Express OMG Magazine 26

machel

montano

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT

MAGAZINE

Saturday September 22, 2012 • VOL 1- 26

Get your OMG Magazine

4 Ways weekly...

FREE WITH THE SATURDAY EXPRESS DIGITAL ISSUE ON YOUR COMPUTER, PHONE OR IPAD www.omgtt.com WEBSITE www.omgtt.com

Facebook

ExpressOMGMagazine

Page 2

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012 Page 3

confessions Page

HOTTY

5

Page

style Page

7

14

AGE: 22, Port of spain

Three things you like about yourself and why.

My high ambition – I’m always striving for greater accomplishments My humility – I’m able to find peace and happiness in the simple things of life My loyalty – I stand up for things I believe in My OMG Moment: When my heel got stuck in a crevice on stage at a band launch and I almost fell in front of thousands PHOTOGRAPHER:

Nigel Reid

11

Page

HOT TRACKS & MUSIC VIDEOS

6

“Eat ah Food”

Page

Vyshaia Singh

Page

12

HOW TO’s

credits Editor

Group Marketing Manager

Stephen Doobal

Marcus Chin Aleong

GROUP ADVERTISING SALES

COPY EDITOR

Charlene Gaspard-Johnson

Patrick Ifill

info@omgtt.com

marcus.chin-aleong@tv6tnt.com

charlene.johnson@trinidadexpress.com DIRECT SALES MANAGER

Guillermo Rauseo guillermo.rauseo@trinidadexpress.com GROUP NEW MEDIA MANAGER

Andy Sieupresad

andy.sieupresad@trinidadexpress.com

To CoNTACT THE oMG MAGAZINE TEAM, JUST SENd US AN EMAIL AT...

info@omgtt.com

Layout and Design

Real Company Limited www.realcompanylimited.com

OMG MAGAZINE PRODUCTION TEAM

Sean Guevara Kyle Madray LIKE US ON FACEBOOK !! JUST SEARCH ”OMG MAGAZINE”

PIN:29479195

www.facebook.com/framephotography1

Check out the DIGITAL ISSUE of the Express OMG Magazine at...

www.omgtt.com

Log-on to the Trinidad Express Newspapers for today’s latest news...

www.trinidadexpress.com

Page 4

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

How to tell How to discuss casual dating your dating history partners you’re off the market Diving into a serious relationship? Check out these tips on how to break the news to more casual partners.

Step 1 Be proactive

Step 4 Make it brief

Get in touch with casual partners as soon as you determine you’re in an exclusive relationship with someone else; delays only increase the chance of someone getting hurt – or of having your love interests cross paths unexpectedly.

Keep your contact brief – the longer the conversation, the more chances for someone to get hurt. When you’re done, walk away and don’t look back.

Step 2 Make a decision

Having trouble leaving casual relationships behind? Make sure you’re prepared to make a commitment to your new partner; if you are, then enjoy the opportunity for meaningful romance.

Figure out how to break the news.

Decide whether your time together merits getting together in person, a phone call, or an e-mail.

Tip – Make contact before posting the news on social networks, which can come across like an unexpected public slap in the face.

Step 3 Communicate directly

Be cordial and polite, but be honest about having met someone else to ensure your former lover gets the message.

If you’re destined to be friends eventually, they’ll realise your decision is for the best.

Tip – Reach out during the day – nighttime contact can lead to mixed signals.

Step 5 Suck it up

You weren’t a hermit before you met your main squeeze. Here’s how to acknowledge your past without hurting anyone’s feelings.

Step 1 - Find a balance

Seek the middle ground. Never mentioning your ex-lovers can seem like you’re hiding something, but talking about them constantly indicates you’re still hung up on them.

Step 2 - Be honest about contact

Be frank about any current contact you have with your former lovers. Lying about talking to an “ex” may seem like a good way out of an awkward conversation, but it could cause serious complications later on.

Step 3 - Avoid comparisons

Do not compare the present to the past. If your partner asks for a comparison, defuse it with a non-threatening observation.

Tip – When talking about sex, don’t get specific about other partners. Detailed info could lead to feelings of inadequacy for your partner.

Step 4 - Create new associations

Don’t link places or objects to your “ex”.

Discussing your past may be necessary, but ruining something by talking about how special it was for you and your “ex” isn’t.

Step 5 - Don’t linger on heartbreak

When discussing a previous relationship don’t dwell on the heartbreak. Talking about how painful the break-up was can give the impression you haven’t moved on.

Be positive - Enjoy the closeness of an honest but sensitive relationship.

After satisfying their curiosity the smart way, you and your partner will feel more secure than ever!

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012 Page 5

I talk to

myself

email y

My confession is that I often find myself talking and even arguing with myself.

Once I actually raised my voice and got mad.

I also have intelligent conversations with myself and sometimes even recall things I forgot. Does anyone know what this is?

The hook-up

I want to forget

s n o i s s e f on tt.com

@omg s n io s s e f n o c to our confessions

c

onymously n a s t h g u o h r deepest t u o y s s e f n o A place to c

Pretty stink I’m pretty with a nice body but my feet sweat a lot so they stink really badly by the end of the day.

Sometimes I think if my husband had known beforehand he never would have married me...

D+S forever

I love you and I always will!

Since we broke up there was never a day I haven’t thought about you. Since we broke up we’ve talked little but what I want to say is that you’re my boo and I’ll always love you!!

