US Voices Concern about Syria Resolution Veto During Talks with China's VP
China's veto with Russia of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria earlier this month was among a broad range of issues discussed during talks President Barack Obama, Vice President Biden and other U.S. officials had with visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Tuesday.
Since China joined Russia in vetoing the U.N. resolution, the United States has continued to make clear its deep disappointment with Beijing's position on Syria.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice called the veto disgusting.
Before Vice President Xi visited the White House, a key question was to what extent President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other U.S. officials would raise the Syria veto with China's anticipated future leader.
During brief public remarks at the White House with the Chinese vice president, Biden spoke in general terms about the two countries not seeing "eye to eye" on particular issues.
At a State Department lunch for Vice President Xi, Biden specifically mentioning the China vote on Syria.
"We saw this in the recent United Nations Security Council debate about Syria, where we strongly disagreed with China and Russia's veto of a resolution against the unconscionable violence being perpetrated by the [Bashar al-] Assad regime," said Vice President Biden.
Biden repeated a statement he made at the White House with Vice President Xi that the ability of the United States and China to speak candidly about their differences reflects the "strength and maturity" of Sino-American relations.
President Obama's Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked by reporters whether the president raised China's veto of the Syria resolution during his meeting with Xi.
"It is elemental to the kind of relationship we have established with China in this administration that we speak very candidly about the full range of issues that are on the table between us - both the ones where we cooperate very effectively and where we have concerns, and that includes our disappointment that China joined with Russia in vetoing the U.N. Security Council resolution not long ago with regard to Syria," said Carney.
Asked whether the White House agreed with a statement by the Istanbul-based exile Syrian National Council that the Security Council veto had given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a "license to kill," Carney said he agreed with that assessment.
"That has seemed to have been the case, and it is highly regrettable that that veto occurred and that the resolution didn't pass," he said. “And that is why it is so important for action to be taken for the international community of nations who consider themselves friends of the Syrian people to come together and do everything they can to further pressure the Assad regime and to assist the Syrian people."
Carney quoted President Obama as saying that the reason his meeting with Vice President Xi ran nearly 90 minutes is because of the "importance of the relationship and cooperation in dealing with a range of challenges" the United States and China face together.
Israel Links Bangkok Bombing to Blasts in India, Georgia
Iran is rejecting accusations by Israel that it is behind Tuesday's bomb blasts in the Thai capital of Bangkok and car bombing attacks against Israeli diplomatic targets in India and Georgia.
Itzhak Shoham, the Israeli ambassador to Thailand, says the explosives used in the Bangkok blasts were identical to those used in New Delhi and Tbilisi on Monday.
But a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran accused Israel of attempting to harm the “friendly and historic” relations between Tehran and Bangkok.
Four people were injured in the New Delhi attack, while the car bomb in Tbilisi was defused.
Two Iranian men have been arrested in connection with the Bangkok blasts, which injured the suspected bomber and four civilians, and are facing charges including attempted murder of police officers and members of the public, and causing explosions in public.
The first blast went off at a house rented by one of the suspects in the central part of Bangkok. Police say that shortly afterward, a man threw a bomb at a taxi that refused to stop, and later tried to hurl a grenade on a busy road near a school.
The man lost both his legs in one of the explosions. A second suspect was later arrested at Bangkok's international airport.
Thai security forces are searching for a third Iranian suspect, who is believed to have fled to Malaysia.
Syrian Activists Say Government Troops Storm Hama
Syrian rights activists say government forces have launched an assault on the central flashpoint city of Hama, while an explosion hit an oil pipeline in the opposition stronghold of Homs.
The activists say government troops stormed residential areas of Hama Wednesday and that telephone lines in the city were cut.
In Homs, about 40 kilometers to the south, activists say the pipeline explosion near the rebel-held Sunni Muslim district of Baba Amr sent a large plume of smoke into the air. They blame the military for the blast, while the government says “terrorists” are responsible.
One of Syria's two refineries is in Homs, and activists say a nearly two-week assault on the city by government forces has killed hundreds of people.
Syrian officials have blamed “armed terrorists” for an 11-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's autocratic rule.
Arab diplomats on Tuesday circulated a draft resolution to United Nations General Assembly members calling on Syria to stop its deadly crackdown on the opposition and accusing the government of rights violations.
