Veteran guitarist Lance Nichols was the first to perform, and because it was his birthday there was more reason to jam.

The performers included Arthur Marcial and Dean Williams (guitar), Joshua Salcedo (keys, drums,bass), Leigh Tan Wing (keys), Aaron Low Chew Tung (bass), Roger Salloum (drums) Marcus Prime and Mikhail Salcedo (Pan), Brianna Celestine, Mya Scott, Alethea Beharry, Luke Samerson, John John, and Nigel Parris (vocals).

Special guests were vocalist and keyboardist Stephan Encinas and South African guitarist Lungelo Mthembu- Salter.

The songs featured from two different era saw all the musicians feeding off each other and producing great music. Most of the younger artistes knew very little of Encinas, but they learnt a thing or two from his performance style.

Encinas was well known back in the 70’s 80’s for songs like Disco Illusion and Rock A Bye Baby Love, which he dedicated to children in 1979 to commemorate The International Year of Children.

The show began promptly at 7 pm and maintained a good flow to the end, just under four hours later.

On entering the venue patrons were greeted with three stages, each with a band set up and ready to play.

The bands opened with the ISF Theme Song, composed by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, then got into their repertoire, each featuring guest performers.

First up was Republic Bank Exodus, with members dressed in black and white long sleeved dashikis and black pants. They immediately had the crowd nodding their heads in approval to their rendition of Pan in A Minor (Aldwyn Roberts). The band then soothed the audience with Air on a G String (Johann Bach) conducted by Venezuelan Jesus Acosta, and subsequently raised the tempo with Bailamos (Enrique Iglesias).

This was followed by lovely versions of Jordu (Irving Duke Jordan) and Flying Home (Benny Goodman), featuring a brass section and Pelham Goddard on keyboard.

Vocalist Natalie Yorke then joined the ensemble for Calypso Rising, earning her a lusty round of applause. This paved the way for classical singer Eddie Cumberbatch, who did a rendition of Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma, accompanied by the Lydians Singers.

Members of the audience stood in appreciation of the performance.

The band closed with The Ganges and the Nile.

Members of Phase II in partnership with Hadco were dressed in patterned shirts and black trousers and opened with the theme song.

This was followed by Close to You (Maxi Priest) and Sonita (MultiSymptom), before young Antonio Waithe joined the band to render You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban).

Unfortunately there were technical difficulties during the performance of featured act, 3canal. However, the band’s finale of Umbayao (Merchant) and a Sparrow medley Wood in the Fire and Drunk and Disorderly lifted the spirits of the crowd.

BP Renegades was up next.

Dressed in black shirts, patterned on one side and black trousers, the band started with Maria Maria (Carlos Santana), followed by Be Strong (Barrington Levy) before the talented Arielle Cowie gave arguably the best feature performance of the night. Her powerful delivery of Jennifer Hudson’s And I’m Telling You recieved thunderous applause and a standing ovation.The presence of the band’s late arranger, Dr Jit Samaroo was certainly felt during its Tribute to Dr Jit, featuring extracts from its nine winning Panorama pieces.

Desperadoes players, dressed in black with their moniker on their left pockets, opened with a fanfare and Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long (Barry White) before giving the audience versions of Autumn Leaves (Nat King Cole), Bound to Dance (Joey Lewis) and Night in Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie).

Despite problems with the sound system, the band rose to give perfect accompaniment to Karene Asche, who sang her own Every Knee Shall Bow. The band went on to do Different Me (5Star Akil), segued to The Can Can – from The Orpheus before returning to Different Me, Panorama style. To the surprise of all present, David Rudder accompanied by Pelham Goddard on keyboard entertained with 10,000 Flowers Bloom, and got the crowd to sing the refrain with him. As he ended, the crowd would not let him leave the stage. He obliged with a verse and chorus of Dus In Dey Face.

Looking smart, Massy Trinidad All Stars gave the audience Sunrise (Perry Como) and Oye Mi Canto (NORE). After a lull, the band struck up with Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna (Franz von Suppe), and ws joined on stage by Jerry Jemmott. Frontline pannist Dane Gulstan took to the stage for Shape of You (Ed Sheeran), and along with featured saxophonist Arturo Tappin, they thrilled the crowd. The party got started with the band’s rendition of Full Extreme (MX Prime & the Ultimate Rejects) and All Stars’ trademark siren going up.

