Have you ever heard the song “Brown Girl in the Ring” played on violin, in a way that allows you to tap your feet, fingers or nod your head to the beat because the rhythm is so appealing to the ears? The place to experience this was at the Tobago Heritage Festival’s Diaspora Connections, held at Shaw Park Complex on July 22nd 2015.
A number of local artistes took to the stage to entertain the crowd. Xavier Strings knocked the audience off their feet with a medley of folk songs played on the violin. Dancer Makeda Thomas performed to songs that connect and make the West Indies unique. Tobago’s entertainers were also included in the show: Gerard Balfour and Cadence with their original compositions about Tobago’s traditions, Heart Beat Performers- a fusion of steel pan and drums, NGC Steel Xplosion, and the Tobago Heritage Dancers captured the audience’s attention with an energetic spiritual dance.
As if the evening could not get any better, on came 3Canal with their Rapso hits like Talk Yuh Talk and Good Morning Neighbor. Ending the show was popular soca artiste, Farmer Nappy, who got the audience on their feet with “Big People Party”, “My House” and other hits.
It was clear that there is much to celebrate in this diaspora, that is, Trinidad and Tobago.