It started off with us watching a movie, then the mood changed and things took an unexpected turn. Touching, kissing and all that other stuff...he was all over me, like a rash. It was hot, sticky, and to make things worse, he began to sweat profusely.

I was totally disgusted; thank God it was shortlived… after five minutes the charade was over.

And at the end of it all I felt was regret!

You just liked being used?

‘Baby’s

Got

Back’ My DH loves my huge behind. He loves to cup his hands around it and he is constantly touching me there.

He loves when I wear clothes that emphasise it.

Remember that song “Baby Got Back”?

Yup, that’s what it’s all about!

Dump me

please!

I am too much of a wimp to break up with my girlfriends so I generally begin to ignore them so they will dump me. Currently, that is not working despite a long distance relationship, so even though I always swore to myself I would never cheat on a girl, I may do it just to force a break-up. Well, that and because I have the hots for this new girl.

No, I don’t think he likes you. Or is falling for you, wants to marry you, wants you to be his girlfriend or loves you. Yes, he is using you for sex. He never calls you, does anything with you other than have sex. You won’t hear from him for months at a time until he’s in the mood, and you know nothing of his life. I won’t say this to you because when I do tell you the truth you get pissed. So go ahead, keep sleeping with men and get nothing in return. At 35 are you really this stupid?

Page 6

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

martin Baptiste

Martin’s Piano Bar The OMG team was delighted to meet Martin Baptiste, owner and chef of Martin’s Piano Bar. Martin has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years and was a pleasure to sit and chat with. The guests who came in for lunch clearly have their own special relationship with him.

It was a homely atmosphere, filled with laughter and picong between Martin and his obviously loyal customers.

Martin’s serves up a Trini lunch daily, which means workers from the offices in the area can have a balanced home-cooked, sweethand meal for $45. That is the same price you would pay for many of the greasy and less healthy options available elsewhere. The OMG team was treated to lunch and we must say it tasted like mom was in the kitchen and

it felt like home with all the laughter filling the air.

service and the music you hear, then come to Martin’s Piano Bar.

Martin says there are many restaurants out there now who serve too much of the same menus. He wants to bring new flavours to the table, eating options created by him that employ his classic French training, with rich butter, cream and brandy sauces. He has a new dinner menu starting in October filled with dishes like Chicken Viennoise, Steak Chasseur and Snapper St Germaine, not forgetting the escargot appetisers and his affordable prices. While most restaurant dinners run from $200 to $300, Martin’s chicken dinner starts at $95. Then there’s the relaxed atmosphere, with a baby grand piano tinkling in the corner. It’s an intimate way to spend an evening dining out with a close friend.

Martin’s is located on Woodford Street in Port of Spain. The best way to get there is just as you pass the US Embassy on Marli Street, turn left into Woodford Street; Martin’s is a few buildings down on the right, there is parking after 1 pm at the corner of Marli and Woodford Streets.

Martin loves music and art and as you walk along the corridor leading to the dining area and bar, the wall has some remarkable pieces of local art to enjoy. If you are in the mood for a classic, relaxed true Trini atmosphere that is not pretentious, from the food, drinks,

We are very happy to let you know that one lucky OMG Magazine reader and a guest will be going to lunch at Martin’s Piano Bar. Just like the OMG Magazine page on Facebook and say, “I want Martin’s”. You could be the lucky winner. If you would like to check out Martin’s Piano Bar on your own just give them a call at 622-6405 or email martinspianobar@gmail.com

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012 Page 7

Anya brings the colour of carnival to the world

by Richard Young from New York

the Bobo Shanti, with their tightly wrapped turbans which she contrasted brilliantly with sexy shorts and funky accessorising.

In 2010, she unleashed a darker collection – a synthesis of urban silhouettes laced with a Gothic undertone yet spruced with Caribbean trimmings, reflecting her commitment to designing clothes with an irresistible, easy and sexy vibe. She was then poised on the threshold of extra-regional visibility.

Moving along from her celebratory “Tobago Love” with its incandescent, ingenious and indigenous textures which won her the Project Runway title, Anya proclaimed her evolving style sensibilities in the West Village, New York with “Carnival of Colour”.

Touted as one of the industry’s most unique talents with an equally singular point of view, Anya herself acknowledged this accolade at the Norwood by boasting of her ever-present Caribbean influence tinged, undoubtedly, with her resident Harlem state of mind.

ANya ayoung chee, RICHARD YOUNG AND SONIA NOEL Labour Day had just departed. There was a residual Caribbean presence informing the socio-cultural landscape of my New York experience, and then there was Anya Ayoung Chee’s Spring/Summer Collection 2013. When I heard of the pre-New York Fashion Week event, carded to be a stylish blend of press, buyers, fashion, music and creative industry taste makers, I was elated! I had to be there! This was her first collection since winning Project Runway, so everyone anticipated with bated breath.

