f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
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The <strong>Trinidad</strong><br />
experience<br />
The Year<br />
Gone By<br />
Graeme Ottley/Brain MacFarlane<br />
Queen <strong>of</strong> Brian Mac Farlane’s b<strong>and</strong>, Africa: Her People, Her Glory, Her Tears<br />
Her Majesty Queen S<strong>of</strong>ia (left) <strong>and</strong> H.E. Jean Ramjohn-Richards (far right)<br />
Ken Charles wins again with Mr. Solo<br />
CaféMoka<br />
Abigail Hadeed<br />
Yohann Govia<br />
by Cherisse Moe<br />
What a year! Filled with first-time accomplishments,<br />
lots <strong>of</strong> excitement <strong>and</strong> memories, 2009 will definitely<br />
go down in the history books as a year to remember<br />
for this twin-isl<strong>and</strong> nation. Here’s a run down <strong>of</strong> what<br />
occurred over the past 365 days. See if you can keep<br />
up!<br />
Carnival kicked <strong>of</strong>f with a bang in February.<br />
Trinbagonians <strong>and</strong> visitors were not short on fetes,<br />
parties <strong>and</strong> the increasingly popular “all-inclusives.”<br />
Faye Ann Lyons-Alvarez made history when she<br />
became the first woman to cop both the International<br />
Soca Monarch <strong>and</strong> International Groovy Soca Monarch<br />
crowns, with her infectious hits, “Meet Superblue” <strong>and</strong><br />
“Heavy T Bumper,” respectively.<br />
The soca queen <strong>and</strong> daughter <strong>of</strong> the legendary Austin<br />
Lyons (Superblue) received more bragging rights after<br />
she got the nod <strong>of</strong> approval from the judges to wear<br />
the Road March Crown. “Meet Superblue” was played<br />
410 times, placing her head-<strong>and</strong>-shoulders above her<br />
closest rival Destra Garcia, whose track, “Bachannal,”<br />
got a mere seventy-six.<br />
Designer extraordinaire Brian MacFarlane, scored a<br />
hat trick capturing the B<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Year title for a third<br />
consecutive year, with his beautiful portrayal themed,<br />
Africa, Her People, Her Glory, Her Years. Also walking<br />
away with the King <strong>and</strong> Queen <strong>of</strong> Carnival 2009 title,<br />
MacFarlane seems unstoppable, at least when it comes<br />
to great costume designing <strong>and</strong> presentation on the<br />
road for Carnival. Having recently unveiled his 2010<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering entitled, Resurrection The Mas, MacFarlane<br />
seems intent on going after his fifth win. Can he do it<br />
Something to keep our eyes on for sure.<br />
On February 16, T&T got a taste <strong>of</strong> royalty when<br />
His Majesty King Carlos I <strong>and</strong> Queen S<strong>of</strong>ia <strong>of</strong> Spain<br />
arrived on local shores for a historic two-day state visit.<br />
The royal couple’s arrival was met with the expected<br />
pomp <strong>and</strong> ceremony. It was the very first state visit<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Spanish King to T&T—a member <strong>of</strong> the British<br />
Commonwealth. Meeting scores <strong>of</strong> the nation’s children<br />
<strong>and</strong> addressing a joint meeting <strong>of</strong> the Senate <strong>and</strong> House<br />
<strong>of</strong> Representatives were on the agenda for the royal<br />
pair during their short stay. At a state banquet hosted<br />
on the grounds <strong>of</strong> the President’s house in St. Ann’s,<br />
26<br />
The <strong>Ins</strong> & <strong>Outs</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Trinidad</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tobago</strong>