- Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Now, that's what we call 'getting down'! These guests were full of energy at the Trinidad & Tobago Independence Day Party.

Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

It was another wild party on Thursday as the Trini Chix group hosted a party in the Jamaica Pegasus hotel's ballroom to celebrate their homeland's 44th year of independence.

In keeping with Trini Chix tradition, there was more room for dancing than dining, very little talk and plenty of music. It was the usual great party atmosphere with plenty of soca music and steady doses of dancehall intertwined. New Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to Jamaica, Yvonne Gittens-Josephs, said this was her first Caribbean fete since she officially took the post six weeks ago. She was passionate about the richness of Caribbean culture, whether it was chutney, soca or reggae.

The buffet line represented the twin island republic well with Trini Buss-U-Shot, Trini Pumpkin, Curried Mangoes and, of course, the ever-present Curry and Roti all part of the finger-licking good stuff.

Act from back home

Of course, every independence celebration is best served with a popular act from back home. Last year it was Oscar B but this time the TCL Group Skiffle Bunch pan orchestra came to represent 'T and T'. The group had guests rocking and dipping as they sang along to the songs from their catalogue, which included a little gospel with 'Then Sings My Soul' and reggae with Marley's 'Three Little Birds'. Their energetic and well-received performance belied the fact that some of their equipment did not make the trip with them and really, they weren't playing at full complement. Impressive indeed!

Their set warmed guests up for DJ Arif Cooper to really get them to 'wuk up' and 'bruk out' as he hit them with all the latest from soca/calypso hit makers like Allison Hinds, Destra and Machel Montano, whose Dance With You was one of many tunes to 'mash up' the place!

Guests

Among those caught up in the soca frenzy were Trini Chix ladies Marcia Erskine and Lystra Sharpe; Supreme Ventures' Brian George and Wayne Boodasingh; Carib Cement's Tony Haynes; Honorary Consul to Barbados Winston Bayley; the ever beautiful Lisa Hanna; recent Miss Jamaica World contestant Gillian Taylor; Allison Peart, aided and abetted by Janet Farrow and Annaliese Lindsay; Keith Sobion, Francois St. Juste; as well as former Health Minister John Junor and wife Urla.