My camaraderie with Anya has always been marked by a common appreciation of a Caribbean aesthetic and an unmitigated desire to share this with the world. After modelling in the inaugural Trinidad and Tobago Fashion Week back in 2008 as Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe, she went on to introduce her label, Pilar, the following year, and was well on her way to international attention, with her unique use of prints and her Caribbean-inspired references. That year, her inspiration came from one of the mansions of Rastafari,

style

After whispering the password to access the showroom up a flight of stairs, I entered Anya’s Narnia, as it were. To the strains of original tracks customised for the presentation by Trinidadian producer, Keshav Singh who goes by the name Laza Beam, we were mesmerised by a languid sensuality that was at one and the same time tribal and loungy. The atmosphere was very befitting the eclectic silhouettes in silk charmeuse, silk chiffon, cotton wovens and stretch cottons. The garments told the story of sun-kissed, colourdrenched exotics revelling in a carnival of subtle innuendos. Anya certainly cavorted with the feminine form, emphasising its sinuous lines, baring necks, backs, shoulders and arms. It was indeed a feat for calisthenics – the lithe, lissome bodies of models, no accident of casting but actually a triumph of Starr Stokes Management which was also responsible for set direction.

The hair and make-up theme, a la Anya, seemed to costume an impending hedonism to be surveyed by Bacchus – one-sided, ethnically indulgent coiffures, effortlessly styled with burnished faces and smouldering eyes. The garments seem to possess the wearer with a sultry allure, inviting you in, yet keeping you at bay.

The stunning Aminat Seun, America’s Next Top Model contestant, and the bewitching Leah Marville, former Miss Barbados, were part of the culturally diverse cast of models who effected Anya’s 2013 edition.

Indeed, it was a resort line, accented with custom made accessories

by Melody Ehsani and footwear by Chinese Laundry, unfolding a plethora of easy-to-wear separates. Halters, bras, bustiers, boleros, plunging necklines, backless dresses, sleeveless tops, leggings maxi pants, poom poom shorts, bikinis, maillots and free-flowing dresses with dangerous slits – all were attesting to an exhibitionistic, Trinbagonian, carnivalesque eroticism, however, given an urban, upbeat Harlem edge in the glare of New York Fashion Week.

ANya ayoung chee

Page 8

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

machel m Machel Montano is singly the most influential person in the growth and development of the Trinidad and Tobago music industry. He has, for most of his career, set the pace for not only what is the sound of soca but how it is staged and presented and has definitely broken records in terms of the size of audience that attends a local show just to see one man perform. I think because we are seeing the impact he is making and the trends he is setting unfold before us, many of us have not fully realised that we are witnessing our music evolve before our eyes. We just know that whenever we attend a show that features Machel we will not be disappointed.

He will send the crowd into a frenzy like no other performer has ever done.

Machel Montano has built a career over the past 30 years that represents the very best that Trinidad and Tobago has to offer. OMG met with Machel at Rama Studios this week and we sat down for a chat.

You have definitely been working hard, non-stop actually. Have you stopped, taken a breath and looked back at how much you have achieved?

How do you feel today, September 19, 2012?

“I am feeling like I deserve a long vacation. I am at a stage now where I have to make time, to have time. I want to travel, see the world, go places I don’t get to see, like Africa, India. I want to travel to China, see the Great Wall.

I want to see the Pyramids. Because I feel I need that change of scenery to re-energise and rejuvenate. Everything I do is about my music, my career and my purpose of entertaining people. I just feel I need to gather a little more depth and a little more emotion from some other places, where I can be able to express that in my music.”

At this point in your career, how does it feel to see your influence on so many other people’s music and performance?

“Well, while I was growing up, I was taking my influence from Sparrow, Kitchener, David Rudder and all the people who came and now, 30 years deep into my career, I was marvelling just yesterday when we were recording a song with some young writers and I look at the words and almost every other line is a line from a song I had some years ago.

I really see what I have done and how I have influenced younger people and the music of today.”

Doesn’t it feel like people taking your thing and using it, doesn’t it hurt?

“To me, this is flattery. It is what got me to where I am. I looked at the greatest and I learned from them. I take a little bit from Super Blue, Michael Jackson, The Bee Gees, Sade, Police, Sting, from the early Solid Gold days. I took all these inspirations and I kind of melded them together and found my own little thing.

So when people emulate me, take my style, it means that it works, it means that it is successful and it is going to become the trend and make you a trendsetter. So you have to put yourself in pioneer mode and go out there and find the trends and set the trends.”

I spoke to Patrice Roberts recently, the female lead in your band, and asked how you dealt with your leads wanting to build their own careers, while working with you.

“We have been promoting this for years, everybody in the HD family are solo artistes. That is how I see it. They are individual artistes who can travel on their own but we also travel as a group.

When we travel as a group we are the HD Family. We have the HD band, we have Patrice Roberts, we have Farmer Nappy, we have sometimes Zan, we have Machel Montano HD and all these single artistes who tour together. But early in the day we were a band, we were Xtatik, but the day we dropped the Xtatik we made it clear to ourselves that we were now going to become solo acts with one common group of musicians playing behind us. We started sending Patrice on gigs with the band by herself. We even encouraged Nappy to do it too.

Because this is what we want. We want everybody to be able to branch off and become a business on their own. It is

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012 Page 9

montano about working together but still being your individual self, which is the ultimate working relationship for us. That is how we survive. We lean on each other, like this year Patrice jump out the gate and leading, Farmer follow right behind and then I’m gonna come in to catch up because I was so busy this year.”

dresses. It wasn’t the three-piece suit and the hat. It changed and that was my goal from the beginning. Every day we faced a challenge. Now the challenge is how to get the rest of the world to gravitate towards it. This should be a common goal for all of us …what is next for soca and what is needed.”

