page 1 of 3

The enticing and truly exotic name of the party had us expecting a relaxed and sultry party atmosphere, which would have been a cool alternative to the anticipated ramp out AC5. But on approaching the venue we soon realize that this may not be the case as cars lined the street as far back as Kapok Hotel in bumper-to-bumper traffic, destination Trinidad & Tobago Country Club for the drinks inclusive event called Karma Sutra.

As we made our way through the traffic (which took about 30mins from the Savannah to Country Club) and got to the venue and saw the amount of people waiting to get inside, our first expression was lawwwwd.... look at people! Like Machel's AC5 moved to Country Club and nobody tell us! However, we soon realized that this wasn't the case as we were greeted by some lovely girls dressed in Karma Sutra baby-tees at the entrance and immediately things started looking nice.

Now when TJJ reached into the party itself, it was definitely confirmed that the quiet moderate crowd we first expected was actually a very vibrant, massive crowd, proving that we Trinis really love to fete boy! As we made my way through the crowd we had to clear the way for a visibly intoxicated young fellah who was being ushered away by his also not too sober friends. This reminded us that it was ah free drinks affair that immediately prompted instinct.... TO THE BAR!! ;-) The drinks selection was a bit limited at the bar. However, we were still able to get something we were okay with, and in a reasonable time. Unfortunately, this was not the case at the bar for entire night though.

First up on stage was Imij and Co. featuring Michelle Xavier, Terry Seales and Ghetto Flex who immediately took the already charged up feters to another 'High' with the performance of Machel Montano HD "Higher than High" to the pleasure of the crowd. They continued with this high energy throughout their set delivering all of C2k7 hit singles and others, displaying their versatility and showing why they have remained a top band for all seasons. It was not only a special night for patrons of the fete who thoroughly enjoyed the band's performance but also for Michelle Xavier who celebrated her birthday that night. Happy Birthday Michelle from the TJJ fam!

The big man in the business Neil Iwer George himself then stormed the stage backed by Imij and Co. giving a riveting performance. We must say Iwer definitely chose the right song to sing this season, as he continues to just mash up fete After fete. Dipping in the archives, Iwer delivered some of his retro hits while patrons heartily sang along as they jumped and waved. Iwer then proved then he was definitely a Road March and Soca Monarch contender as the crowd just erupted when he performed his C2k7 hit "Fete after Fete".

Also backed by Imij and Co., the woman with her doctorate in wining, Denise 'Saucy Wow' Belfon then took the stage (along with Spontaneous) to the delight of all of her adoring male fans and equally amazed female patrons. Well it typical saucy style, Denise did not fail to thrill the totally appreciative audience with her, bicycle and the upgraded tricycle wine even wheeling.

In the meantime things were getting very sticky at the bar as most of the limited drinks they had available at the start ran out and in addition, getting through at the bar was another stress by itself. This frustration did not get too much to the feters though, as they greeted Synergy's first Soca Star Fireball wide arms wide open. Fireball gave a spirited performance as he had patrons singing along to our very own local opera. He even sang his KFC jingle version much to the pleasure and amusement of the feters. It was quite funny and surprising actually. Fuh real!

The iron man Shurwayne Winchester and the big band Caribbean Traffik was the feature event for the night and boy they didn't disappoint at all. Arriving on stage he literally threw the crowd into ah crazy frenzy unleashing his previous Road March hits and other past hits, which the crowd was just loving. Candy Hoyte also did a few covers however her performance was lacking vigor, big time! Shurwayne however did not lack any vigor and energy at all and showed why he is the reigning Soca Monarch king to a very appreciative audience. When he unleashed his C2k7 hit "Open the Gate" we can safely say that he would definitely be successfully defending his crown for the 2007 International Soca Monarch and is definitely one of the front-runners for Road March'07.

Trying to get a drink at the bar during Shurwayne's performance was a waste of time though, as all the bars were closed, to the annoyance of the many drinkers. It is a good thing most folks charged up earlier on in the night. Maybe that could have been the reason for the shortage of alco or could it have been because of the extremely huge attendance??!! Which ever, promoters take note so that such doesn't happen come next year. The breakfast they served coming to the end included doubles, corn soup and sada & tomato choker. Well talk about lines here too! Its was like folks didn't see food in ages and all bum rushed the stalls which only had one person serving each item. Dem food handlers had to move with real pace in an effort to alleviate the extremely long lines.

It definitely was a descent enough fete in terms of the entertainment and the crowd. However, organization and service at both the drinks and food bars needed to be spruced up a bit. We were a bit disappointed. But all and all it was an enjoyable party, one that TJJ will definitely be up in come next year.

====================================
Related Galleries
Karma Sutra V