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.

The City of Toronto is working with a Mas band group to put on this year's version of Caribana despite the Caribbean Cultural Committee's demands to continue staging the popular summer festival.

Chutney singer Sarika says the success of her hit making collaboration with Soca Monarch Bunji Garlin has left her sailing on cloud nine.

Controversy over who will put on Caribana this summer heated up yesterday when the group that organized the festival in past years vowed to stage the event again - with or without city funding.

The song, "Band Of The Year", by Patrice Roberts and Machel Montano, has won the national Road March title, with "Threads Of Joy" by Brian MacFarlane declared winner in the Large Band category.

Police are investigating a report from a San Fernando man that he was attacked and beaten by a group of men, but Dawg E Slaughter who said he was on the scene when the incident occured, yesterday described the allegation as one of "all kinda madness".

It was Machel Montano against himself yesterday at the Queen's Park Savannah, Downtown Port of Spain, Adam Smith Square and Victoria Square as his Road March contender, the melodious "Band of the Year" featuring Patrice Roberts, edged ahead of his dizzying "Scandalous".

"Some people say soca music is devil music but soca music is of the people and any music of the people could never be devil music," Bounty Killer said referring to comments made by Jamaican reggae artiste I Wayne last year.

Shock then anger was the reaction of the majority upon the announcement that Shurwayne Winchester had dethroned Bunji Garlin to capture the 2006 International Soca Monarch title.

Several people were hit by rubber bullets when police opened fire on a massive crowd thronged outside the Licensing Fete 2006, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, in the early hours of yesterday morning.