There are some people you meet at certain critical times in your life and because you share similar life shaping experiences, you are bonded for life. It was during one of these times that I met Peter Lashley and he became like an adopted big brother to me. He and his childhood friend Carver Rullow are the driving force behind NYCaribbeanvibes.com. The site had gone through a transitional phase and has a brand new look. I wanted to find out a bit more about the updated site and the new direction that NYCV is heading in.Peter Lashley was born and raised in Diamond Vale, on the northwestern coast of Trinidad and Tobago. After completing secondary school at St. Anthony’s College, he attended John Donaldson Technical Institute affectionately known to us Trinis as John D. Peter then left to attend Howard University where he graduated with a BFA in Design. He lived and worked in Philly for a short while before moving to New York. He recently graduated from Pratt Institute with a Master’s degree in Communication Design.
1. How did the concept NY Caribbean Vibes come into existence and who are the key persons behind its formation?
Actually, NYCV has been around for some time now. Carver Rullow and I have been friends since high school in Trinidad and have always been close. So naturally when I moved to NY I linked back up with him. We decided to create a website where we could take pictures at parties and cover various events. We both share a passion for photography, we both actually have minor degrees in photography. Carver's educational background is in Mass Media. The other thing we enjoyed doing and connected us was a love for partying. NYCV was the perfect way to blend those two together. The goal was to create a website that had a content-driven, magazine type feel to it, which was something that had not previously been done. Because of time constraints however we were not able to keep the steady flow of information that was desired for the website. That aspect of it took a back burner to the photography content aspect of the site. Over the years Carver moved to Florida while I was in school completing my masters degree so the website was on pause so to speak while we worked on our individual pursuits. We still continued to cover major events, particularly events outside of the NY metro area like Nottinghill Carnival, Cropover and of course Trinidad Carnival. The goal we both had in mind was to always be and do things differently, you know, to have a different viewpoint of the same subject matter. We wanted to move away from the cookie cutter mold and create a niche of our own.
We have always done events for as long as I can recall. I remember in DC while on campus we always did a lot of events. At that time, Carver and I were housemates with 3 other Caribbean guys so there was always a reason for a get together and we would jump at the opportunity to bring people together. I was able to use this experience as NYCV started creating our own events. In the NY area we wanted to set a standard in creating events for a mature crowd. We felt there was a generational gap between the “youngsters” and those older than ourselves. There was something missing for those like us at that in-between age. We knew we could create events that would fill that gap. We decided to try our hand at unique creative events that were held in time slots that others would normally steer away from. Our first major event was a midnight boatride called Midnight Madness which was a lingerie event. This was a collaborative venture with well-known soca artist Pelf. We then decided to do Verve on Memorial Friday in 2005. It was designed to be a sexy and swanky affair and still continues to have the same flavor 5yrs later. Next we did Silent Morning, the breakfast boatride, which was done as a collaboration alongside Gameface promotions, who we had always been friends with. On this ride we had the Party Rocker himself Back 2 Basics, and Natural Freaks. This was the summer of 2005. These have become signature annual events that NYCV are well known for. Silent Morning ’05 was such a success that the DJ got tips from the patrons, this was the first and only time that I have ever seen a DJ getting tipped for his musical skills. We didn't do that particular event for a couple of years and after people continuously asked about it, we decided to bring the event back. We teamed up with B2B and have been doing it together since 2007. Now 2 years ago, we introduced Silent Morning Trinidad on Carnival Friday and this has been a great success as well. High Noon was started in 2006 and is a country western themed boat ride held the weekend after the July 4th holiday weekend. Again this was done to fill the time gap. We know that after most partygoers have been hyped up for a particular party weekend in NY they want something to look forward to that will keep the party adrenaline going. The weekend after July 4th was a perfect time to continue the vibes. And the good thing is that we have always had events where people are pleased with the overall outcome, and that's what matters most to NYCV. Afterglow was also created as an alternative type event for those who chose to not attend Labor Day festivities on the parkway. Despite little hiccups along the way we continued to strive to set a certain standard and quality of events. Thankfully the benefits have by far outweighed the risks we have taken and we are pleased that our events have all been successful to date.
2. What is the new direction that NYCaribbeanvibes.com is heading in and what are some of the key features of the updated site?
Basically we want to make it a more content driven site, particularly with more articles and stories. We will have more articles, photos, and of course ads on the new site. We have a unique website, because even though we are based in NY we have photographers and contributors in Barbados, Trinidad, the UK, Washington DC and of course NY. Some of the new features include articles on various topics and issues that the average New Yorker has to deal with: health and wellness, everyday happenings that are conversation worthy, what's going on in Trinidad so that everyone is connected to what's happening at home, the party rater section, the picture gallery where we plan to showcase photographers and give them the option to sell their work via the site. We want to keep the website as simple and user friendly as possible but also keeping the content relevant. We want it to always be positive and purposeful and the content of the site will reflect that vibe.
3. Where would you like to see yourself and NYCV in the next 5 years?
We really want to see the site develop a more international based following, and also importantly to be an avenue for artists, especially for photographers to showcase and sell their work. But I still want to maintain and sustain ourselves in the Caribbean niche that we already cater to. We want to use this as a forum to showcase the talent and art of the Caribbean throughout the world.
We want to take our events to another level and expand our audience. We want to establish a market for our events globally. The NYCV brand should become an international symbol for signature quality events that can be transplanted to different locations worldwide.
