TRI-STAR Shines

A T&T brand that has stood the test of time for over three decades is among the top names in entertainment production, vying for an award at this year’s International Reggae and World Music Awards. Tri-Star Production has been nominated for Promoter of the Year. Humbled by the award committee’s recognition of Tri-Star’s role in entertainment in 2010, company director, Roy Maharaj told the Guardian that T&T’s nomination among some of the big names in promotion from around the world, was certainly a wonderful thing for the entire country.

Travel, his guide
For the past 33 years, Maharaj has hosted events on the island. He started off in the travel industry, having worked as an office assistant before making his mark as a manager at a number of reputed travel agencies. For 13 years, Maharaj’s involvement in the travel industry equipped him with the knowledge and practical know-how that he eventually used to enter the Events and Promotion industry. “I was responsible for bringing down Inter-Continental airlines when I worked at Holiday Travel Agency,” he recalled, adding that his job taught him the value of collaborating with others and building customer relationships. “I was an ace in the travel business,” he marvelled, revealing that he had started working with Mahon’s Travel Service in Woodbrook, then on to Batoo’s Travel and then Express Travel, which was around the time he came up with Tri-Star Promotion. “At that time, BWIA introduced a new plane called Tri-Star 500, so when that happened I went to BWIA’s sales manager on Edward Street and told him about my promotion’s name, Tri-Star. He indicated that as long as I didn’t call my business Tri-Star 500, I would be fine.”    
 
A leap for success
Maharaj started off by branding his company through small community events, which featured DJs of that era, like Papa Rocky, New Birth and Maddy. A strong inclination to go hard into event promotion propelled him to throw all of his energies into the field and eventually he turned his back on the travel industry. With all that he’d learnt about customer service in his travel career, Maharaj was well equipped to engage and keep audiences pleased. “At that time I lived in Prizgar Lands in Laventille where I resided for 16 years. Eventually I moved to south Trinidad,” he said, explaining that it was there that he was able to solidify Tri-Star as a brand in local entertainment that could not be ignored. “I promoted fetes in La Brea, Point Fortin and environs at community centres, and I built my name,” he said. However, it was when he discovered that more could be established with the aid of sponsors that things took on a new direction.
“I went to SM Jaleel and I met with the directors to get their soft drink for my event. They sponsored a truck load of soft drink for a three-day event I held at Ravine Ranch,” he recalled, explaining that some time later, one of the company’s officials called him into a meeting and asked if he would like to work with the company as the Public Relations Officer.

Big challenges, strong determination
At SM Jaleel, Roy Maharaj co-ordinated and executed special events to assist with branding. He said the relationships he was able to build with the company’s executives, added to the experience he gained and has proved invaluable. In the 80’s and 90’s, Tri-Star provided entertainment of all types. “I did a lot of cultural shows. I did steel band concerts, calypso shows, soca shows, R&B shows, hip hop, East Indian, classical, reggae concerts and even gospel concerts,” he said. Maharaj also recalled hosting a fund-raising concert in aid of the Baptist church at Five Riley Terrace in Port-of-Spain.  “It took me 21 years before I was able to get a loan from the bank to fund any of my projects,” he lamented, adding that governments of the past had never assisted in any way.  “I offered many ideas to every government that came into power, but I never got any help to execute anything.”

The banks refused to grant loans to Maharaj because of the nature of his business and the high risk involved. And for 21 years he funded his ventures with the hope that they’d be successful each time.
“My company creates a lot of employment. For each event, we hire over 1000 people for different services,” he disclosed, adding that no matter the end result, these people must be paid, and as the promoter, he was always the last to be paid.

Giving back to the community
Beyond money-making, Roy Maharaj has used Tri-Star to aid in a charitable way. His company has sponsored and funded many sporting and charitable events. Tri-Star was very instrumental in the Cole-Cole National Football League, working alongside the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation.
Additionally, the promotional entity has assisted many other charitable ventures, including the assistance of orphanages and geriatric homes.

A year to remember
In 2010, Tri-Star hosted a number of shows within and after the Carnival season. Maharaj’s stance for Caribbean integration within Carnival has been welcomed among the youth population who enjoy artistes like Jah Cure, Vybz Kartel and Busy Signal, among other Jamaican acts who are promoted at Tri-Star Carnival events. His signature events, Temperature and Licensing Fete, were considered the two biggest events for the 2010 Carnival season. The entity has also worked well alongside artistes and bands like Machel Montano HD, Bunji Garlin and Asylum.

Also in 2010, Tri-Star hosted Summerfest, the Messengers Are Coming, Living Legends, and in December, The Evolution of Sound. That concert was dubbed one of the best concerts of the year with Nas, Junior Gong and Jah Cure headlining the show. On May 28, Tri-Star will represent T&T as one of the main contenders at the IRAWMA. Maharaj, while thrilled by the possibility of walking away triumphant, remains grounded despite his company’s accomplishments over the years. “In order for me to stay in this business so long, I have to love it and if promotion didn’t love me, I would’ve been doing something else by now. I love to come up with new ideas. I like to look different, sound different and be different from others in the business,” he said.

To vote for Tri-Star Production, visit www.irawma.com/vote2011.html.