But All Stars was not yet finished, and gave a lagniappe — Woman on the Bass (Owen Reyes Johnson) and Curry Tabanca (Robert Elias) to close the show.

Rodriguez is the local attorney representing the interests of Belize national Fernando Olivia who successfully filed a claim in court for compensation following injuries to his bladder, sustained when Garcia performed a dance move on him while on stage. The attorney said Garcia was issued the legal letter some time last week. The letter indicated that Rodriguez and his associates will be seeking to enforce the orders made by Belizean judge, Justice Courtney Able. Rodriguez said that Garcia’s legal team have acknowledged receipt of the letter.

Garcia was performing at the Carival Overload concert in Belize in 2015, when Olivia was called on stage to aid in the singer’s onstage presentation. As he lay face up on the stage, Garcia is said to have dropped herself onto the hip of Olivia and then wined. Olivia later got up, left the stage but then complained of excrutiating pains.

Earlier this year, Justice Able ruled in favor of Olivia and ordered Garcia to pay a sum of BD$16,577 (roughly TT56,000) in compensation to Olivia. Olivia’s attorneys in Belize argued that Garcia’s performance on-stage was less of a soca dance and more like a wrestling move. Newsday attempted to contact Garcia for comment yesterday but calls to her went unanswered.

Bravo said, “Trinidad and Tobago for me is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and I don’t see myself living in any other country. But am I happy with the way the country is going? No, I am not. But those are things I don’t have control over.

What I have control over though, is to try to make a difference in other young people’s lives, especially the new generation that is coming up.” He added, “And I am calling on the public, the people of TT to get closer to each other. I think we reach a point where you turn on the television, you listen to the radio when it is news time and it is just sad. It is a sad time in our country. We have to really, really unite and get together.” Bravo said he sees music and sports as being avenues that could really unify people but, to see the way the country is at the moment, he said it’s as though a lot of people don’t pay a lot of interest to what’s going on or take any responsibility. he said, “I think it’s up to us, everybody, every citizen in T&T to really, really get together and come together, not only to put on an event, not only when it’s CPL time when you see the country united. In tough times is when we really need to get together and pull through.” He said that with his Djbravo47 team comprising David Blanc, Adrian Chandler and Kieron Pollard together, they can move forces. He said: “We can continue to contribute to a lot of people throughout TT, we can uplift the country and I think we can do wonders.” Bravo’s charity event comes off on September 10, at the Hyatt Car Park Top Level, from which part proceeds will go to the Margaret Kistow Childrens Home (TMKCH) of Arima.

Eversley who was a hostage during the coup, was joined at the Red House by Congress of the People (COP) leadership contender Carolyn Seepersad- Bachan and Shernifa Gibbs, 18, a student who also walked from Arima with Eversley.

Alleging that Port of Spain Mayor Joel Martinez had wrong priorities to focus on renaming Queen Street after former miss universe Jannelle ‘Penny’ Commissiong, Eversley said, “I’m calling on the prime minister and the authorities to rename Abercromby Street the July 1990 Street.

This is our history too.” Eversley hailed former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her commission of inquiry into the coup, but he bemoaned the failure of successive governments to enact the inquiry’s recommendations, including victim compensation. He lamented many cases of disinterest shown by politicians in the coup’s aftermath, including their failure to attend yesterday’s event. Only Seepersad-Bachan had accepted his invitation.

Eversley hailed former prime minister, the late ANR Robinson, for defending the country’s Constitution and defying insurrectionists some 27 years ago. While Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had said chapters 11 and 12 of the inquiry report will be dealt with, pertaining to national security, Eversley lamented that in the past year he had got no further word from Rowley.

Eversley said, “Right now our country is on the verge of another coup, if we don’t sit and take heed at what’s taking place.” He alleged that both sides of the political divide had used the services of the Jamaat al Muslimeen in their election campaigns over the years. “Today we are hearing of a lot of ‘cells’. Look at what’s going on in Enterprise. There is talk that it is a training grounds, over 200 people being recruited.” Scoffing that at the behest of the United States Embassy, local politicians will lay a wreath over the 9/11 attacks, but will avoid a July 1990 commemoration, Eversley said, “Charity begins at home.”

The women reappeared before Magistrate Indira Misir Gosein in the Fourth Court.