How do you manage your time to get so much done?

“Well, it is about sacrifice. I sacrifice all my free time that I had this summer to go to parties, help promote ‘30 Rum’ which is a product I took up. I sacrificed all that time.

Every free moment was spent in studio recording this summer.”

A lot of what you’ve done has changed the face of the local music industry. Do you feel you are recognised for doing that?

“Sometimes that is the thing that hurts for me, that is the little peeve, you know, not being recognised for the things you have actually done. I think it is because I am still current and I am still alive and still functioning, people haven’t taken the time to reflect on what I have done.

But for me, there are a few things that stand out. In the beginning we got our break from Ellis Chow Lin On (rest in peace). He was the one who gave us our break in Soca Village. Every band long ago used to have to play two sessions and Charlie’s Roots didn’t want to do that and they played one session and gave us the other session. This young band from Siparia, when no promoter wanted to hire us, we were in Soca Village playing on Charlie’s Roots set, and we started in later days to say we would emulate what Charlie’s Roots started and we stopped playing two sessions. We helped to concretise that trend on one long set, instead of playing, intermission and then come back again. We also fought for big stages with big lights. We didn’t want those little tents where there would be a pole in the middle. We would say we not playing under those tents, we need those changed. Big screens, I remember putting in my contract where I would play in a show if it didn’t have screens and we kept doing things like fighting for better wages. All the technology we introduced into the stage performance and technology behind the sound. We had it first and then it became standard among all bands. We look at these things and maybe someday somebody from a musical production point of view will be able to tell about these contributions we made. Not only that. Riddims today – when you hear a soca riddim with three four artistes on it … I was the first person to do riddims, with “Big Truck”, “Party Crowded” or “Footsteps” and “She Sweet”, “By All Means” back in 1996, and I remember pitching this to my partners at the time who were Preacher and Iwer George and saying ‘hey I have this riddim, Ah have a song on it, but Ah want you to do song on the same riddim’ and they say, ‘On the same piece ah music?

That ent go make sense’ and nobody thought it would work, but today singing on riddims is standard. Bringing in people like Red Rat, Beenie Man, Shaggy,

Where do you get the energy to do more?

“The energy to continue every day and to wake up every day and do what you do and be happy, really comes from you strengthening your soul, strengthening your spirit, just strengthening yourself. It is not really about career. Being healthy, being happy, staying happy, you have to appreciate the good things you have.

I always look back on my life and feel very fortunate. Also most every day I meet somebody who says, ‘Machel your music inspire me’, or a tweet from somebody from some part of the world that would say, this music will help them get through any terrible morning. I really have to be grateful to have fans, people out there who love what you do. It gives you a sense of purpose but also a level of integrity to uphold. You have to do great work so that you can touch people’s lives, so you can be part of the soundtrack of their life. When you are doing that you have to take pride in what you do and aim for the best always. This is not about getting rich, or getting famous. This is about doing something you love and following your passion.”

You were a young man singing soca, when soca wasn’t something young men wanted to sing…

“That was my purpose. How do I stay dedicated to a culture, to a music that was not hip? It wasn’t popular with my friends, my age group or my peers. How do I help it and make it hip. This was my challenge from the day I set foot in Atlantis and people were booing me for singing calypso. They wanted to hear R&B, reggae, they wanted to hear dancehall, they did not want to hear their thing. I had to figure it out. How am I going to see young people dressed up in the latest fashion, in front of this stage and I remember when it started happening? It started happening in Lion’s Civic Centre, in Poison parties, they started gravitating to the front of the stage in the way I wanted to see them. Poom poom shorts, boots and nice

Photography and Story Stephen Doobal

introducing reggae into soca, nobody wanted to see that or hear that happen.

But today all these dancehall artistes interested in soca and it always lends to the fact that we are making the music reach further, we stretching our arms out, we touching wider audiences. Sometimes you want to be recognised as a pioneer, but for me I say this is a gentle hurt, because when I sit back and I look at it and I know that I have contributed, I feel good.”

So, are you going to take a rest now?

“This Carnival gone was super hard. I know I had an opportunity in front of me, to make a great impact this year and win the triple crown and I really put my all into it. Physically I went into the gym every day and mentally I stayed very quiet, became very focused on all my songs, recordings and all my shows.

I tried to improve with every sighting that people had of me. I tried to improve something and see my way to the victory, which as you know we were able to manifest. So that was an intense Carnival season. We also had a lot of shows. We went straight from (T&T) Carnival onto the road with Jamaica Carnival. We kept going all year and then we went back into the studio to do another album. This was right of the heels of doing a double album, so it has been a busy, busy year. The trick is you come to September and you are ready to take a rest, a nice vacation and we realise that we have an early and short Carnival season and it right round the corner. So we have to go right back into the studios. So it is strange that the time when you have the opportunity to rest, if you want to be on top of the Carnival season you have to go back to work. So I see the holiday and the travelling and the sightseeing for me coming after Carnival 2013; which also means we have to make that decision now, to have a great Carnival and then not tour. So it is never a win situation, but you have to realise if you want to keep inspiring yourself you need to do the things that will re-energise you to do more.”

THE FULL INTERVIEW continues on the next pages...

Page 10

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

You mentioned you were this young band from Siparia.

Is that where you made the connection with the Prime Minister?

