Ah, Carnival: Mardi for the Party

For much of Latin America it was the season of Carnival and what a party.
What does 'Carnival' mean? Well, there is some dispute by some say it comes from the Latin expression carne vale, which means "farewell to meat," which is what Catholics gave up during the Lent season.
Nowadays, especially in Brazil, it's all about the party.

Bey, Alicia Keys go Carnival style

Your favorite superwomen, Beyonce and Alicia Keys, got into the Carnival spirit recently with a video shoot in Rio de Janeiro recently. Keys, fresh off a condo buy in New York, has to be glad she's not back in the States after a blizzard came through this past weekend. The Brazil shoot is for the duo's song "Put it in a Love Song," which will be released shortly under Bey's catalog. According to the Associated Press, the Brazil slum where the women were is the same ghetto that Michael Jackson performed his "They Don't Care About Us" video. (cue the crotch-grab and primal yell here).

Vibe's Carnival Photos = Hotness

Vibe Magazine commissioned these photos from Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago.




For you and me, Mardi Gras may be the closest we come to one of these festivals, but in the Caribbean, it's nothing to don a wig, some glitter, get in line and start belly-rolling on 'em!