<![CDATA[Beyond The Feathers]]>Caribbean Carnival is more than feathers, fetes and the road. Behind the spectacle is a world of culture, creativity, business, music, travel and tradition — and the people who make it all happen.

Beyond the Feathers, hosted by Caribbean cultural storyteller Mikaela Ian, goes beyond what you see on the road to explore the people, stories and conversations shaping Carnival across the Caribbean and its diaspora.

From the DJs travelling the Carnival circuit and the creators documenting it, to the artists, entrepreneurs, tourism leaders, masqueraders and cultural figures shaping the experience, each episode takes you deeper into the world behind one of the Caribbean’s most recognisable cultural celebrations.

We’re talking about the music and the Mas, the history and the money, the traditions we protect, the ways Carnival is evolving — and the conversations the culture is having right now.

Whether you’ve been playing Mas for years, you’re planning your first Carnival, or you’ve only ever watched from afar, there’s a whole world beyond the feathers.

New episodes weekly with Mikaela Ian.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:52:47 GMTSun, 04 Oct 2026 20:14:22 GMT60Mikaela Ian<p>Caribbean Carnival is more than feathers, fetes and the road. Behind the spectacle is a world of culture, creativity, business, music, travel and tradition — and the people who make it all happen.</p><p><b><strong>Beyond the Feathers</strong></b>, hosted by Caribbean cultural storyteller Mikaela Ian, goes beyond what you see on the road to explore the people, stories and conversations shaping Carnival across the Caribbean and its diaspora.</p><p>From the DJs travelling the Carnival circuit and the creators documenting it, to the artists, entrepreneurs, tourism leaders, masqueraders and cultural figures shaping the experience, each episode takes you deeper into the world behind one of the Caribbean’s most recognisable cultural celebrations.</p><p>We’re talking about the music and the Mas, the history and the money, the traditions we protect, the ways Carnival is evolving — and the conversations the culture is having right now.</p><p>Whether you’ve been playing Mas for years, you’re planning your first Carnival, or you’ve only ever watched from afar, there’s a whole world beyond the feathers.</p><p>New episodes weekly with Mikaela Ian.</p>episodicMikaela Ianmikaela@mikaelaian.comno<![CDATA[Tony X on Carnival Culture, Reading the Crowd, and Grenada’s Authenticity ]]>Mikaela Ian talks with Tony X about growing up around Trinidadian carnival culture and building a career as an MC and DJ on the international carnival circuit. They explore how he reads a crowd, why different places call for different musical choices, and how DJs can help songs become hits.Tony also shares the less visible side of the work: constant travel, little sleep, time away from family, networking, and the commitment it takes to keep going. Later, he explains what makes Grenada Carnival special to him: its confidence in its own culture and its refusal to change to suit outsiders. The conversation wraps with a quick-fire this-or-that round.

Key topics
  • How Tony’s grandmother and early experiences with soca helped shape his love of carnival
  • The seasonal rhythm of touring and how downtime gives him a chance to reset with family
  • Tony’s path from DJing as a teenager to working in radio and receiving international bookings
  • Why a DJ or MC has to adapt to each crowd and understand the local culture
  • How repetition and a DJ’s belief in a track can help a song catch on
  • Why different songs create different feelings—and what makes a track move a crowd
  • The realities behind the carnival circuit, including travel, sleep, family time, and networking
  • What Tony appreciates about Bermuda’s people and the way the island celebrates soca
  • Why he considers Grenada Carnival one of the best: it stays true to its own culture
  • The rapid-fire this-or-that round
]]>99f9768a-8be0-4d26-a4d2-ce183d73adf6Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT<p>Mikaela Ian talks with Tony X about growing up around Trinidadian carnival culture and building a career as an MC and DJ on the international carnival circuit. They explore how he reads a crowd, why different places call for different musical choices, and how DJs can help songs become hits.Tony also shares the less visible side of the work: constant travel, little sleep, time away from family, networking, and the commitment it takes to keep going. Later, he explains what makes Grenada Carnival special to him: its confidence in its own culture and its refusal to change to suit outsiders. The conversation wraps with a quick-fire this-or-that round.</p><b><strong>Key topics</strong></b><ul><li>How Tony’s grandmother and early experiences with soca helped shape his love of carnival</li><li>The seasonal rhythm of touring and how downtime gives him a chance to reset with family</li><li>Tony’s path from DJing as a teenager to working in radio and receiving international bookings</li><li>Why a DJ or MC has to adapt to each crowd and understand the local culture</li><li>How repetition and a DJ’s belief in a track can help a song catch on</li><li>Why different songs create different feelings—and what makes a track move a crowd</li><li>The realities behind the carnival circuit, including travel, sleep, family time, and networking</li><li>What Tony appreciates about Bermuda’s people and the way the island celebrates soca</li><li>Why he considers Grenada Carnival one of the best: it stays true to its own culture</li><li>The rapid-fire this-or-that round</li></ul>no00:24:19Tony X on Carnival Culture, Reading the Crowd, and Grenada’s Authenticity full<![CDATA[Voice: The Song That Changed Everything]]>Trinidadian singer-songwriter Voice is one of soca’s leading artists, best known for hits including Cheers to Life, Far From Finished and Year for Love.

In this episode of Beyond the Feathers, Voice sits down with Mikaela Ian to talk about the song that changed his career, almost walking away from music, what soca means to him and creating music that becomes part of people’s Carnival memories.

He also opens up about vulnerability, songwriting as a form of self-expression and the music inspiring him today — before taking on Carnival This or That.

Beyond the Feathers, hosted by Caribbean Cultural Storyteller and Host Mikaela Ian, goes beyond what you see on the road to explore the people, culture, music, business and conversations shaping Caribbean Carnival.


]]>4f336d85-7206-496c-88e8-d8480b337fdbFri, 09 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT<p>Trinidadian singer-songwriter Voice is one of soca’s leading artists, best known for hits including <i><em>Cheers to Life</em></i>, <i><em>Far From Finished</em></i> and <i><em>Year for Love</em></i>.</p><p>In this episode of Beyond the Feathers, Voice sits down with Mikaela Ian to talk about the song that changed his career, almost walking away from music, what soca means to him and creating music that becomes part of people’s Carnival memories.</p><p>He also opens up about vulnerability, songwriting as a form of self-expression and the music inspiring him today — before taking on Carnival This or That.</p><p>Beyond the Feathers, hosted by Caribbean Cultural Storyteller and Host Mikaela Ian, goes beyond what you see on the road to explore the people, culture, music, business and conversations shaping Caribbean Carnival.</p><p><br /></p>no00:09:55Voice: The Song That Changed Everythingfull