There was also a station giving free massages and repolish for nails. We checked out the various areas of the boat and were treated to a wonderful performance in the world music section by Nathaniel Melo. He utilized a loop station to create songs using various instruments from around the world. For those not familiar with a loop station, the performer plays an instrument (or does a beat with his mouth/sing), records it then as it plays back he records another instrument on top of that until an entire song is built. He had the small crowd captivated as he effortlessly went from instrument to instrument and enticed everyone to clap and sing along at certain points. The highlight for us was when he moved to the Steel Pan and told the crowd, “Now lets visit Trinidad and Tobago.” A cheer erupted from us, the two proud Trini’s in the room! We had to leave after that as Verse was set to perform next.


At this festival Verse probably had the most interesting stage to date as he gave his performance high up in the air on top of the Bridge of the boat. He really created a great vibe as he moved around the curved roof and sang to the audience on all parts of the terrace. Just like the last performance a man came up to me to ask about Verse and expressed how much he liked his music! Super cool! The performance lasted about thirty-five minutes and every song had an impact. Unfortunately we had to leave soon after to get our train back to the Netherlands but I had such a fun time! I ran to catch the train smiling. Caipirina’s, a massage, new shiny red nail polish on my fingers, an unexpected steel pan performance and sweet reggae music? What more could a girl ask for? I am definitely thankful for these adventures in Europe! 

First impressions of this Baaaad Boat!
Sections of the boat. A very unique venue for a festival!

The Dj's ripping up the dance at the Pool Party Festival

Pool Party Festival

L: Waiting in Line for massages R: The masseuse giving a customer a Thai massage

Pool Party Festival

Nathaniel Melo playing two of the many instruments he used to create his songs, including the Steel Pan!

Nathaniel Melo, Pool Party Festival

Verse iTal performing from on top of the bridge at the Pool Party Festival

Verse iTal, the Pool Party Festival



Comments

  1. Beverly WilsonJuly 25, 2014 at 1:02 PM

    Love following the Blogs of Verse iTal's performances and practice sessions this summer!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 27, 2014 at 10:03 PM

    This was extremely interesting! Fascinating experience I love the pictures with Verse dancing up against the sky How many people were at the festival and does it happen every week?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ariann MiekaJuly 28, 2014 at 8:45 AM

      I am glad you enjoyed it! This was the first year they had this festival and I guess it will be once a year from now on.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Visit to an Orisha Yard

-
Image
The drumming, singing, and dancing were captivating. As I looked on I was totally engrossed in what I was witnessing and I felt like I was on a tour in another country when I was in fact only a stone’s throw away from Port of Spain! We were in Laventille to learn more about the Orisha religion for a project on East Port of Spain and the camera crew was dutifully filming three ladies who belong to the faith.   Several shrines of different colours were laid out in a row in one section within an open yard. They went to each shrine and told us about the deity they were built for, what offerings were usually given and a short sample of what songs might be sung in various ceremonies throughout the year. The singing was mesmerizing as their voices and the Yoruba derived lyrics they belted out pulsated a rhythmic vibration through the air. The ladies explain different aspects of the faith and answer questions The Yard with some of the shrines to the various Deities A tour ...
Read more

The massive cross on the hill

-
Image
The massive cross sits high on a hill and is visible from miles away. Verse and I were driving in the Troodos region , heading to the Kykkos monastery when we spotted the 25-metre cross looming above us. Intrigued, we had to veer off route and drive up the hill to find out more. Stavros Fithkias is a small modern chapel with amazing wall paintings. As is common in the majority of their churches these frescos were intricate, bright and tell the stories of the gospels. This chapel was built in the 80’s and is a common stop for pilgrims heading to the Kykkos monastery. Prior to our trip to Cyprus I had no idea what a huge role religion had in their culture and history. (I guess that’s because I knew very little about Cyprus at all, save for the fact that it was the hottest location in Europe at the time I wanted to travel). A whopping ten of their churches (found on the Greek side) are Unesco’s World Heritage sites making this island a must visit for all those interested...
Read more

The Heineken Experience

-
Image
This was the first museum we visited, although the description says it’s technically not a museum but an ‘experience’. After a quick tram ride from our flat it was a lovely short stroll to the old Heineken brewery (which was easy to find, as there is no way you can miss the huge Heineken sign). The line to buy the tickets was pretty long but it moved swiftly. The cost to enter was €17 for adults but with a coupon found in a tourist attraction book we paid €15 for one ticket (yay for discounts). Along with your tickets you are given a green Heineken band that allows you to get two free drinks after the self-guided tour.  Slipping the band on our hands we had no idea what to expect and we were excited to get started on the experience! The Heineken brewery is well worth a visit even for non-drinking folks.  Being one of the most successful and internationally known beer brands, Heineken has such a deep-rooted history in Holland and the tour presents this and information ...
Read more