The diplomats say the resolution is likely to be put to a vote on Thursday and receive broad support in the 193-nation body.
U.N. General Assembly resolutions are non-binding and cannot be vetoed. Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution earlier this month, blocking the body from endorsing a Western- and Arab-backed plan for President Assad to step aside as a way of ending the crisis.
U.S. officials say President Barack Obama expressed disappointment with China's veto at a Tuesday meeting with visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. At another Washington event attended by Xi, Vice President Joe Biden said the United States “strongly disagreed” with Beijing and Moscow for vetoing a resolution against what Biden called “unconscionable violence” by the Assad government.
China's official Xinhua news agency says Xi told Biden that Beijing's position on Syria is aimed at “safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East” and is “in line with international principles.” Both China and Russia have said the Security Council must not take sides in a domestic conflict or provide a pretext for foreign military intervention in Syria.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Monday the Security Council's failure to act has “emboldened” Mr. Assad to try to “crush dissent with overwhelming force.”
The United Nations said last month that violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people. U.N. officials stopped updating the death toll in January, saying it was too difficult to obtain information. Rights groups say hundreds more people have been killed since then.
IMF concludes mission to Trinidad and Tobago
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team visited Trinidad and Tobago during February 1-10, 2012, to conduct the 2011 Article IV consultation. The team met with senior government and central bank officials, a broad range of private sector representatives, and political and business leaders, and discussed recent macroeconomic and financial developments, medium-term prospects, and policy challenges.
At the end of the visit, Judith Gold, head of the IMF mission to Trinidad and Tobago, issued the following statement in Port of Spain:
“There is concrete evidence that the economy is turning the corner and that economic growth will resume in 2012 notwithstanding the ongoing technical disruptions in the energy sector. Real economic activity is projected to increase by 1.7 percent in 2012 as private sector credit expansion gains momentum, the resolution of a large failed insurance company (CLICO) proceeds, the faster pace of government investment continues and energy production returns to normal as the maintenance work is completed while energy prices remain high. Still, there are downside risks to the forecast stemming from the global economic environment, uncertainty in gas prices, and possible delays in the implementation of the public sector investment program.
“The economic slowdown that began with the global financial crisis has been more profound and lasted longer than anticipated. The economy is estimated to have contracted by 1.3 percent in 2011, after recording no growth in 2010 and a significant decline in 2009. Ample buffers, including savings in the Heritage and Stabilization Fund, low public debt, and high international reserves, have cushioned the impact of the crisis, including the failure of CLICO. While unemployment has increased during this period, it remains low at 5.8 percent. Inflation, despite its recent resurgence due to volatility in food prices, also remains moderate at 5.3 percent.
“The 2011/12 budget seeks to provide further support to the economic recovery by maintaining the high level of public capital expenditure, strengthening the business environment, and enhancing the social safety net. The mission agrees that the near-term focus of fiscal policy should be on reviving economic activity, and the timely implementation of the investment program should be a priority. The completion of the restructuring of CLICO claims will also be important to defuse remaining uncertainties. Over the longer term, a shift in the fiscal trajectory will be needed to continue building net savings for future generations while maintaining public investment to support diversification and growth of the non-energy sector. Such a strategy would focus on containing increases in transfers and subsidies while better targeting social benefits to vulnerable groups. It would also include a strengthening of the tax effort through ongoing improvement of tax and customs administration and a broadening of the tax base.
“The financial system has not been immune to the prolonged economic downturn. Although commercial banks remain well capitalized, profitable, and liquid, the banking system’s non-performing loans (NPLs) have increased and provisioning has declined. Given financial vulnerabilities, the mission agrees that continued intensified monitoring and surveillance of the financial system is warranted and urges accelerating the strengthening of the regulatory and supervisory framework, including the enactment of legislation on insurance, credit unions, and securities. The mission concurs with the central bank’s accommodative monetary stance to support the revival of private sector credit.
“Key challenges in the energy sector are the projected depletion of oil and gas reserves and the uncertainty in the gas market as a result of the shale gas production in the United States. The industry has been successful in redirecting its exports to new markets in view of the falling gas prices in the United States. Looking forward, adapting the sector’s investment framework and the fiscal regime to ensure its competitiveness will be essential. Just as critical will be the continued effort to diversify the economy. The mission welcomes the government’s focus on improving the regulatory and administrative framework for private sector activity, and fostering investment, including the planned divestment and public/private partnership programs. It will also be important to strengthen public administration and the public service, to ensure effective and efficient delivery of public goods and services.
