Machel's music & mas make rounds in town

Hot food on a Humid night!

It was another hot and humid evening in Port of Spain last Saturday as a mature audience assembled at the Hilton to enjoy a dizzying myriad of delectable dishes prepared by acclaimed chefs from around the Caribbean region. Designed to become an annual Destination event which will attract tourists from around the globe, the inaugural "Flavour and Flora" culinary experience earned rave reviews from attendees and was a hit with patrons soaking up the decor, mood lighting, tranquil ambience and abundance of food and mouth-watering delights.

Meanwhile, patience was wearing thin on the Western side of the savannah closer to Hayes Court as an energetic group of Carnival-enthusiasts gathered at Mille Fleurs for a promised 9 pm showing of costumes. In true 'Trinidad time' style, 6the presentation did not actually commence until 10.30 pm when the lights were finally dimmed and the MC announced that the moment had finally arrived - much to the assembly's delight. 

Screams all around the QPS

Catcalls, shrieks, screams and applause accompanied all shapes, sizes and hues of models strutting and showcasing bejeweled bikinis and feathered backpacks across the front porch of the French Provincial-designed, National Trust protected heritage site building...

Similar sounds echoed throughout the Trinidad Hilton property as Montano gracefully performed some of his classic compositions seldom heard in this time and accompanied by an acoustic band of musicians including bassist, Damien Neblett, keyboardist extraordinaire, Bayete Williams and Siparia-born percussionist, singer and songwriter, Sheena "Ajibola" Richardson, among others.

Sprinkled with just the right amount of cheekiness and spice, Montano's acoustic set elicited smiles, waves, sparked couples dancing and individual pensive recollections of treasured Carnival memories all in a whirlwind of sated digestive emotion that almost came to an anti-climatic conclusion as time expired on the event's license.

With the crowd campaigning and clamoring for one more song, Montano opted to ask the police officer in charge on duty, who was already onstage by then to allow him to "finish his set properly" and delivered a segway into Michael Jackson's classic Free Willy The Movie soundtrack hit, "Will You Be There", which he then synced into a final chorus of last year's Road March contender and Carnival favorite, "Like Yuhself".

Check out our video of the moment below...