Live at the Hyatt - Children of the Drum (T&T Carnival 2015)

Kees Dieffenthaller -
high energy and superb as always

Live at the Hyatt - Children of the Drum. 

It's a different Carnival experience. A little bit calypso tent. A little bit Best Village and Party Time (showing my age there). A sit-down affair that with the right vibe could become a stand-up affair. A great option for those who are not inclined to partake in the crush of fetes - all-inclusive or otherwise - but still want to enjoy the music of some of the hottest soca acts in a comfortable and non-threatening type of setting (non-threatening in the sense of no threat of beer being splashed on your kit or your weave, or of your lovely toes being stomped on etc).

This is Live at the Hyatt - Children of the Drum. Touted as a Las Vegas styled production, I would not go as far as that,  as I feel we could tighten up the production a bit more, but I appreciated the effort made to make it a show, and to include a bit of theatre  and drama to the musical performances . The show was well produced and the performances were all spot on.

This is the second year of this show, but my first time as last year I just could not make it. But I was not disappointed. Each night at the show, patrons are treated to six (6) great artistes, and last night we were treated to David Rudder, Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons, Blaxx, Destra Garcia, K.I. and Kees Dieffenthaller. The show themed "Children of the Drum" highlights the wonderful diversity that is Trinidad through song and dance, from Africa to India to China, with Nigel Rojas acting as the musical storyteller/narrator.

It also provides the right setting for our artistes to show their true talents. Fetes and competitions, in particular, can really boil down to this overwhelming desire to move the crowd by any means necessary, which can often compromise vocal delivery. I know my friends know how much this is a peeve of mine and that Soca Monarch debacle in particular. Every artiste last evening gave the packed out house solid performances with solid vocals. Bravo! Special kudos to Blaxx who hit us with some Luther Vandross which underscored my point that the competition really kills the talent - cause Blaxx can sing!

I think we need more shows like this to keep the level of our music high. I fear that competition and this compulsion to "raise the dust" has contributed (along with other factors) to the lack of creativity in our music. Loved this experience. It was smart, it was well-oiled, it was creative, it was comfortable, it was all-encompassing. I saw young people, old people, blind people, physically disabled people. It was beautiful. If like me, you get bored after one fete, with the "wave" "take it low", "anybody from Sando?" nonsense, but you want to enjoy the season, try this show.

If I had to give one suggestion above all else - maybe less performers in one night so we get a richer offering from each of them. Destra felt rushed for example. I would prefer quality over quantity, but that is just me. They were all so fantastic but all too short.

David Rudder is timeless. No other description necessary.

Destra Garcia - I am not a fan really but there is no denying the woman can SING.

It was a great middle ground for my mum and I to enjoy the season together, and I would say it is a great option for families and friends, minus the noise and everything else that comes with large fetes. There are different packages available whereby one can either take in just the show at TT$500 a ticket or opt for one of the other packages, which can include dinner, a room or both. The Dinner/Show/Room package is pretty good - saved me from facing the stove, from facing the highway after the show and gave us time to just relax together.

Welcome drink in our room before the show. Can never tire of this view at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad

The Dinner Menu last night for those who took the dinner package for the Live at the Hyatt show

I chose the soup as the starter. Very yum.

Creole Chicken with red beans and sauteed plantains.
Thanks to Keisha for sorting out my main. I don't eat fish
and I don't eat coo-coo so I had to mix and match. I could not eat it all, but it was so good.

Choco Shock Brownie with Belgian Chocolate ice cream.
The sweet was too sweet for me. If you love love love sweets, you would love this.

Mummy chose the Rustic Apple Tart, which was delish.
I am always wary of apple anything. I always get a tart apple dessert, but this was nice.
Perfect actually.

Kudos. I hope they don't give up and only aim to make it better next year. It is much needed and was much appreciated.