Soca sweethearts Bunji Garlin and Faye-Ann Lyons revealed that they have become engaged during their performance at Saturday's Soca For Summer concert at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.
By Wayne BowmanAs Garlin called Lyons to the stage to perform alongside him and his Asylum Band the musicians struck up the "Here Comes The Bride" theme and Garlin informed the audience that he had asked her to marry him a few days ago on his birthday, last Friday.
He did not need to tell the people what her answer was as the huge diamond ring on her finger said it all.
The crowd cheered loudly as Lyons joined Garlin centre stage.
The most memorable moment of Soca For Summer came when the voice of ragga-soca artiste Blazer echoed from backstage during Asylum's set.
The crowd went wild as the young singer who was recently released from prison after having spent several months behind bars accused of murdering his brother appeared on a stage for the first time in more than a year.
The crowd began to cheer loudly as Blazer came out singing, "Somebody better love somebody, cause I need somebody", a song he had recorded alongside Garlin, Lyons and Maximus Dan.
Also performing at Soca For Summer were Imij & Co, KMC, Orange Sky, Ice-Gold-Green Band, Denise Belfon and Iwer George.
Over at the Colours Of We Fete at the Bowen Marine compound, Chaguaramas the action was just as hot. A heavy police presence executing strict crowd and traffic control measures ensured that there were no major incidents of violence.
Although there were several minor scuffles both outside and inside the venue the police said that up to 2.30 a.m. nothing warranting their intervention had occurred with the exception of several people refusing to obey parking restrictions being disciplined.
With the Soca For Summer concert also taking place on the same night a war of sorts had sparked off in the weeks leading up to the events between the respective promoters Anthony "Chinese Laundry" Chow Lin On who produced Colours and Iwer George who produced Soca For Summer.
Each camp accused the other of employing underhanded tactics against them in their promotions, resulting in several artistes being caught up in the resulting bacchanalia as some that were initially advertised to appear on one show suddenly ended up on the other line-up.
There were also ads in the newspapers in which acts such as Machel Montano and Shurwayne Winchester announced that they would be appearing exclusively at Colours, while Soca For Summer promos claimed exclusivity on certain acts as well.
In the end both events failed to attract the crowds their promoters had hoped for, but neither did too badly as at least 3,000 patrons showed up at Bowen Marine to party to the music of the WEFM 96.1 sound systems as well as several live acts including Jamaican artistes Left Side and Esco as well as Dr Evil.
It was the local acts that really ripped the place apart though as KMC with his Red-White & Black Band did double duty on the night delivering first class performances at Soca For Summer and Colours.
Of course it was Machel Montano and Xtatik that got the crowd really hyped up as they presented high energy set that incorporated Montano's hits of Carnival 2006 with some of his older material as well as snippets of other popular dancehall and hip-hop songs.