“I was the first person to sing a song for Kamla, ‘Vote Kamla Bissessar and the NAR and then yuh will (something) and yuh will go real far’. I was 14 at the time.

I was born in Carenage and grew up in Siparia, so I have known the Prime Minister for a very long time.”

All the court cases, has that fazed you?

“Definitely!”

I was wondering how you dealt with all that legal trouble?

“I think I am a very motivated individual. Right after a 10-year battle with lawsuits and the Real Unity court case and we just got freed and we about to celebrate selling out Madison Square Garden, celebrate a really successful Road March with “Jumbie”, and really successful Road March from “Band of the Year” and the court scenario came and happen. I wouldn’t wish going to court on anybody. It is very taxing on your spiritual energy, especially when you maintain your innocence.

You have to go through this process in order to see that through and it’s tough because at times, you could lose it. But I have been grateful, because it has changed my life. It has helped me to focus more, it has helped me to understand where I want to see myself in 50 years, it has helped me to work harder and to become a different person. I go out less, I party less, because you never know. You are now somebody so popular that you have to realise you have to create your own entertainment.

You can’t be out there having the same fun as everybody else.

People just would not let you have it. Firstly, I count my blessings every day. I have the greatest parents in the

mac

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012 Page 11

world, the greatest brother, the greatest family, so that support level to me, is the first thing I feel when I open my eyes, I have to be grateful for. That is having God in your life, so after that, you know I have all my limbs, I have opportunities to work all over the world, people requesting me all over the world. So it doesn’t have many things for me to be sad or depressed about.

People will talk, people will say bad things, people will spread rumours, people will try to get at you, but I have to understand, this comes with the territory … people want to know about your life and add on a story or two just to make their life a little more exciting. The more you humble yourself and accept who you are, you realise this comes with it.”

Whatever happens, you always seem to move past it and keep moving forward.

“A lot of people out there are waiting for you to crash, to not be able to get back up. That is the strangest thing, because that’s the easy way out for most people – to feel hurt, to be depressed, to blame other things on you not achieving your goals, not achieving your dreams. But it just means that you are lazy, you don’t want to get up and work hard. I saw somebody with no arms pass the bar (exams). That break me down. I met the young lady and without any words I started to cry. Because I couldn’t believe or understand how somebody like that could get up and go and where I met her it was in a party, dancing with her male companion, with no arms. When you see things like that, how could you fly in God face? I draw from that and hope my life will be an inspiration for people who say, ‘he always got back up and dust himself off’. Because it is not necessarily that people out there wishing bad upon you but it’s almost like the crabs in the barrel – the crab underneath don’t want the crab on top to come out, they don’t want that crab to leave the barrel because they will feel lonely and they will feel left out.

But some of us have to keep rising up, to encourage and pull other crabs out.”

What about your mother?

“The greatest human being I have met. I pick up the phone last night while in the studio tired to tell my mother I on my way home, she said ‘well boy I will not be here’. She went to Barbados. She is going to help Farmer deliver his son. So ah say wait, ‘yuh ah midwife too?’ This is just another hat added on and this is how she cares for her people. Anywhere somebody need support, she will lend her support. Every one of her grandchildren, she will be there, gymnastics, football, swimming, she will be there and she will support while we may not be able to be there. She will fill and plug the spaces for us. I’ve never seen someone so motivated to get up and go to work every day. I will take some time to stay home and do nothing. For her to do that you have to beg her. She will run the office, run the finances, run the business, and face the hard challenges for all of us. She don’t drink, she don’t smoke, she don’t have no boyfriend. She is just work, children, help, support.”

Tell me about your kids?

“I have three kids, 14, 13 and 12. Being a father is the best feeling ever. My kids’ and I relationship, it’s more like I am a big brother, than a father to them. They are all into the entertainment field. One of my daughters is into the performing arts. She does hip-hop, ballet,

she sings, she does poetry. My son, he acts in plays, he plays in the school band, he plays keyboards, he sings, he is a producer. I think he will become a budding all rounder. They all do well in school. I came from a very educational family. My both parents were teachers, we always had a strong regime on how to study and do well in our exams. We had to follow true basic rules. Don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t skip school, don’t do anything until homework is done. After homework you can do whatever you want, within the house laws and rules. We always had strict parents and yes we would get licks, for telling lies or taking something that is not yours. So we grew with great values and I will always say I would not be who I am without my parents.”

How does that connection with a massive crowd feel?

“You transcend, you just transcend. There are certain shows and there are certain performances where you and the audience become one. You forget everything and you really floating and you become light. That moment happened for me as soon as the rocket took off in the National Stadium (at the Soca Monarch finals).

Everybody was smiling, everybody was jumping for joy, everybody was celebrating. It was a great moment. I was under the stage and not supposed to be singing because I was supposed to be in the suit flying away. That was the illusion but there I was with the mike in my hand singing and telling people jump, but people saying, ‘wait he can’t be in the rocket flying and still singing!’ We discussed this at the rehearsal, but it totally went out in the moment. I could just feel it. Every time I feel that connectivity where everything disappears and you can move 30,000 people with one flick of a finger, that’s it. It’s about connecting – when all of us connect and feel as one, when we unite.”

Tell us about your OMG moment.

