Portuguese celebrate National Day

The welcoming party included Ferreira, Consul of Portugal Ignatius Ferreira, and Roger Camacho, president of the Portuguese Association.

As guests assembled at the residence’s sea front view, they were pleasantly surprised to see inside the glasstop, cocktail tables the names of all Portuguese Trinidad families as well as historical facts on the first Portuguese immigrants to TT .

Among some of the many popular family names featured were Alfonso, Betancourt, Carvalho, Coelho, De Nobrega, De Souza, Diaz, Eduardo Fernandes, Gonsalves, Govia, Henriques, Jardim, Joaquin and Laurenso. There are some 2,000 people of Portuguese origin living in Trinidad.

The Portuguese Association was officially founded on July 16, 1905. Then on December 5, 1927, the Portuguese Club was established. Guests were entertained by guitarist Stefan Roach and his band comprising, Christopher Ng-Fook (bass), Roger Salloum (percussion) and vocalist Olivia Seheult, who performed some well-known popular Portuguese ballads and other Latin songs.