As a photographer and an artist for me, it’s all about self- expression, Carver and I have always seen eye to eye on this and have always seen NYCV as a forum to promote self-expression. We have always used the site as a means of expressing who and what we are about. We believe that if we do something that we are passionate about we will always be successful at it.
My personal philosophy is that you should find one thing that you can do, that you truly enjoy, and do it the best of your ability. Society has us in this vice where you feel driven to multi-task and I feel that when you do this you become a master of none and a jack of all. For me, this isn't the best approach; I prefer to be a master of one.
4. What sparked your interest in photography and what is your preferred subject matter to photograph?
I first became interested in photography in my Intro to Photojournalism class. I was always into art and drawing growing up. I worked at the library at school in the Photojournalism section and I would spend hours going through various books. I always have a different perspective and viewpoint to the conventional. I remember my professor saying, “owning a camera does not make you a photographer”. What he said really struck a chord with me. Photography is about capturing your view of a subject. So when shooting a subject, pick the most interesting angle for example, I remember as a child always looking at a Christmas tree from the base up. Since at first I developed my own film, I had to compose my shots and think carefully about what I shot before actually taking the picture which is so different to the digital approach. Instead of shooting randomly and hoping for a great shot, I still think about what I am doing and then shoot although I now use digital cameras. My favorite subject is people. People have always been interesting to me and I like to “people watch”. I really love candid shots that capture emotions. I like shooting movement and action as in dancing and sports. I like capturing the moments that show the actual vibe of an event. As a photographer I need that stimulation, and capturing those aspects of an event appeals to the photojournalistic side of my photography. I enjoy using available light in my photography, and I depend on this to help create the mood in a picture. Wherever I go, whatever subject I am shooting, I enjoy it and I turn it into art.
5. What's your greatest life passion and driving force?
Photography and event planning are my main passions. I am also a certified spin instructor. Whatever I do now has to be enjoyable and has to be something I can see myself doing full time. My main philosophy is self expression so anything I do is an extension of myself. Right now I use these three skills as creative outlets for myself as a way to counteract the monotony of the conventional 9-5. Ultimately I'd love to work for myself and do the things I enjoy doing and be able to sustain my lifestyle doing these things. Another of my philosophies is to just enjoy life to the fullest. When I think of how short life is I believe I have to enjoy my life here on earth now because tomorrow is promised to no one. People measure success differently, I don't believe in looking at someone else's definition of success and trying to achieve that standard. I think differently to most people and I don't subscribe to the traditional idea of success. I define my success by my ability to be happy, enjoy life and have peace of mind.
6. Who is your greatest hero?
My greatest hero hmmmm, I may not necessarily say I have a hero so to speak but someone I always look up to is my father, actually both my parents. My father isn't perfect but he always held it down, doing his part as a parent. He kept us on the straight and narrow. He knew I was a boy and he allowed me to have my boy days growing up. He has always been a strong figure, he was able to cook, clean, mix concrete and yet still he was a professional. He believed in strong family ties. Every Sunday we visited our grandmother and aunt, he came from this old-school philosophy that maintained taking care of his family and his household. One thing I always had in my family was love and laughter. Even when we were mad or upset we always found the humor in the situation and made peace that way. I like to have positive energy around me, I like people around me who can take life lightly and are just generally happy. I think happiness is the key to life. There was laughter in my household, if nothing else this was guaranteed.
7. What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
People would probably be shocked to know that I was a full fledged Nyahbinghi Rastafarian. I wasn't partying, drinking, didn't eat meat, no salt, I lived a total vegan life – strictly “Ital”, I didn't partake in Carnival at all. But as I got older I learned that you have to enjoy life and be true to who you are. When my mom passed away, I realized the importance of living life to the fullest. I learned how to be true to myself and how to express myself. The other thing
I think that would surprise people is that I have a masters degree I guess I look like a gaper. Lol.
8. Are you still a practicing Rastafarian?
I still believe in certain philosophies and I understand the seriousness of the trod and the dedication it takes to walk the path of Rastafari. I believe in self-worth, self-sustainability, proper health and diet, I still believe in Haile Selassie as a black king and what that stands for and the self-pride that his reign instilled in not just Rastafarians but black people the world over. Having been Rastafarian I learned certain principles and doctrines that will never leave me. I still attend Nyahbinghi which is held on H.I.M. Earthsrong and there's a calmness that I get when I'm there. What draws me to Rastafari is the love that brethren and sistren have for each other. I will always be Rasta in my heart.
9. Who is your favorite photographer/ artist?
Gordon Parks is one of my favorite photographers, and also Ansel Adams. They worked mainly in black and white film. Their shots were unique to their perspective of the world around them.
10. What impression would you like to leave upon those that cross your path?
I always want to leave the impression that you can think outside of the box and that you shouldn't conform to the norm. Thinking alternatively spawns new ideas and notions. After talking with me in-depth you will realize that I think a bit differently than most people. I want to be remembered as being a person who doesn't fit into a particular mold, as someone who embraces life and lives life to the fullest.
Thanks so much to NYCaribbeanvibes.com and Peter Lashley for taking the time for me and you to get to know them up close and personal. Wishing you all the best with your new website, and looking forward to many more great things to come. Who knows I might even hit a spin class or 2? ;)
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