“I have had hundreds of OMG moments. Some of the OMGs come with smile and some come with wide open eyes. I’ll never forget this moment. Winning the National Song Festival in 1987, at the age of 11. Being the youngest person, I came second in Trinidad and they sent the first and second place winners to represent us at the international competition in Barbados. You had all these people from Curacao, Aruba, Puerto Rico, all these top singers, pianists. There I was singing a song called ‘Dream Girl’. I was a little boy and I know I didn’t have the big voice. So I went to the competition and said okay I will just do my best and I was wondering what could I do that would touch the audience and give me a little edge.

So I said you know what, I’ll dedicate this to my mother.

So I kneel down on the stage and said ‘I dedicate this to my mother’ and that was the moment I caught the crowd. I swear, I have never been sitting in an audience waiting for a result and not expecting to win like this. I was not expecting to win. So when they said ‘the winner of the Caribbean Song Festival is Machel Montano’, I almost drop down. Walking all the way to the stage I could not believe it. That was an OMG moment for me.”

chel montano

Page 12

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

Kimba Sorzano and K Rich hit the high seas... and guess what, you can join them...

Party with top soca artistes Kimba Sorzano and K. Rich aboard the Treasure Queen, Pier 2 Chaguaramas, on September 29.

K Rich

This boat cruise is filling up quick and oh! did we tell you the name of this experience? Well, it’s “Oh Bacchanal!”. For tickets and more info, call 792-2839 or 779-8513. You can check out their Facebook page at www. facebook.com/events/433818543327995/?ref=ts. Tickets are just $150. It’s going to be a bacchanal!

Kimba Sorzano

Page 13

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

New blood, new talent, new faces...

That is the declaration of Raymond Choo Kong, veteran theatre producer, director and actor. Choo Kong told OMG Magazine: “Change means progress and that may not be the sweetest pill to swallow, but life comes in cycles and as fast as we become accustomed or comfortable with ‘what is’, it all changes. ‘Why Am I Married?’ is mixed with familiar and not-so-familiar faces, but the laughs and the quality is guaranteed.”

Raymond Choo Kong Productions has been associated with new talent from the early days its founder’s career, when theatre wasn’t considered “commercial” or “niche”, when the quality of work spoke for itself.

“Being an actor in a small island like ours is not easy,” Raymond said. He spoke of some hurdles in local theatre. “The time to prepare for roles is short, the audiences fluctuate in size and the gratitude and recognition for your work sometimes go unmerited

but this group of young people has the passion and drive to make this production something really special for our audiences.”

“Why Am I Married?” runs from September 28-30 at NAPA. It combines comedy and drama with a dash of romance and action. It will touch people’s hearts and stimulate their minds, and with $100 to see the play tickets are going fast. So come out and enjoy. For further information contact 320-8215 or 384-8663.

We are also pleased to offer one lucky OMG Magazine reader and guest tickets to the opening night. Just like the Express OMG Magazine page on Facebook and say “I want to get married”! See you at NAPA!

Republic Day

Bike Show

Two professional motorcycle stuntmen from the US are visiting Trinidad this weekend for a free Republic Day show. They are from Grand Rapids, Michigan and their show name is TeamGR’s Finest.

It’s a totally free event and is sponsored by BinStunting Promotions along with TTASA, Rafeez Bike Shop and Boost Factory. Action kicks off from 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Camden drag-strip in Couva (the Heliport).

‘Eat ah Food’

A brand new comedy premieres at Queen’s Hall next week Thursday that takes a bold and brash look at the politics of the day, mingled with intrigue, sexual misconduct and running confrontations with the media. From the producers of the critically acclaimed “Mary Could Dance”, “De Biggest Macco”, “Yuh Lying Again Jack”, “Love Thy Neighbour”, “Maneater” and “Men Are Dogs” we now have the world premiere of the controversially funny and poignant “Eat Ah Food” written by Ricardo Samuel.

Joe Tobolic

Stunt riding is a new and growing sport worldwide.

Currently just about eight guys are actively involved locally. “Stunting”, one of the organisers of tomorrow’s show says, is not for the streets but for controlled environments like parking lots.

Aficionados and organisers are trying to promote it in the proper way.

An avid financial supporter of the ruling political party is mysteriously shot dead and an investigation is launched by the police which reveals some startling truths.

Is a high ranking government minister having an affair with the murdered man’s wife? Is the minister implicated or is it the wife? Who is the mysterious SIA agent? And what does Section 34 have to do with sexual favours? Can the media be bought or will all be revealed in a crushing headline that brings down the government? What do three prostitutes and a footballer have to do with anything? Is the Minister of National Security involved?

Mix in an inquisitive maid and a secretary who is “passionate” about her job, a reporter attacked and the never-ending bacchanal unfolds to a dizzying and hilarious conclusion.

“Eat ah Food” premieres next Thursday and runs for four nights until September 30 at Queen’s Hall. Featured among the stellar cast are Debra Boucaud Mason, Cecilia Salazar, Nigel Auguste, Richard Ragoobarsingh, Leslie Ann Lavine and Ria Ali. It is directed by Richard Ragoobarsingh.

Please note that this is a story of fiction and any resemblance to any living person is sort of coincidental. This is one not to miss!

Shelby Moore

Page 14

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

HOW

TO’S

How not

to get mugged How to avoid overpacking Is your suitcase about to explode because you overpacked? These tips will help you pack without overpacking.

Step 1 -Make a checklist

Create a checklist of all the items you will need according to your itinerary.