“The mission wishes to express its gratitude for the exceptional collaboration of many government and non-government representatives, and for their kind hospitality.”
CNN
IDB strengthens partnership with Caribbean
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has strengthened its historic partnership with member countries of the English-speaking Caribbean and Suriname.
IDB general manager for the Caribbean Department, Gerard Johnson, hailed results achieved by the countries in the region by discussing and identifying the main areas in which the IDB and other international and regional organizations may cooperate with each other and with the countries. Johnson ratified the firm commitment of the Bank in supporting countries to tackle their economic, financial, social and environmental challenges.
IDB lending to borrowing member countries in the English-speaking Caribbean and Suriname reached more than US$900 million per year in 2010 and 2011. With an active portfolio of US$3.5 billion and a pipeline of around US$1.5 billion, the IDB is deeply invested in these countries.
The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago -- along with Dutch-speaking Suriname -- are brought together by commerce, geography and traditions. Their economic situations and development challenges, however, may vary widely.
They share some common development challenges. One is the need to become more competitive in the global economy. Other challenges include more economic growth, overcoming the threat of macroeconomic imbalances that weaken development efforts, the need to strengthen public-private dialogue to promote private sector development, and institutional capacity constraints that affect efficiency and public policy. The global economic slowdown has made these challenges more daunting.
The IDB also partners with CARICOM to support regional integration and provides financing and technical support for the members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank.
Key Areas of Focus
The IDB finances programs to promote sustainable energy, infrastructure strengthening, governance, fiscal reform and citizen security, as well as furthering reforms in social sectors, such as health, housing and education in the Caribbean.
In the area of competitive regional integration and private sector development, the IDB finances projects in the trade sector and fosters competitiveness. Compete Caribbean is an initiative promoting competitiveness in 15 countries in the region through a partnership with the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the Canadian International Development Agency.
The IDB is also helping these countries to deal with the effects of climate change and providing support for environmental sustainability. Several new projects seek to improve disaster risk management and coastal infrastructure in the Caribbean region as a whole to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The Inter-American Development Bank
The IDB is a leader in social and economic development and one of the largest sources of multilateral financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Bank works with governments, companies, and civil society organizations from its 48 member countries, offering financial products and resources to help the region reduce poverty and inequality in a sustainable way.
The IDB is a member of the IDB Group, which also includes the Multilateral Investment Fund and the Inter-American Investment Corporation to support the private sector. The members of the IDB Group invest in projects to improve the business and investment environment and to support companies with projects that promote social and economic development.
CNN
Grammys 2012: Adele Wins Big While Stars Mourn Whitney Houston
Adele swept the top categories at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, taking home five top awards including Album of the Year for her blockbuster smash 21, Record and Song of the Year for "Rolling in the Deep" and Pop Solo Performance for "Someone Like You." The British singer also won for Pop Vocal Album and returned to the stage after months of medical issues for a rousing, vibrant rendition of "Rolling in the Deep." Paul Epworth, producer of 21, also won for Producer of the Year.
While it was very much Adele's night, Whitney Houston's death yesterday cast a shadow over the entire ceremony, with host LL Cool J opening the show by offering a brief prayer for the late superstar. "There's no way around this," the rapper and actor said. "We've had a death in the family." Later in the show, Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to Houston by performing her own rendition of "I Will Always Love You," the singer's signature hit.
Houston wasn't the only music legend being mourned at the ceremony. Bonnie Raitt and Alicia Keys paid homage to Etta James with a cover of her hit "A Sunday Kind of Love," and Questlove honored Don Cornelius before Foo Fighters, Deadmau5, David Guetta and Lil Wayne performed a tribute to electronic dance music. The Band Perry and Blake Shelton paid tribute to the still-living Glenn Campbell, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, but nevertheless hit the stage for a flawless rendition of his classic "Rhinestone Cowboy."
Bon Iver took home awards for Alternative Album and Best New Artist, beating out stiff competition from Nicki Minaj, Skrillex and the Band Perry. "It's really hard to accept this award," said Bon Iver songwriter Justin Vernon. "When I started to make songs, I did it for the inherent reward of making songs." He did, in fact, accept the award.
