‘True Trini Christmas’ with Ray Holman

He says, “This show is being billed as a “True Trini Christmas Show”, therefore patrons can expect to hear all genres of Christmas music that we Trinis enjoy hearing at Christmas time.”

He added that patrons will be treated to an evening filled with parang and Christmas Carols as the musical journey will be filled with traditional favourites, as well as some recent Christmas compositions by him.

Among his guest performers will be Andre Mangatal, a tenor who played a leading role in the local production of West Side Story; Candace Alcantara, Raymond Edwards, Nigel Ferreira, members of the parang group Las Luces Brilliantes and the “sweet soca man” Baron.

Holman said of his first annual concert, “I am very excited about this Christmas project which allows me to share with the public the Christmas music that we all love. I will be introducing Christmas compositions of my own which will be sung by some of my special guests.”

Perhaps the most esteemed proponent of his art form internationally, Holman has arranged and recorded with steel bands and artistes in the US, Canada, Latin America, Japan and Europe, including televised performances with the German National Orchestra which showcased his compositions. He composed the highly acclaimed score for Black Orpheus, staged by Crossroads Theatre Company in New Jersey in 1991, and has performed for film, television and at venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Super Bowl and the St Lucia Jazz Festival.

A graduate of the University of the West Indies and former high school teacher, Holman conducts workshops throughout the US. During 1998-2000, he was a visiting artiste at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Holman has also won many prestigious awards, including the Hummingbird Silver Medal of Merit from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and a Pan Legend Award from the New York Arts Institute and the US Congress.

Next Thursday Holman will continue to delight his local audience, as he has done with audiences worldwide, with the timeless quality of his music.