"We are thrilled to be celebrating TEMPO's debut with some of the best musicians from the region and around the world," said Frederick Morton, senior vice president of MTV Networks. "The response from artists has been incredible, and they're excited about the opportunity to reach their audiences through this platform. It's good to be in Trinidad & Tobago finally! I'm excited, we're excited... We've already serviced 12 Caribbean countries and we're happy to bring TEMPO to T&T at this time."

MTV Networks proudly launched in Trinidad - TEMPO - the first and only pan-Caribbean television channel on December 2nd 2005 at the spacious and scenic MOBS2 Entertainment Centre, Chaguaramas. There was a VIP Reception preceding the Launch, so you know Trini Jungle Juice had to rub elbows with the "who's who" before the main show. And the VIP parking pass, most convenient. It's things like this that differentiates the big promoters from the small ones.

When we arrived on the scene for the concert kickoff, the crowd was very sparse. But like true Trinis, where fetes/events are concern, the revelers came out in there numbers between 11pm and 12 midnight in support of this most anticipated event. The action commenced at 9pm and continued well into the morning, as Trinbagonians celebrated the dawn of a new day in our twin island state (and our region’s) history. An exhilarating cast of local entertainers came together to perform at this gound-breaking event including: Shurwayne Winchester along side Candy Hoyte & Traffik, Destra Garcia & Atlantik, Maximus Dan, Machel Montano & Xtatik, Bunji Garlin & The Asylum Band featuring Faye Ann Lyons, “The Big Man” Iwer George and other special surprise guests like Kerwin Du Bois and Doug E Fresh.

TEMPO, media giant's new cable TV network dedicated to Caribbean music and culture, plans concert series with big names, including The Game, Wyclef Jean, Rihanna, Musiq Soulchild, and Elephant Man. MTV Networks will host "Caribbean Rising", a series of concerts featuring performances from more than 80 artists across genres such as reggae, dancehall, reggaeton, hip-hop, and calypso. TEMPO joins Viacom's roster of cable networks, which includes MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and Spike TV.

by Nadia Beeray, TJJ