Other big winners were Foo Fighters, who swept the rock categories and took home Rock Album forWasting Light, and Kanye West, who won for Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, took two awards for the single "All of the Lights" and shared Rap Performance with Jay-Z for "Otis." Neither West or Jay-Z were on hand to accept their honors. Skrillex may have been shut out for Best New Artist, but cleaned up in the electronic dance categories with Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.
In the reggae category, Stephen Marley won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album for Revelation Pt 1: The Root Of Life.
The show included several memorable performances, including an over-the-top production of Nicki Minaj's new track "Roman Holiday" that relied heavily on Catholic iconography, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's energetic run through their new hit "We Take Care of Our Own," a collaboration between Coldplay and Rihanna on the song "Princess of China," and the debut of a new song by Katy Perry in which she slams her ex-husband Russell Brand after what had seemed like amicable divorce agreement.
The Civil Wars made the most of a brief spot before Taylor Swift's elaborate production number for "Mean" with a truncated version of their song "Barton Hollow," and the Foo Fighters ripped through a no-frills rendition of their Grammy-winning hit "Walk" on an outdoor stage. Paul McCartney played the pop standard "My Valentine" midway through the show, and closed it with an energetic run through the closing medley of the Beatles' Abbey Road.
The strangest performance of the night was no doubt the Beach Boys reunion, which began with Maroon 5 and Foster the People running through pitchy takes on "Surfer Girl" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" before assisting the newly reunited band on "Good Vibrations." Maroon 5's Adam Levine and Foster the People's Mark Foster seemed to be overjoyed by this opportunity, but Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson appeared to be totally befuddled by the situation, giving confused, vaguely horrified looks to the camera, and shuffling off stage as soon as the song ended.
Grammy sends tribute to Whitney
LL Cool J, host of the 54th annual Grammy Awards, opened the show by saying a prayer, thanking the Lord for allowing the world a glimpse of Whitney Houston.
Then he showed what he termed "a great Grammy moment". The television screens showed a clip of Whitney Houston singing. The crowd at the Grammys went crazy.
The awards had shifted into a Whitney Houston memorial, where attendees celebrated the pop star and the show hurriedly assembled a tribute featuring Jennifer Hudson.
Grammy show producer Ken Ehrlich turned to Hudson, the actress and 'American Idol' finalist, last night after the 48-year-old Houston was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Hills Hilton. Ehrlich said there wasn't enough time for a "full-blown tribute", but that the show had to "recognise Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general".
With just hours to prepare a fitting tribute, the Grammys had to act quickly.
"Musicians, by nature, improvise," said Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, on the red carpet before the show. Portnow said the tribute was the result of hours of frantic phone calls in the aftermath of Houston's death.
The vibe of the awards was altered from simple party to a kind of wake of one of music's most beloved stars. Houston won six Grammys in her career and had been expected to perform at the pre-awards gala Saturday night thrown by music impresario Clive Davis.
"Whenever there's tragedy, family pulls together - and this is my family," said producer Jimmy Jam. "There's going to a little bit of everything tonight, and that's how the emotions should be."
"I'm glad we're all together to grieve together," said Bonnie Raitt.
For those who were particularly close to Houston, the evening was a difficult one. Just days before, last Thursday, R&B singer Kelly Price performed a duet of Yes, Jesus Loves Me with Houston at a pre-Grammy celebration.
"I'm here," said an emotional Price, a friend and a frequent collaborator with Houston. "She gave the genre of R&B music a gift that can never be denied."
The night was in many ways transformed into one dedicated to Houston, with heartfelt reaction from across genres.
"Few people will ever touch the world as much as Whitney Houston," said country star Billy Ray Cyrus.
Musicians who grew up in the 1980s recognised the loss of a soundtrack to their youth. R&B singer Ledisi burst into a warm, impromptu rendition of Houston's How Will I Know on the red carpet.
"It's a very sombre tone tonight at the Grammys because we lost our hero," R&B singer Kelly Rowland told E! "My heart is heavy."
Whitney Houston: Stars remember Grammy-winning singer
Tributes and messages of condolence poured in Sunday after word spread of the death in Hollywood on Feb. 11, 2012, of Grammy-winning pop singer and actress Whitney Houston.
