Friends to the Max 2010
Date: Sun 7th February 2010
Location: Queen’s Park Oval, St. Clair, Trinidad
As the final stretch to Carnival 2010 is upon us, Dancehallsoca.com had the opportunity to cover one of the most anticipated affairs that kick starts the week of events preceding Carnival Monday and Tuesday in Trinidad and Tobago.
Under the patronage of His Excellency, the President of Trinidad and Tobago, George Maxwell Richards, “Fete to the Max” (formerly known as Carec all inclusive) took place at the Queen’s Park Oval in the fete capital of Port-Of-Spain.
This event was executed on a beautiful Sunday evening which featured a plethora of other parties. However, hundreds of local and foreign based Fete-a-holics turned out to “Max it up” with a man considered by many as the most fun President T&T has ever had.
This electrifying yet laid back fete experience featured human mannequins at the entrance, dressed as traditional Carnival characters. This caught the attention of many an entering patron as they stood astounded at the statue-like appearance of the actors portraying these mannequins.
The popular Chutney-Soca band Karma commenced the live entertainment at Fete to the Max. The crowd enjoyed the youthful band’s energy, musical selections and the charisma of vocalists Gregory, Nisha B and 2010 Chutney Soca Monarch, Ravi B.
This unique Soca soiree seemed to have brought out the fashionista in all of its attendants. Our DancehallSoca team observed that both male and female guests were dressed to the tee, clad in classy, high end attire and that they clearly put a lot of thought into their Sunday evening fete outfits. One guest shared, “This is one of the most enjoyable, elegant fetes for the season and I have to dress to impress, especially with the media present”.
The band Traffik Reloaded (previously Caribbean Traffik Jam) took to the stage after Karma. Fronted by veteran Eddie Charles and three young, up and coming singers, Traffik delivered a range of Soca classics and popular Carnival 2k10 fete favourites.
This band’s set also featured guests performances by radio DJs turned Soca artistes 5 Star Akil and Super Jigga TC.
DancehallSoca.com must commend the Fete to the Max committee on the layout of the venue. This set up allowed for a smooth crowd flow in the oval and easy access to the fete’s various bars. These bars contained a wide range of premium refreshments inclusive of Malibu, Baileys, Champagne and also specialty cocktails such as “J’ouvert Jam”.
Kees Dieffenthaller, a man with great respect for the President and his fete, kept the entertainment factor on a high with his band Kes.
Kes had the audience in an exceptional frenzy with its lively vibe and interactive nature. However, the crowd’s intensity went into high gear when Road March contenders JW and Blaze hit the stage during the Kes set.
Between the band changes patrons had their fill of splendid amenities and food selections available at Fete to the Max. A variety of dishes including Bake and Shark, Wantons, Dim Sum, Spring rolls, Lasagne, Chicken, beef and shrimp kebabs were on hand much to everyone’s pleasure. One European guest stated, “This is the one party I have to attend when I come down for Carnival. I love the festive environment, the decent people here are truly like long lost friends and the food is out of this world and in abundance”.
Roy Cape All-stars with Blaxx, Rita Jones and Olatunji was the last act.
The band that has become synonymous with all inclusive events brought the house down. Besides the impressive featured appearances from Grenada’s Tallpree and David Rudder who appropriately sang “Haiti I’m Sorry”, the RoyCape session consisted of classic Soca, golden oldies and swing music. This encouraged the audience to actually dance in a period where “jam and wine” seemed to be the only way to enjoy a fete.
In addition to the lively, safe, comfortable ambience and the supreme entertainment and refreshments, Fete to the Max attracted the who’s who of Trinidad and Tobago including Ms. Donna Cox, Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Kennedy Swaratsingh, Minister of Public Administration, Dr. Keith Rowley and former Miss Universe winners Wendy Fitzwilliam and Janelle "Penny" Commissiong Bowen Chow.
Fete to the Max 2010 was nothing short of an outstanding event complete with luxury, exhilaration and interesting, memorable moments.
Congratulations to the committee on a successful event. In particular, the DancehallSoca.com team thanks Ms. Maxine Richards and Mr. Dhruv Sooklal for granting our media access to the fete.
