Music Festival Championships

Music Festival patrons dropped their usual propriety to erupt into a frenzy of whoops and cheers of support for the young Tobagonians. The Signalites sang, they danced, they mimicked and they acted, to win the hearts of listeners. Grouped into three sections — girls, boys and girls — the Signalites dramatised the Jamaican folk song “Linstead Market.” The girls rocked their hips, leaning left and leaning right. The boys waved a stern finger of chastisement. “Oh what a night, what a night!,” they sang. It was a lighter tone than the original Jamaican, and many lines were repeated several times, giving new life to the song, an adaptation lapped up by the audience.

The Signal School were even hotter with “John Boulay,” a tale of an errant man from Charlotteville. As one lad sang “John Boulay jumped on a jackass back,” his pal sang an accompanying “diggy-diggydiggy-diggy”, to the crowd’s delight, with the whole choir then backing them up.

These kids had so much life in their souls . They really enjoyed themselves and passed that joy onto the audience. After their songs, the youngsters danced off-stage in a burrokeet-style, evoking cheers from all present. Onlookers could only think what a bright and beautiful future Tobago and Trinidad must have in the hands of these youngsters. Such talent!

Mucurapo Girls RC School also performed well in the folk class.

They sang the Jamaican song “Day oh”, leaning this way and that, to dance away the woes of the impoverished farm workers. In “Tuneful Guitar,” they swayed and sang “Soo, nah nah nah, sweet is the song of the tuneful guitar.”

Their voices were longingly lovely. When the judges announced that Signal Hill had won, Queens Hall erupted in uncontrolled joy. Former first lady Zalayar Hassanali presented the trophy.

In the day’s solo contests, Tahirah Osborne won a tally of two trophies.

Tahira won the Trinidad Broadcasting Cup Number One for the best junior

vocalist aged 16 to 19 years combining class 3 (boys) and class 6 (girls).

She sang “The Virgin’s Slumber Song.” It was a difficult song, yet she

made it look effortless. Tahira was masterful, strong yet feminine, her face beaming with a constant smile.

Tahira also won the very closely-contested Merle Albino de Couteau Cup for class 7, a Gospel Solo (boys or girls) age 16 to 19 years. It was a contest in which everyone listening had his or her favourite. Nicola Dalrymple from Tobago had a beautiful stage presence, in voice, appearance and movement. She was relaxed and happy to be there and radiated that joy. She walked the stage confidently.

She sang soulfully, truly showing how gospel music had evolved into soul music.

Ruth Joyette had a formal style but also sang nicely, and really knew how to hold a high note.

Tahira Osborne stared into the distance longingly as she described how she looked for love in a rose and in a face but only found it in the love of Jesus Christ. She was wonderfully dramatic with bright smile, wide-open eyes and hands clasped together. Camille Grant was outstanding as she sang in both English and Spanish, attired in the white robes of the crucified Christ. Also singing was Michael Ramlal who needed to loosen up a bit.

St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain, took the Raleigh Cup for class 25, junior mixed choirs, under 19-yearolds, beating Prescon Choir from South Trinidad. South Trinidad fared better in class 15, boys school choirs under 15-year olds, where they beat Fatima College to win the James Bryan Cup.

The country’s top young male vocalist is Rawle Edwards of the eight to 10 years vocal class 1A, who beat older boys of class 1B (age 11 to 12 years) and class 2 (age 13 to 15 years). Edwards won the Lindy-Ann Bodden Ritch Trophy.