Authorities say the 48-year-old Houston died Saturday at a Beverly Hills, Calif., hotel. No cause of death has been given.
At the Newark church, where Whitney Houston got her start, messages of sympathy and floral tributes were tied to a fence post. The pastor asked for strength for Houston's family.
Even in Jerusalem , Israel's Black Hebrew community mourned the singer who famously visited them in 2003.
Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, the leader of the 2,500-strong group of vegan polygamists, told Channel 2 TV Sunday that he considered Houston his "spiritual daughter."
Houston's ex-husband, singer Bobby Brown, offered his tribute while performing a show in Southaven, Miss., hours after her death.
"First of all, I want to tell you that I love you all," he said. "Second, I would like to say, I love you Whitney. The hardest thing for me to do is to come on this stage."
The Reverend Jesse Jackson says Whitney Houston was one of the outstanding voices of our time.
The Chicago civil-rights leader said yesterday that he was praying for her family, including Houston's gospel singer mother, Cissy Houston.
Jackson says there's a void in the music world.
Whitney Houston died Saturday on the eve of the Grammy Awards. She had been expected to attend a pre-Grammy gala but was found dead hours before the event. Paramedics attempted to revive Houston, but were unsuccessful. She was 48.
Houston's publicist says the cause of death is unknown.
Fay-Ann cries at RAMA
SLUMPED to the stage with tears streaming down her face, Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez was caught in a moment of total pride and euphoria, overcome with emotion, she wiped away tears on Saturday night at the inaugural Rama fete held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
With her adoring fans chanting her name repeatedly, Fay-Ann was brought back on stage for a third encore to sing her Road March contender “Miss Behave”. But it was all too much for the former Soca Monarch champion who dropped to her knees and covered her face.
Speaking to Newsday after, Fay-Ann explained her emotional moment. “It was just touching to see that the crowd was so into what you are doing. It was just amazing. It reminded me of watching my dad (Superblue) as a young girl and hearing the crowd react to him. So to have that happen to me was astonishing,” the soca diva said.
Questioned whether it was the most love she received from a crowd this season, Fay-Ann noted that the reaction was just a result of the crowd’s response and the electric Rama atmosphere coinciding.
Indeed, Rama proved to be one of the biggest events for Carnival 2012 with almost the entire local soca cast present. Bunji Garlin and his Asylum band hit the stage at about 12.30 am yesterday and had the crowd in a frenzy with his Road March contender “Born Ready”. Donning a black suit, Bunji confirmed that he is ready for the Carnival season and had the crowd jumping and following his every instruction. Drawing from his extensive repertoire, Bunji dropped hit after hit including “Blaze the Fire” and “Bomb Song” to have the massive Rama crowd eating out of his hands.
Following the Asylum band was a tough act to follow but with Machel Montano’s resume he was the right man for the job. Opening with last year’s Soca Monarch winner “Advantage”, Machel had patrons in VIP and general admission behaving in similar fashion. He then delved into his 2012 hits including “Pump Yuh Flag” which had fans waving hands, cups, rags and whatever else they could thrust into the air. A woman even waved what looked like a bra.
Machel then switched to a groovy mood, belting out some of this year’s hits like “Bottle of Rum” and “On the Avenue”. The infectious music took its toll on a couple females in front the stage who perched themselves on top the barricading railing and began gyrating nonchalantly to “Bend Over”.
Also performing with the HD band was Farmer Nappy, Patrice Roberts and Kerwyn Du Bois who had a good response to his Groovy hit “Bachaanalist”.
Earlier, Kes the Band and their lead singer Kees Dieffenthaller put in a powerful performance to set the stage for the other acts. Vowing to defend his Groovy Monarch, Kees advised the crowd to dance their “Stress Away” and wine with “Precision”. Closing with “Wotless”, Kees showed that last year’s bumper season was no fluke and he is a real threat to retain his crown.
Meanwhile, Benjai used the occasion to ask for advice from the thousands of soca lovers at Rama. Unsure about what to sing for Friday’s Soca Monarch finals, Benjai is now certain to perform “People’s Champion” which has been slowly gathering momentum.
Coolers were noticeably absent at Rama with patrons storing their drinks in buckets instead. Bottles were on the floor and buckets in the air when Swappi hit the stage, however, to sing his smash hit “Bucket”. Other top artistes performing on the night were Shal Marshall, Super Jigga TC and Blaxx.
