A slice of the mammoth crowd attending Kendra Phagwa celebrations on Sunday at Divali Nagar.

Nisha Ramkissoon performs at Sunday’s Pichakaaree final.

Photos: Adrian Boodan

By Adrian Boodan

History was created on Sunday at the 2005 Pichakaaree Final when Mohip Poonwassie scored the first ever hattrick in the annual competition.

Up against 16 rivals, Poonwassie was the final contestant to face the judges when the Hindu Prachar Kendra staged the final at the Divali Nagar site.

His face and torso painted in the national colours of red, white and black, Poonwassie sang his own composition, Bhaago Patrick Bhaago. This song was highly critical of the Patrick Manning political regime and decisions taken by the Government in running the affairs of T&T.

After his achievement, Poonwassie said winning the prize again was no easy task. He said he’d put in a lot of hard work and preparation, especially in the areas of special effects and wardrobe.

A resident of Mc Bean Village, Couva, Poonwassie said he felt compelled to write the song because he was tired of seeing the way the country was mismanaged, with money being wasted in areas not beneficial to national growth.

Poonwassie, who is a photographer by profession, took home more than $12,000 in prize money, also winning the prizes for the Best Composer of a Festive Pichakaaree, Best Composer of a Social Commentary Pichakaaree, Best Stage Movements and Best Props.

In the song contest, Jagdeo Jackie Phagoo won the prize for Best Social Commentary with Run Coolie Run.

Phagoo first sang this song during C2K5 when he appeared in the ‘D’ Massive Gosine’s Roving Chutney Calypso tent. For Sunday’s contest, Phagoo reworked the song with some new lyrics and Hindi words to paint a graphic picture of what he saw as Afro Trinidadian domination and the suppression of local Indian culture and oppression of Indians as part of the PNM’s plan for Vision 2020.

Ravi Ji, head of the Hindu Prachar Kendra, appeared on stage midway in the show and thanked the Ministry of Social Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, and Culture Senator Joan Yuille Williams for bailing out the competition in 2005. Ravi Ji disclosed he was almost forced to cancel the contest because of no funding. He said the State pumped $75,000 into the programme, which was also assisted by several private sector companies, including ABEL and the Hindu Credit Union.

Ravi Ji also noted that the “masses” enjoying themselves in Phagwa festivities at the Nagar needed no police supervision to partake and enjoy the alcohol-free and drug-free event which attracted hundreds to the venue.

He also praised the artistes who, in the absence of regular organiser Geeta Ramsingh, assisted him in making the event a reality and the success that it was. Ramsingh is currently in India on a scholarship.

The Pichakaaree competition began shortly before 3 pm with Penal’s Shiva Phagoo singing Na Cut off them Baccha Hand, an apparent reference to Cro Cro’s controversial C2K5 social commentary, Cut off dey Hand. Toolsie Ramdass Singh, winner of the Guardian-sponsored prize for Creative and Imaginative use of Hindi in Pichakaaree appeared fourth on the stage and rendered Chalo Parosin, a festive song which was written by Poonwassie.

The penultimate singer, Pooja Ramoutar won in the Festive Song category with Awo Pichakaaree, written by her father Joseph Ramoutar. A Form Four student of the Waterloo High School in Carapichaima, Ramoutar also won the prize for Best Costume.

Mukesh Babooram, a past Pichakaaree champion cum controversial radio announcer, appeared on stage dressed as a cook and belted out his own composition, Breakfast Shed. Babooram, who won the top prize in the Best Composer category, sang about a proposed meeting with the present PNM regime and party stalwarts at the Breakfast Shed discussing the running of the nation.

Deomatie Khan won the composer’s prize for Best Theme Song on the Jahaji Massacre. The song was rendered by Lynn Khan and focused on the Jahaji Massacre which took place on Thursday, October 30, 1884, in Mon Repos, San Fernando, when a detachment of British militia gunned down 22 Indian indentured labourers.

Khan’s song stretched into contemporary T&T and the “perils” facing Indo-Trinidadians today. Gansam Mohammed also gave a strong performance in the Best Theme Song category. Singing a Jackie Phagoo composition, Mohammed focused on what is being perceived as the persecution of high profile Indo-Trinidadians by the PNM regime. Mohammed strengthened his performance by using props and actors representing Caroni 1975 Limited, Sat Sharma, Dr Vijay Narinesingh, and Seeromani Maharaj.

St Augustine Girls’ High School students Vishal Sewdat and Shivanna Lalla, one of two duets making it to the final, sang Ramdilla will shape the Future. Having the experience of participating in the Kendra’s Baal Ramdilla, the duo came on stage with a host of characters portraying figures from the Hindu holy scriptures of the Ramayan.

The other duo in the final was Prakash Achaibar and Radica Binad of Pluck Road, Woodland, in South Trinidad. This duo, which has been singing together for the past ten years, is known for its renditions of popular gazalals and romantic film songs. They rendered Mohabat Pichakaaree, a song written by Mukesh Babooram.

Also in the final was calypsonian Marva McKenzie who sang Cultural Evolution. Mc Kenzie made her first trip to the final with a Larry Harewood composition titled Cultural Evolution.

Also making an impression on Sunday was Priya Poorai of Bownath Trace, Penal. Her song injected a fast upbeat tempo, and inspired the massive audience to spray abeer and smear gulal on the faces of the hundreds of patrons witnessing the event.

Mohip Poonwassie sings his way to an unprecedented third-consecutive lien on the Pichakaaree championships.