Tip – Pack two to three days before your trip to ensure that you don’t forget important items.

Step 2 - Call and ask about hotel facilities

Find out which hotel amenities will be included in your room. Many hotels supply hair dryers, toiletries and pool towels.

Step 3 - Pack cosmetics

Place your cosmetics and toiletries in travelsized containers. Seal them in a leak-proof bag, separated from clothes.

Step 4 - Stay with one or two colour schemes

Keep clothes and accessories to one to two colour schemes, allowing you to mix and match separates.

Step 5 - Pack quick-dry items

Bring a couple items of clothing that can be hand-washed and that will dry quickly.

Step 6 - Roll your clothes

Distribute your clothes evenly throughout the bag by rolling them.

Tip – Save room in the bag by wearing your bulkiest shoes while travelling to the destination.

Step 7 - Hold on to valuables

Keep all your jewellery and other valuables in a small carry-on bag or purse. Happy travelling!

The streets can be rough. Don’t be “that guy”. A few simple precautions will keep the muggers off your back.

Step 1 Keep your iPod out Tip – If you’re having of sight trouble looking angry, Put away that iPod. Stick it in your pocket until you’re somewhere imagine you just bought safe. a used TV but when you got home and plugged it Step 2 in, it was broke.

Put wallet in front pocket

If you carry a wallet, don’t keep it in your back pocket. Instead, put it in a front pocket. Better still, keep money in your socks.

Step 3 Wear a stained shirt

Instead of that pink polo, try a white T-shirt — with stains.

Step 5 Project confidence

While maintaining your angry glare, do your best to project confidence. Like dogs, muggers can smell fear.

Pretend that you’re a karate master, or that you have retractable metal claws.

Tip – If you must wear expensive clothes, consider buying a cheap top. Once you’re at your destination you can throw it away.

Step 4 Don’t act like a tourist

Stop staring up at buildings like a tourist. Try to seem familiar with your environment. Periodically yell, “Benny! Where you?”

“Never too old, never too bad, never too late, never too sick to start from scratch once again.” -Bikram Choudhury

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012 Page 15

‘John Tho’ From his earliest years John Emmanuel always had a love for music. The sight of his older sister on stage with her rock bands gave him the chance to experience how people expressed themselves through music. He loved it so much that he joined his primary school’s choir at the tender age of six. But his singing career was interrupted when he turned 13. That’s when he decided to learn to play the acoustic/electric guitar.

This was to keep him fully occupied; he stopped singing to fully pursue it when asked to join his first “garage band” with Kenneth Richards who is now known as K. Rich in the soca world. This phase was cut short when Philip Cartar, the lead guitarist, suffered a severe injury. Immediately after the incident, the band disbanded and Richards was picked up by his former band, now known as “5 Miles to Midnight”.

John and his good friend Johnathon Agostini then began to jam music together until they finally put together their first band named Bangaseed.

The band played many gigs together, broke up, reformed and played some more with John as the vocalist.

John’s love for pop music remains as strong as ever. He is now known as “John Tho” and is breaking the mould and bringing his own twist and vibe to the local pop scene with a touch of his electric guitar which, along with his voice, is set and ready for a wide listenership. He will continue until he’s reached the top.

John Emmanuel “John Tho”

SCAN the QR CODE with your SMARTPHONE to listen to John Tho & Sweff (Andrew Mc Intosh) Free Fall

‘Dem Fi Knw’ “dem Fi Knw” is available for purchase on iTunes and all major music outlets.

It is being distributed by Bungalo/ Universal Music Group which is the number one distribution company for music globally.

It features songs like “Protect Me” from the popular Shatta Glass Riddim and “My Everything”, a remix featuring fellow Millionaire Family artiste Kerry John. The compilation was put together

by Backyard Studios, MillbeatsEnt and a young producer from Russia named El Toro who has produced tracks for dancehall icons like Mavado and Jahvinci.

For more info you can visit Raskal’s Youtube page or follow him on twitter @RaskalTT

SCAN the QR CODE with your SMARTPHONE to listen to

“Protect Me” from the Shatta Glass Riddim

SCAN the QR CODE with your SMARTPHONE to listen to John Tho ft Kit Israel and K.Rich - With You

Page 16

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012

Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey already at each other’s throats

top5 music videos of the week

1

Kid Ink“Roll out”

2

Ciara “Sorry”

3

Frank Ocean ft. John Mayer “Pyramids”

4

Game feat. Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa & Tyga “Celebration”

5

MGK ft. Fitts of The Kickdrums “Stereo”

SCAN the QR CODE with your SMARTPHONE to see this week’s Top5 Music Video

HOT TRACKS

1 2 3 4 5

Nicki Minaj Ft Cassie “The Boys” Christina Aguilera “Your Body” Kanye West, Ft R.Kelly “To the World” Pink ft Lily Allen“True Love” Pink Ft Eminem

‘‘Here Comes the Weekend”

Nicki Minaj

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey wasted no time proving what many observers have been saying – there’s only room for one diva on “American Idol”.

Carey and Nicki Minaj went at it during the first “Idol” taping recently in New York. When Nicki started critiquing a contestant, Mariah would interrupt – not once, but many times. Each time Mariah interrupted, Nicki fought back by loudly talking over Mariah. One “A.I.” spy said Mariah and Nicki tried to cover their disdain for each other but everyone saw through it, adding, “These girls just don’t like each other.” It was reported that when “Idol” producers called Mariah to tell her that Nicki would probably be joining her as a judge, she hung up the phone.