NEWSDAY
KI, Chutney Soca king over Rikki Jai
RISING chutney star Kris Vishal “KI” Persad not only scaled the Mt Everest of chutney competitions when on Saturday he dethroned veteran Rikki Jai, for the Chutney Soca Monarch crown, but he also created history by being the youngest champ, at age 26.
Thank you so much. I have nothing but thanks and love to all of my fans who voted for me and made this possible,” an exhausted Persad said yesterday at his El Socorro home where he returned at 5 am after the competition.
“I am truly humbled and it is a dream come true,” Persad said. For the competition, votes sent in by supporters via cellular phone text messaging, replaced the need for judges and Persad, singing his runaway hit “Single Forever”, was crowned king by a massive margin of 36,737 votes to second-place winner and former chutney soca monarch Rikki Jai’s 32,781.
Asked how he felt being a first time winner, Persad responded: “I really am a first time winner aren’t I? I think the biggest thing right now is that it hasn’t settled in yet. Right now I’m still waiting for it to hit.
“But I can say that it just feels nice to know that after all the sacrifices and hard work like leaving your family, leaving your friends, leaving your relationships — and hence the inspiration for my song “Single Forever” — so many things you have to sacrifice in life just to get ahead, it has paid-off for me. I promise my fans that I will represent them and this country to the max,” Persad said.
Asked what he thought made the song stand out as opposed to the other offerings from his competitors on Saturday night, Persad said, “Single forever is simply a song that speaks for itself whether you in a relationship and especially if you are out of one. And everyone loved it because of that.”
“As for the other contestants, all I can say is that Rikki Jai is a very talented artiste and so too were the other finalists and I am proud to share the stage with them, but in the end the song spoke for itself, and I came out and did my best, and the people loved it.”
For his effort, Persad took home the $1 million first prize at the 2012 Lotto Plus Chutney Soca Monarch held at the Queen’s Park Oval.
An estimated crowd of 12,000 occupied the Oval from as early 6 pm with the show ending at 3 am yesterday. Persad delivered his hit song accompanied by the bmobile Shiv Shakti Performers at 1.30 am.
Amidst fireworks he stood on a ten-foot pedestal on stage, indicating he is above the rest of singers. He ended his song by adding new lines in reply to Jai’s song, ‘She want Johnny Walker’. “He should do like Johnny walker and keep walking,” Persad sang in his final verse. The crowd roared its approval.
He is now setting his sights on the Groovy Soca Monarch on “Fantastic Friday,” having qualified for the finals at the National Stadium in Port-of-Spain. KI is the only chutney soca act to make it to the finals of this competition this year.
Jai who created history by wining $2 million in the 2011 edition at Skinner’s Park, San Fernando, came on stage just after midnight. He was accompanied by Soca star Destra Garcia who told the crowds she is Soca and Jai is Chutney. Placing third was Rick Ramoutar who sang, “I Wish I was Single to Mingle”.
Nigel Salickram who sang “Blood”, placed fourth. Out of the the five female competitors Artie Butkoon scored the highest with her song, “Mousie Break Away” to place fifth. Out of three Guyanese to enter the competition, Terry Gajraj who sang “Grease Gun” score the highest among the Guyanese, placing sixth.
His fellow Guyanese Fiona came in at the seventh position with her song “Jiggle your Belly”. New York-based Sassy Ramoutar placed eighth with “Rude and Sweet” while Sally Sagram placed ninth with “Put Some Love on Me”. Guyana’s Monarch Haresh Singh placed tenth doing “Ajee and Ajaa”. Comedian, Kenneth Supersad was excellent in delivering his tune, “One Caribbean People”. Former Chutney Monarchs Adesh Samaroo who sang “Drunk Man Doh Lie” and Heeralal Rampartap who did “Jealous Man” failed to make it to the top ten. Lalchan Babwah was accompanied by Drupatie Ramgoonai to do the song “One Thirty”.
This show produced by Southex Promotions was moved from south to the Oval to accommodate the tourists and fans from north Trinidad. According to the chief coordinator of the event, George Singh, the show “was a success” and he is looking forward for a bigger and better production in 2013 at the same venue. At midnight, PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar joined Guyana’s Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony and TT’s Culture Minister Winston Peters on the main stage to bring greetings.