It was like deja vu on Sunday night when Flirt launched Parading in Gems for Carnival 2015.
Like yesteryear, Flirt actually held the launch in the road, on Maraval Road, outside C TV, just as Glenn Carvalho and Stephen Lee Heung used to do in Woodbrook during the ’70s.
Back then Carvalho would block off Luis Street and Lee Heung did same at Alberto Street to unveil their Carnival presentations.
Eight sections, beautifully designed by Jenny Isaac were launched, each representing precious gems—gold, sapphire, diamond, emerald and pearl. Sections were introduced by Whitney Husbands and Jaiga, with music by DJ Bruce Wayne.
Flirt’s mas camp is at Outside Woman Restaurant, on Phillips Street, Port-of-Spain, and registration has begun.
Bandleader Glenroy Watson said he intends to reserve Independence night for future launches, immediately after fireworks in the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Last weekend offered a cornucopia of entertainment, including live calypso, pan and mas events. On Independence Day four Woodbrook steelbands—Invaders, Starlift, Playboyz, Modernaires—hosted brunches after the military parade.
The Playboyz event was an all-day affair, served by Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, PSC Nitrogen Silver Stars, Super Novas, and artistes Skatie, David Bereaux, Sasha Ann, SuperBlue and Anslem Douglas.
At sunset, masqueraders in traditional American Indian costumes turned up to give the occasion a true Carnival feel.
On the Independence holiday (Monday), Playboyz was again centre stage, this time blocking off Tragarete Road, between Maraval Road and Colville Street, for its annual Pan Fiesta.
Three stages were erected along the roadway and performing on them were Myron B, Baron, Scrunter and SuperBlue, Brimblers, Phase II, Silver Stars, Invaders, Starlift and Massy Trinidad All Stars.
There was a Carnival atmosphere when Playboyz paraded along the blocked space, taking people to and from the stationary stages.
New Panorama champion
After 12 previous attempts, Radoes Steel Orchestra finally emerged champion of the New York Panorama competition, held last Saturday night.
Led by Junior “Man” Samuel, and managed by Tom Montvel-Cohen, Radoes played SuperBlue’s Spankin’, arranged by Terrence “BJ” Marcelle. The band, located at Ralph Avenue, between Preston and Chase Courts, faced the judges with 100 players. Founded in 2002 by Samuel, Radoes employed the late Clive Bradley as its arranger from 2002 to 2005 until Bradley’s death. The band had seen only a second place showing in 2005 with their performance of Darlin'.
After several different arrangers, Radoes partnered with Marcelle in 2011 and finally placed third in the NY competition with Benjai’s Trini. Having found its footing with Marcelle, and growing as an organisation, the successive years met with a third place for Bacchanalist and Fantastic Friday.
Radoes approached the 2014 season with renewed vigour, but also turned its head to trying to demonstrate a unity between the people of Desperadoes and Tokyo by holding a well-attended (second) annual Laventille Day reunion and showed that music could bring people together, more significantly people who are so far away from their homeland.
Two decades of Bloodline
Today I celebrate my 20th year of employment with the T&T Guardian. I spent the previous 14 at the Express. What a journey my more than three decades in media has been.
A wise man once said, “If you are in love with what you do it means you haven’t worked one day.” I can vouch for that quote as it has been all love for me, at times nirvana.
Age truly does challenge one’s memory, and try as I may I haven’t been able to remember the first story I wrote for the Guardian, after almost a month of taxing my brain.
I do remember though, my first MD and editor-in-chief (EIC) Jones P Madeira. Over the years I worked with several EICs, including Carl Jacobs, Lennox Grant, Owen Baptiste, Dominic Kalipersad and now Judy Raymond.
Having qualified in computer science in the infancy of T&T’s IT industry, and retired quite young as a programme/operator /system analyst novice, I believe I have been extremely lucky in journalism. Lucky and blessed to have worked with the best in the business like Baptiste, Grant, Norris Solomon, David Chase, Raoul Pantin, Keith Smith, Mervyn Wells, George Baptiste, Andy Johnson, Terry Joseph, Sunity Maharaj, Suzanne Lopez, Nicole Duke, Deborah John, Andre Alexander, Dunstan “Dew” Williams, David Cuffy, Carl Newallo, Rajendra Pargass, Keith “Keithos” Anderson and Kelvin Choy.
Journalism took me to places globally I may have never visited had I remained in computer sciences. It also brought me face-to-face with some of the world’s top personalities, especially in arts and culture. Among those are the late Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Ralph MacDonald, Byron Lee, Roberta Flack, Hugh Masekela, Percy Sledge, Lionel Richie and Jeffrey Osbourne.
I have written for almost every major newspaper in the English-speaking Caribbean, including Jamaica’s The Gleaner and Barbados’ Nation and Advocate. I also penned a column for South magazine, a subsidiary back in the day of Time.
One of the fun aspects of my journalistic adventures was my brief stints in the electronic media, serving as general manager of a popular radio station; successfully hosting my own talk show on GML 730 AM for a year; doing Carnival commentary for another radio station with Gerald Agostini; commentary in Barbados on CBC and Liberty Radio; a two-part archival documentary for Jamaica Broadcasting Company; and, a documentary for the BBC Africa service.
Journalism and the Guardian have given me unparalleled joy, pride and gratification. Though I have retired and am now a pensioner, I continue to serve the company and profession with the same verve and enthusiasm as I did 20 years ago.
Pan, jazz tribute at QRC
Even as they bade farewell to its founder and inspirational leader, Ainsley Mark, the Queen’s Royal College (QRC) Foundation’s event organising committee was planning the 2014 edition of T&T Steelpan & Jazz Festival, as a welcome return to its roots in St Clair.
Scheduled for October 13 through 18, the two main features are the 12th annual Developmental Workshops Series for young musicians and the Pan Royale Concert.
Often described as the festival’s most important element, the workshops will be held at zoned venues catering to participants in South/Central, East, North-East, and Port-of-Spain. Elan Parlé’s Ming Low Chew Tung and Natasha Joseph will helm a team of facilitators, with special guest, two-time Latin Jazz Grammy nominee Charlie Sepulveda making his third appearance.
Fresh from his recently recorded collaboration with legendary pianist Eddie Palmieri, Sepulveda is keen to resume his teaching efforts with T&T’s aspiring young musicians.
Once dubbed In Celebration of Excellence, Pan Royale returns to QRC for a special edition on October 18 that will captures the vision of its founder, who passed away recently. Mark’s vision was for T&T to host an international quality event with pan taking centre stage alongside other conventional instruments.
New committee head Anthony Campbell will continue to fulfill this vision, incorporating into this year’s concert several elements most dear to Mark: world-leading steel orchestras, pan jazz ensembles, unique ethno-musical jazz and a top draw jazz act in the magnificent open setting of the QRC Grounds.
