From sadness to ‘Champion’

Ramdhan, 23, will spend the next two years travelling the globe in his role as ambassador for Angostura’s products.

* Yuma mas revellers demanded charges be laid against security officers in the band after the latter ganged up and beat a reveller during Monday night’s celebrations.

* Japanese pannist Asami Nagakiya, who played mas this year was strangled to death on Carnival Tuesday night. While activist group Womantra called for the head of PoS Mayor Raymond Tim Kee for statements he made in the aftermath of the death, religious leaders including Pastor Dr Winston Cuffie, Rev Christian Andrews and Sat Maharaj, secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha supported the mayor’s statements.

* In a funeral like no other, veteran musician extra-ordinaire and icon Joseph “Pal Joey” Lewis received a stylish sendoff with big band music, dancing couples and moko jumbies. Most present at the event was long-time friend and former Prime Minister Patrick Manning who also passed on July 2.

* Soca star Ian ‘Bunji Garlin’ Alvarez was mentioned in this year’s Grammy Awards show as one of the artistes having worked on the winning Dance/Electronic album of the year by US artistes Skrillex and Diplo. Alvarez, who featured on a track called Jungle Bae also penned the lyrics for US artistes Skrillex’s and Diplo. During the latter’s acceptance speech, he noted and thanked Alvarez for being one of the people with whom they worked on the album.

MARCH *Several people excelled at the 31st Music Festival. Among them, Amelia Emmanuel, .Fatima College Senior Choir; St Augustine Chambers Orchestra (SACO); Los Corazones Sagrados; Signal Hill Folk Choir; Birdsong Academy Orchestra; South Presentation College Mixed Choir; Georgian Folk Ensemble; Aquila Rogers; Tishari Neptune; St Hilary’s (BAHS) School Choir; Dunross Preparatory School Instrumental Ensemble; Aliyah Lau; Nathaniel West, Kaalis De Las; TA GS Grace Notes and Bishop’s High School Calypso Chorale.

* A culinary fusion between TT and Canada, an initiative that was done in partnership with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as telecom giants Cable and Wireless Communications in the Caribbean and Bell Alliance in Canada, saw filming in both Trinidad and Newfoundland done for airing both in TT on Flow TV and Canada.

*Calypso King of the World, the Mighty Sparrow (Dr Slinger Francisco), was presented with a cheque for $2 million by Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, after he formally signed an agreement with the ministry, for a ten-year licence for his personal collection of treasures and artefacts which spans his illustrious career.

*Shineque Saunders of Pleasantville Secondary School won the Courts Bocas Secondary Schools Spoken Word Intercol competition.

* Fittzroy Joseph aka Brother Ebony regained the National Humour Monarch competition crown

APRIL * The T20 Cricket world cup victories by both the West Indies Men and Women’s teams propelled the song “Champion” composed and sung by Trinidad and WI cricketer Dwayne Bravo, to be an instant hit around the world even in non-playing countries.

* Sunshine Awards recipients 2016 included arranger Pelham “PG” Goddard, Nutones Steel Orchestra, Godfrey Augustine (Grenada), Rawle Gibbons, Leon Smooth Edwards, Winsford “Joker” Devine and Dr Gordon Rohlehr.

* Soca star Machel Montano filed a lawsuit against TSTT for $2 million for breach of contract after the local telecom provider suspended its sponsorship deal with the singer in 2013, following his guilty verdict - assaulting four persons outside the Zen nightclub in PoS on April 26, 2007, and on a charge of using obscene language. According to Montano’s lawsuit, he signed a two-year contract with TSTT in November 2012.