DMX dumps wife for baby mama Yadira Boreggo

Woman finds ex-boyfriend living in her attic A North Carolina woman knew something was in her attic when she heard a thump and then saw some nails start popping out from her bedroom ceiling one night.

Tracy, a mother of five, thought it might be an animal. She sent her older sons and nephew to check it out, she told WCNC-TV in Charlotte.

She told the Charlotte Observer she thought “there was some poltergeist stuff going on”. And what they found was surprising. It wasn’t an animal. It was the woman’s ex-boyfriend. He came down from the attic without any explanation and left with a smile before police could arrive, the Observer reports.

The man had been living in the attic for about two weeks, WCNC reports, noting that the ex-boyfriend was recently released from jail. “He had packed all the old coats and jackets into the heating unit and was sleeping in the heating unit,” said Tracy, who did not reveal her last name.

There were also large plastic cups containing human waste, which explain how he relieved himself in his rooftop hideaway, WCNC reported.

Tracy’s nephew told the Observer the man was able to peek through an air vent in the ceiling of the woman’s bedroom. “It’s got me flabbergasted,” she told the newspaper. “How can you look at someone through an air vent?” Another mystery is how the man got in and out of the attic because the only access is through the lower level of the house.

She and the man had dated for about a year more than a decade ago, she told the Observer. She had called it off after he became involved in petty crime, she said. He helped her install some doors in her house about a year ago and that was the last she saw of him—until she saw him come down from her attic.

Tracy has changed her locks, the newspaper reports. But her children are still afraid to sleep in their bedrooms. She hopes the man is located and charged with a crime. “I want him to be charged with it,” she told the Observer. “It could be somebody else he does the same thing to, but she might not be so lucky.”

DMX and ex wife Tashera Simmons DMX may have found a way to stay out of prison these days but not out of gossip tabloids.

According to Mediatakeout, the former Ruff Ryder rapper reportedly dumped his wife Tashera Simmons before hooking back up with his exgirlfriend and baby mother Yadira Boreggo.

The couple previously made an attempt to fix their troubled marriage on VH1’s Couples Therapy, but that didn’t solve their problems. The site alleges that DMX and Yadira have been dating on and off for the past seven years.

The two also have a child together.

DMX and Yadira are also rumoured to be engaged.

Yadira Boreggo

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012 Page 17

Priyanka Chopra’s single ‘In My City’ a great vibe!

PeeCee’s much-hyped track is finally out.

It’s got great energy and will.i.am’s rapping definitely adds muscle.

The first reaction on listening to Priyanka Chopra’s “In My City” single was, “Is this really Priyanka Chopra’s voice?”

It seems that the actress-turned-singer has been working hard for the last couple of years to achieve that level of vocal finesse. She has reportedly been doing riyaaz even on the sets of her film Barfi!, training with a voice coach and a team of experts to get good voice quality. And it all seems to have worked wonders for her. The huskiness and the cool vibe in her voice make “In My City” exciting. Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am’s rap portions are, as always, super cool!

Priyanka Chopra

The next reaction was – why that accent? Obviously Universal Music is mainly targeting the American market and presumably she had no other choice but to fake it… or did she? The track plays up to the huge mainstream American dance music market. And it succeeds in making

you want to kick off your shoes and dance. But for those looking for some Indian influences in Priyanka’s music, there are none, not yet anyway. Let’s hope there is more desi tadka – in terms of either instruments or lyrics – in her forthcoming singles, because that’s her true identity, isn’t it?

PeeCee looks super sexy in the video (the original and the special version shot for the National Football League) and she’s got the right attitude. “In My City” is a good dance track and should become hot on the dance floor.

Watch the video of the making of “In My City” and tell us – do you think Priyanka has it in her to be the next big singing star?

SCAN the QR CODE with your SMARTPHONE to listen to PRIYANKA’s SINGLE “IN MY CITY ft WILL.I.AM”

Light up arcade coin-slot belt buckle

This belt buckle is made from genuine recycled arcade parts that died in the line of duty and have been preserved as a wearable homage to their place in Silicon Heaven.

With the light turned on, it looks exactly like the big arcade machines from whence it came.

‘Texas Chainsaw 3D’

TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D continues the legendary story of the homicidal Sawyer family, picking up where Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror classic left off in Newt, Texas, where for decades people went missing without a trace.

The townspeople long suspected the Sawyer family, owners of a local barbeque pit, were somehow responsible.

confirmed one hot summer day when a young woman escaped the Sawyer house following the brutal murders of her four friends. Word around the small town quickly spread, and a vigilante mob of enraged locals surrounded the Sawyer stronghold, burning it to the ground and killing every last member of the family–or so they thought.

Their suspicions were finally

Decades later and hundreds of miles

away from the original massacre, a young woman named Heather learns that she has inherited a Texas estate from a grandmother she never knew she had. After embarking on a road trip with friends to uncover her roots, she finds she is the sole owner of a lavish, isolated Victorian mansion.

But her newfound wealth comes at a price as she stumbles upon a horror that awaits her in the mansion’s dank cellars...

SCAN the QR CODE with your SMARTPHONE to see TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3D

Page 18

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | Saturday September 22, 2012