TOMAC hosts moving tribute to Lord Nelson

The Plymouth village came alive on Monday night for the grand opening of the five-day Tobago Music and Cultural Festival (TOMAC).

TOMAC is a celebration of the culture, food, the arts and history of Tobago and its people.

Over the coming days, several events will showcase some of what the island has to offer.

The hype surrounding the festival lies with headline act and international Grammy-award winning afrobeat artist Burna Boy, who will hit the stage on Thursday night.

The first event on Monday was a moving tribute in honour of Tobago-born calypsonian Lord Nelson. By 9pm, hundreds had packed the Plymouth Recreation Ground. The event was initially a paid event until TOMAC organisers decided to make general admission free to the public after the celebratory welcome at the ANR International Airport for Lord Nelson on Sunday.

All general ticket holders received a refund.

Around 7 pm the show was off to a smooth start with performances by Gerard Balfour and an African dance piece by folk performers. There were also performances by drummer/singer Khalen JA Moi Alexander and pannist Gerald Balour.

At one point during the event, Lord Nelson was spotted in the VIP section tapping his foot and singing along to tributes paid to him.

The quality of each performance reflected the contribution Nelson made to the music industry.

Calypsonian Prince Unique had the crowd lively as he performed some of his popular songs alongside his grandson.

But it was no surprise when Kes the Band stole the show with a riveting performance to close the opening event of TOMAC fittingly. The leader of the band Kees Dieffenthaller later shared the stage with the man of the hour, much to the delight of patrons.

Wearing an unzipped white jumpsuit exposing his belly, Nelson reminded the audience why he is still calypso royalty, in an unforgettable performance alongside Kees.

Although his vocals are not as powerful as before, Nelson, 91, was helped along by his fans as he sang his classic All Ah We is One Family.

Performances from Tobago singers Sharon Phillips and Kay Alleyne were also highlights of the evening.

Shurwayne Winchester’s 2022 Tobago carnival single To Be Gonian, on the popular Scarborough riddim, kept spectators singing and dancing. He also sang a number of his past hits.

There were a variety of booths throughout the venues with local art and craft items along with Tobago foods and sweets.

TOMAC’s organiser Corelli Lyons told Newsday the event showed the world how Tobagonians honour those who paved the way. She said, “Tonight’s show was a true celebration of the best of Tobago, not only did we have a moving tribute to Lord Nelson, we also had a showcase of the incredible talent which was a legacy of what Lord Nelson started.

"It’s a shining example of the musical, talent and creative spirit of what is Tobago; to bring all those elements together with the longest living calypso legend.”