Celebrating TT’s icons

GARY CARDINEZ

THE Prime Minister’s 56th Anniversary Independence Concert held at the Lord Kitchener Auditorium at the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA) on Frederick Street on Wednesday evening provide spots of very interesting music, African and Indian dancing and the pulsating sound of the pan.

Overall 20 songs were sung or played by various artistes but the impromptu performance by veteran pianist Ralph Davies in honour of pan pioneer Elliot “Ellie” Mannette wowed the audience. Davies played songs like Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Perfidia, Summertime and As Time Goes By with style, flair and energy and had the audience clapping throughout his performance.

The evening started with Lord Relator on guitar and Earl Biter Edwards on congas doing a medley of old-time kaiso classics which had the audience singing along with them.

They made way for the Holistic Music School band featuring Brother Resistance, Rellon Brown and Everard Watson. Brother Resistance and Arie Van Druten performed Nation Time, Samuel Thomas did Just the Two of Us and Noelle Archer performed Rhythm of a People. They were well received by the audience.

Veteran guitarist Michael Bootman came on stage with his band to perform his 70s Billboard Chart hit Heaven and Maya Mosquito.

Boothman played Heaven with a 55-year-old guitar his father gave him when he was 14-years-old with the band Rockerfellars. Michael made way for his brother David Boothman with the Caribbean Renaissance Jazz Ensemble. This group featured songbird Marilyn Williams along with UTT’s Maya Scott and Krisson Joseph.

Two dancers, Shalini Soochit and Olubusoia Oluyemisi Chung, also performed with the group.

Scott and Williams did a duet of Inner Sanctum while the band did So Dey Say and Backyard No Gallery with Joseph doing In De Caribbean. All these songs were composed by David Boothman.

After a short intermission Ava Hutchinson and the Jazz Pickle featuring 90-year-old Ralph Davies came to the stage to do Girl From Ipanema, Davies did Besame Mucho then they both played Caravan with a touch of Old lady Walk a Mile and a Half.

Vaughnette Bigford and her band had the audience in awe as she performed all local songs like One Superpower, Be Careful, We Wanna Live and Born to Shine. Bigford performed under immense pressure having learnt that 1,700 employees at Petrotrin (where she works) will lose their jobs. Earlier in the day she posted the cancellation of her September 24 concert on social media.

Massy Trinidad All Stars was exceptional with the performance of Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna and their signature song Woman on the Bass.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his wife Sharon sat in the middle of the auditorium and seem to enjoy every performance.

The concert was a gift to the nation –celebrating our icons and David Boothman had portraits of several icons on display in the foyer of the auditorium.