Trini entertainers rock New Delhi

Occasion was the commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Trinidad and Tobago and India and a gala event was held at the hotel to mark the occasion.

A fifteen-member contingent of entertainers accurately represented the cultural and ethnic diversity of this country. The contingent was assembled by the T&T Entertainment Company Limited (T&T Ent) and dispatched to India earlier this week to mark the auspicious occasion.

High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago in India, Pandit Maniedeo Persad, in collaboration with Rafi Mohammed, a representative from the T&T Entertainment Company Limited (T&T Ent) joined with the cultural contingent dubbed “Team T&T”.

The audience, which included the Maharaja of Jodhpur — His Highness Raj Singh II; Ravi Thapar — Joint Secretary of the India Ministry of External Affairs and GP Upadhaya — Secretay General of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations were treated to magnificent performances of pan, chutney, limbo, rapso and dance.

Young pannist Keisha Codrington stole the hearts of all with her brilliant rendition of the Oscar-winning song “Jai Ho” and further captivated the audience with her skills on the drums. Rooplal Girdharrie and Sophia Mustapha represented the chutney genre with distinction, while the costumes and dance skills of Shari Rhyner, Jewelle Iles and Chanel Phillips, all members of the Metamorphosis Dance Company were very-well appreciated. Trini limbo also shared the spotlight as Mindy Giles and John Sterling had the audience in awe with their intricate movements. Pannists Noel La Pierre and Cary Codrington showed why they are considered among the best in their field.

Tony Prescott had the entire audience swaying with his mega hit “All Aboard” and showed why the vocalist from the band “Surface” is considered one of TT finest soca bards. But the lyrical mastery, on-stage flawless co-ordination and stage presentation of the top rapso group - 3 Canal rocked the house and had even the docile diplomats blown away with its presentation. 3 Canal comprises Wendell Manwarren, Roger Roberts, Stanton Kewley and Keshav Chandradathsingh.

In his address, His Excellency Pandit Maniedeo Persad thanked T&T Ent for its role in selecting a dynamic, versatile cultural contingent in Team T&T.

He also thanked his staff, especially Second Secretary and former Journalist — Kiva Clarke, who co-ordinated the visit and announced that Team T&T will also visit Hyderbad, Karnataka, Jaipur, Gujarat and the film capital Mumbai.

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"Trini entertainers rock New Delhi"

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