The magistrate heard from State attorney Daneia Myers that the court did not have an interpretator to continue with the case. The magistrate dismissed all charges against the 60 women. The women were the largest number of foreigners appearing at one time in the local courts for the offence, along with three Trinidadian men charged with managing a brothel in Vistabella near San Fernando.

When the women first appeared they created quite a stir inside and outside the precincts of the courthouse where a large contingent of heavily armed policemen stood guard. The charges stemmed from a raid conducted by police officers at the hotel where the 75 women were arrested in 2013.

The women are between the ages of 18 and 41 years.

The women had first appeared before Magistrate Margaret Alert.

The charge to them that they solicited passers by for prostitution.

The women had all pleaded not guilty to the charges laid by PCs Jason Dailey and Akeel Clarence.

When the magistrate announced that the matters were dismissed some of the women were seen hugging each other.

According to reports, at about 9.15 pm, Akino Thomas was at Pentecostal Road in El Dorado when he approached by two gunmen who shot him. Thomas ran off but fell into a drain at the side of the road.

The video image shows a gunmen standing over Thomas and pulling the trigger, but the weapon appeared to either have jammed or was out of bullets. The second gunman attacked Thomas, kicking him several times in the head.

As Thomas appeared to fall unconscious in the drain, the man jumped onto his chest. He then jumped up and down several times on Thomas’ chest. Both gunmen then ran off.

Residents who heard the gunshots, contacted police and officers from the Tunapuna Police Station responded and found 34-year-old Thomas in the drain.

He was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where he underwent emergency surgery and up to press time, was warded in critical condition.

Police sources said that Thomas was still in an unconscious state yesterday and they are hoping he can recover and hopefully can recall the attack and provide investigators with information that could lead to arrests.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Irwin Hackshaw told Newsday, “We are looking into the video and working closely with the Cyber Crime and other units that could help with resolving this crime. We are asking the public to assist in identifying the people captured in the video so that they could be flushed out of their hiding places and brought to justice.

“Since diabetes is a major cause of blindness and consuming too much sugar could lead to diabetes.

A patient suffering from diabetes could develop diabetic retinopathy which could lead to complete blindness.” Suratt said diabetic retinopathy affects blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue called the retina that lines the back of the eye, and is the common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes.

Losses at Fareed Baksh Hardware and Construction Company of Cumuto Road North, Barrackpore have so far been estimated at $5 million. Investigators say not only did the stock in the hardware go up in flames, but a number of high end vehicles parked on the compound were destroyed.

According to a police report, at 6 pm, smoke was seen coming from inside the hardware store and an alarm was raised. Appliances from the Princes Town Fire Station and Mon Repos Sub Station responded. They were able to bring the blaze under control and confine it to the hardware area.

Six vehicles, three cars including a Porsche Cayenne and an Mazda X5, a panel van and two pick-up vans were also destroyed.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Yesterday officers from the Fire Prevention Department (South) visited the scene in search of clues. Barrackpore police is investigating.

On July 24 I went to a store to make purchases using my card. It turned out it had expired the previous month.

So I proceeded to my home branch in Arima to collect the new one. Just like I have been doing for the past 13 years.

The teller told me my expired card was not up for renewal — because I was not using it often enough. The last time I made a purchase was in February. That is the most flimsy excuse I have ever heard.

I returned home and called the Credit Card Centre.

The rep took my number and promised to call me to straighten out the problem.

Hours later no one had called.

I again phoned the centre and spoke to another person. She also took my number and promised to call. Again no return call. I called a third time.

This rep had me holding on for about 30 minutes. I hung up in frustration.

I called again next morning.

I was told the bank is changing from the Caribbean Miles Master to a Visa Platinum card. But she checked to see why I had not received a renewal notice. She came back with the same excuse — I had not used the card since February.

Prior to this there was no correspondence indicating there has been a change in policy. The excuse is without merit since I know another client (my son), who lives in the US, and used his card only twice during the two years living abroad and his is up for renewal.

I have been a long-standing customer with this bank.

I have had the credit card for over 13 years. Records will show that I have always paid on time. As a result I consider myself a good customer.

Further, I am due to travel on August 3 and with no available foreign currency and no credit card I am in a bind.

This treatment is unfair and unwarranted.

HEATHER-ANN BOXILL Arouca