Unlike its first instalment last year, last week’s Emancipate Yourself Through Steel was held under clear skies at Desperadoes’ panyard in Port-of-Spain. Hosted by popular radio personality Vinyard, the programme was a varied one, treating patrons to pan, brass, fashion, and African drumming and dance.
The pan music was very good, with the T&T Police Steelband opening with a scintillating performance, the band augmented by a brass section and electric bass. Also thrilling pan lovers on the night were Massy Trinidad All Stars, Shell Invaders, and Desperadoes Youth and senior bands. Not to be left, the Prisons Services Band was also in fine knick with a mixed set, including a few back in times numbers. An ensemble of young drummers and dancers from Belmont and Laventille, the Dafolist troupe also gave a lively performance.
Outfits for the Emancipation fashion segment, showcasing a variety of styles from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and other African states, were sourced from Avery Ammon’s Afrika House of Belmont, were also well received. The show was coordinated by Naballah Chi and models on the evening included Kwesi Moore, Rochford Coutain, Miranda Martin, Elizabeth Robley, Maya, Nicolette and Melissa Roberts, all musicians from Desperadoes, and band Elder Peter Ray Blood.
The second edition of the annual Emancipate Yourself Through Steel ended at three o’clock on the morning of Emancipation Day with Desperadoes playing its 1983 National Panorama winning tune of choice, Blue Boy’s Rebecca.
NCIC Divali Nagar 2019 competitions in full swing
The National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) continues to hold auditions for the 2019 Youth Champ, Dance Competition and Queen Pageant. The SWAHA Hindu College, Coalmine Road, Sangre Grande, is the venue for Sunday’s audition. To be coordinated by Shalini Juteram, the audition is scheduled to begin at 10 am.
The first of four auditions was held last Sunday at the Bluebirds Cultural Centre, located at the corner of Sookan and Ramsabad Trace, Barrackpore. It was coordinated by Gautam Maharaj.
The bandwagon moves to Point Fortin Hindu Temple on Sunday, August 18, from 10 am to noon, for the third audition, coordinated by Councillor Shankar Tellucksingh.
The final audition will be held jointly with the Mahatma Gandhi Cultural Organisation on Saturday, August 24, from 2 pm to 6 pm, at the Bisram Gopee Sangeet Bhawan, NCIC Nagar, Chaguanas.
All applicants for the Queen Pageant must attend fully attired to model and to present a one-minute speech, a crucial qualifying requirement in order to proceed to the local finals together with the Youth Champ and Dance semi-finalists which will be held on Sunday, September 15, from 1 pm to 5.30 pm, at the Atrium, Gulf City Shopping Complex, La Romaine.
In an attempt to unearth the hidden talents of our own children of the soil, organisers are reaching out to various communities with four auditions and not the one off held previously.
This year, will be the 33rd year of staging Divali Nagar and Thematic Director Baba Satnarayan Mourya from Mumbai, India, is once again putting together the exhibition for the theme chosen for this year’s-presentation — Hindu Granth (Hindu Texts).
A NCIC spokesperson told Pulse: “Our annual Yagna that precedes Divali Nagar will commence on Sunday, October 6 to Saturday, October 12, with our devotional hours are from 7 pm to 9 pm nightly. Officiating Vyas will be Pundit Abhedanand Persad Sharma, assisted by Pundit Vinesh Maharaj of Arouca.”
This year’s Divali Nagar commences on Friday, October 18, and concludes on Saturday, October 26 with a majestic fireworks display.
The spokesperson added: “The honour has been bestowed upon Sahadeo Partap to be Chairman of Divali Nagar 2019 and he will be ably assisted by Deeroop Teemal. Join with us as we celebrate the triumph of light over dark in this extravagant show.”
For further information, call 389 8425.