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Plymouth Jazz Festival 2007 feat. Elton John and Earth Wind and Fire - Plymouth - Tobago

Sir Elton John's defiant slam on the keys of his Yamaha grand piano seemed a fitting response to his local critics as he wowed the Plymouth Jazz Festival, Tobago, with a rousing two-hour performance.

"Take that allyuh. Play it boy Elton, play it," one female fan screamed from VIP. And boy did he play it.

He showed his musicianship on his hits "Tinderbox" and "Rocket Man" before grooving into his romantic side with "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" earning screams of approval from his fans, among them Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Tourism Minister Howard Chin Lee.

Sir Elton's appearance was criticised by religious leaders on the grounds that the openly gay singer would promote homosexuality on the island.

His love songs brought hundreds of heterosexual couples closer together and offered a peaceful and loving retreat from the harsh reality of an increasingly dangerous Trinidad and Tobago.

Earlier, Earth, Wind and Fire descended on the Plymouth ground and took fans through their funk time machine back to the groovy 70s with their opening number "Could it be I'm falling in Love".

"We've been around for almost five decades and it's no real secret to it. You got to have chemistry," lead singer Maurice White told a media conference before their concert appearance.

That chemistry was certainly evident when the ageing band showed they still had some pep in their step when they choreographed the hustle, two step and every other dance from that time.

Al Green gave them lots to write home about when he took first use of the Plymouth stage just after 6 p.m.

The veteran soul singer entranced the audience with his crazy dance steps, a la James Brown, before grooving them with his hits "Let's stay together", "Here I am" and "Love is a beautiful thing".