Continued here:
Minister of Justice attends the opening ceremony of the Legal Aid and Authority building, San Fernando

In a release late yesterday CPF head Gregory Fernandez apologised for his organisation’s “misinterpretation” of the Minister’s position which he said they now recognised as “a recommendation and not a directive.”

Earlier in the day when Sunday Newsday spoke to Fay-Ann she had indicated that the CPF better get their act together and resolve her prize monies by Friday when the organisation is expected to host its prize-giving function at the Cascadia Hotel.

She told Newsday yesterday: “I am waiting to see what CPF is going to do because when I entered the competitions, I didn’t make any arrangement with the government, it was with the CPF.”

But she also took note of recent utterances by government ministers within the past week when they repeatedly stated that we were not yet in a recession and stated, “even if it was so, I don’t think $250,000 could bail out the financial problems in the country or jump start it in another direction.”

Lyons-Alvarez, who is also winner of the People’s Choice prize and Road March competition questioned why only her prize was being cut and not that of any of the other competitors.

She stated: “At the end of the day, if on Friday they don’t come up with what they advertised the prizes to be I will decide whether I’m going to explore all my options and do what I have to do. I am not responsible for who owns 80 percent of the show, I just showed up and performed.”

A concerned Lyons-Alvarez added: “I have a brand new daughter, I need milk and pampers. And if the economy is affecting them it is affecting me too.”

To put on both her performances on Fantastic Friday, Lyons-Alvarez said it cost her some $200,000 in costuming and outfitting her dancers.

She stated: “I am open to all options but I’m hoping that they get this resolved before Friday’s prize-giving, and not give me anything else to worry about but my baby.”
spacer

Well its official, Fay-Ann had her baby!

SOCA’S ROYAL couple, Ian “Bunji Garlin” Alvarez and his wife Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez are now parents of a baby girl, as Fay-Ann gave birth yesterday afternoon at the Mount Hope Women’s Hospital.

Up to late yesterday Fay-Ann, winner of this year’s Soca Monarch and Road March competitions, and her newborn babe were said to be resting comfortably at hospital with Alvarez by their side.

Sunday Newsday was told by a medical source that Fay-Ann gave birth via C-section given the fact that her blood pressure was high. The baby came shortly after midday and Alvarez was there at hospital to witness it.

Fay-Ann is currently warded in Room 106 of the hospital under tight security. Sunday Newsday was reliably informed that there was a security guard stationed outside her room door and two additional guards on the floor. Security at the hospital was also beefed up. Persons visiting mothers at the hospital were asked to produce their national identification card as well as state the name of the mother they were visiting. When this was done the security officer double- checked a listing in which all warded mothers’ names were printed.

The source said that Fay-Ann was closely being monitored, “Mrs Alvarez experienced some minor complications but it is not life threatening. It is just normal for us to keep her in close watch.”

Speaking with Newsday yesterday via cellphone Alvarez’s manager, Ian Pantin, confirmed that Fay-Ann had a C-section. He also assured that mother and baby were in “fine condition”.

When asked if the couple had given their first daughter a name, Pantin replied: “That will be Bunji’s or Fay-Ann’s decision to disclose that right now. It will also be their call whether they want to meet with the media right now or later on at probably a press conference.”

On Friday at about 7 pm Alvarez dropped off Fay-Ann at the hospital for what he claimed was for only observation purposes. Alvarez along with his band “The Asylum” then subsequently left Trinidad to perform at a show at Pigeon Point in Tobago. Alvarez returned to Trinidad yesterday morning where he made his way straight to the hospital to be with his wife.

Despite her pregnancy Fay-Ann chose this Carnival season to carry on with her duties as a soca artiste, performing in some of the country’s top Carnival fetes. She also entered various competitions making a clean sweep victory after copping the titles in the Groovy and Power Soca Monarch competition with her hits “Heavy-T Bumper” and “Meet Superblue” respectively. She won the People’s Choice Award as well.

She also copped the Road March title with her hit “Meet Superblue” making it her third time in winning the title.

In an exclusive interview with Newsday on Wednesday Fay-Ann expressed excitement in becoming a mother and assured that whatever she and Alvarez do from now on will be for the baby “because we were chosen by God to bring this child into the world.”

Several efforts to reach Alvarez for comment yesterday proved futile as all calls went unanswered.

Source: Newsday

Williams acknowledged that Tobago’s economy could suffer considerable negative fallout by the shelving of the Plymouth Jazz Festival, hence the reason for staging the “Jazz Experience.”

That, he said, ought to minimise the impact particularly on the island’s tourism sector.

Williams revealed that noted jazz exponent, George Benson, is being proposed as the headline act for the event which would showcase the various genres of jazz, including traditional, pan, Latin, calypso jazz, rhythm and blues etc.

A mix of local and regional artistes will also be featured in the “Experience”, which, according to Williams, would be funded by a variety of sponsors including the THA. It is to be staged at various venues throughout the island from Pigeon Point on the southwest to Speyside on the far north-east end, and would be co-ordinated by John Arnold, events co-ordinator at the Tourism Division.

Giving a detailed breakdown of the planned format, Williams disclosed the event is to get underway on Wednesday, April 22, with a jazz concert at the Milford Road Esplanade in lower Scarborough, featuring some of the country’s leading jazz groups.

According to Williams, this opening concert is being sponsored by the THA Division of Tourism and Transportation, and is scheduled to start at 7 pm.

The following day, Thursday, April 23, the action shifts to the Pigeon Point Heritage Park at 7.30 pm for Latin-flavoured jazz featuring the Cuban group “CaneFire”, in a presentation promoted by “Production One”. Pan Jazz, featuring Andy Narell and Liam Teague, among others, takes centre stage in a Pan Trinbago production at the Montgomery Recreation Ground, Bethel, on Friday April 24 at 8 pm.

The following day, Saturday April 25, will feature jazz on the beach at Mt Irvine from 10 am, sponsored by the Mt Irvine Bay Hotel, as well as a THA-sponsored “beach jazz” session at Speyside at 11 am and later, at 8 pm, Pan Jazz sponsored by Pan Trinbago.

The “Jazz Experience” culminates on Sunday April 26, with an all-day affair dubbed “Sun, Sea and Jazz” from 10 am at Pigeon Point Heritage Park featuring local jazz artistes and George Benson possibly as the headline act.
spacer