From the second the Trini Jungle Juice crew landed on the shores of Tobago, we were filled with anticipation. Why not? Like others who made the journey, we found ourselves on one of the most beautiful islands ever created. Imagine the frolicking started from in the airport where men started drinking before the flight took off. Fuss drinks was flowing, men had the bar in Piarco crying! Now try to envision twenty people... staying at same house... taking the same flight... pure bacchanal!!!

Now, this was a first attempt at a bold experiment by Hammond Entertainment so lets forget about all the first time hiccups and let's focus on the artist line-up and performances. Like most of the Caribbean Jazz/Music Festivals there was a wide assortment of performers. Music from Pan Jazz to Jazz, RnB to Neosoul and Kaiso to Soca, lit up Tobago. Come on, look at that line up - Shaggy, Doug E Fresh, India Arie, Babyface, Angie Stone, Natalie Cole, O'Jays and of course, Stevie Wonder! And lets not forget our local headliners - Machel Montano, David Rudder and Sparrow. Any of these names alone could sell out a concert venue!

== FRIDAY AUGUST 12th ==

Imagine we missed the whole Friday night show because the sh*t talk was too sweet to leave. This, in addition to a wicked pelau and "Johnnie" walking all over the house, Friday night was a no go - NUFF SAID! We were reliably informed however that although the show got off to a late start the performances were all very good. Machel Montano was in ripping form as usual and Shaggy had the ladies screaming from start to finish. Patrons were also blown away by Angie Stone. Hard to tell who was the real headliner on the night! There was apparently a lil mix up in the transportation arrangements for David Rudder and his band, who was scheduled to perform early in the show, didn't make an appearance until after Shaggy. For those who stayed it was vintage Rudder. Just Beautiful!

In general, the event had much to offer. Patrons were provided with secure parking and free shuttles to and from the event. Once at the Jazz Fest, you could walk along the Gourmet Jazz crafts village. Or if you felt to wet your palette, a trip to the food court to get a taste of some of the Tobago's colloquial gourmet dishes was always in order. Continued on page 2