Queen’s Royal College was transformed into a cultural haven on the evening of July 18th as it was home to this year’s Saute Trinbago. On entering the grounds, it was a refreshing reminder of our twin island’s rich history and culture.



This Bmobile Hot Ticket event was an explosion of colour, music and creativity. One could not help but be drawn to the sounds of the Blue Devils while the Moko Jumbies captivated patrons as they skillfully danced atop six and eight foot stilts. The humid weather was not a deterrent to basking in the uniqueness and ambiance of this event.

One did not have to be a professional chef or food critic to appreciate the superb food offerings, as Saute featured a wide assortment of culinary delights from the delicious aloo pies, mini rotis and doubles, to pelau, the infamous bake and shark, souse and corn soup.

It was difficult for most attendees to ignore the mouth watering curried crab and dumplings and the lovers of spicier foods found the geera pork particularly delightful to the taste buds. In addition, Asian delicacies such as wontons and sushi rolls were on hand for the exotic food fans.

Renowned restaurants such as Woodford Café, Coco Lounge and Benihana each gave a sumptuous display of their signature dishes.

Attendees who had a sweet tooth were allowed to enjoy many local sweets and candies to sample, like tambran (tamarind) balls, sugar cake, paw paw balls, bene balls, toolum, red mango, nut cake and fudge. A wide variety of drinks were also available and for the wine connoisseurs, there was a display by Jacob’s Creek. There was generally something to please every taste.

Event founder DJ Shaun Christian shared, “It has always been a passion of mine to bring together what Trinbagonians possess”. Christian further affirmed that he is hoping to have Saute Trinbago as an annual local event as well as to take the brand internationally. He also mentioned that a lot of support was given by the private sector enterprises especially Bmobile who loved the concept when approached and is already excited about next year’s edition. He is hoping to sell T&T in way that will attract more support especially from the Government entities.



Adding to the evening’s rich display of local and international cuisine, the live entertainment segment was kicked off by the Picton Folk Performing Company who gave all in attendance a scintillating array of song, dance, rhythm section, tassa and steelpan music. Patrons were given pleasing song performances of Ella Andall’s “Bring down the power” as well as “Rhythm of a People”.

The talented Alternative Quartet graced the stage next and executed pieces such as Machel Montano’s “Ramajay” and the 2010 road march anthem “Palance” utilizing their proficiency in string instruments. The quartet was followed by the popular Bmobile Shiv Shakti dance group who delivered a memorable performance.

The launch of the Oasis carnival band added yet another dynamic to this wonderful extravaganza as they unveiled their 2011 presentation “Oasis...The Rebirth”. This brilliant display of colour and glamour was well appreciated placed the audience in a Carnival state of mind for Sauté’s main event performance by the band Shurwayne Winchester and Y.O.U.

Shurwayne and fellow frontline singer Prestan sent the crowd into a frenzy with their energetic set which included road march winners “Look de band coming”, “Dead or Alive” along with popular Dancehall, Chutney and R&B hits.
After the band’s departure from the stage, a special prize was awarded to one lucky patron in the form of the new Blackerberry Bold 9700 courtesy of Saute Trinbago’s sponsor Bmobile.

All in all the future looks bright for Saute Trinbago and there is no doubt that this would evolve into a first rate affair. Event manager Sheena Tang Nian stated, “The appeal for Saute has definitely grown and it has positioned itself as an all encompassing cultural event. Having it as a part of Bmobile’s Hot Ticket Summer was a perfect fit as Saute in culinary terms suggests a mix of ingredients and Bmobile has proven itself to be quite diverse in its support of local cultural entities.