AG BACKS MACHEL
By Andre Bagoo Thursday, March 3 2011
Machel Montano has Attorney General Anand Ramlogan’s vote. For the Soca Monarch competition, that is. Ramlogan on Tuesday night disclosed that he is enthusiastically backing the soca star to win the $2 million prize at tomorrow’s International Soca Monarch finals.
“I daresay, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Montano would be the one to walk away with the $2 million prize offered by this Government,” Ramlogan said during Tuesday night’s sitting of the Senate. “I wish him the very best of luck. He certainly has my vote.”
Ramlogan’s somewhat surprising disclosure came one day after he was spotted, along with several other Cabinet members, attending Montano’s annual Carnival fete at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain on Monday night. The show ended early Tuesday morning.
Speaking during debate of legislation to increase the length of remand of prisoners between court appearances, Ramlogan explained that he was backing Montano because of what he described as the soca singer’s use of his celebrity status to send a message about respecting the elderly.
“Mr President you would have heard from the honourable Minister of National Security of the social programmes aimed at re-habilitation, at prevention, at restoration. I want to say, on that note, that last night I had the good fortune to attend Machel Montano’s concert,” Ramlogan said as he opened debate of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Remand) Bill. “There was a very moving moment when Machel Montano brought the calypso king and queen of the world, the Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose, on stage.”
Ramlogan recalled, “I remember cutting out pictures (of Sparrow and Rose) from the newspaper when I was in primary school and using flour and water to stick them in my social studies book. They were both honoured by Machel last night in front of almost 35,000 fans. And Calypso Rose broke down in tears. It was a most moving experience.
“I mention it really because what Mr Montano did in front of almost 40,000 people was to demonstrate respect for elders and to demonstrate a kind of caring and compassion that is sadly lacking in the youth of our society,” Ramlogan said.
“To the extent that Mr Montano was able to do that and to send a message as a superstar and a cultural icon. I salute Machel Montano for that gesture and for the powerful gesture it sends. He is indeed worthy of adulation and I hope that others will lead by example, will mentor and set an example for our youth.”
The Attorney General’s remarks triggered a flurry of picong in the Senate from the Opposition benches, with PNM Senator Fitzgerald Hinds leading the charge. He accused Ramlogan of sending a signal to the Soca Monarch judges by expressing his favourite openly.
“Mr Speaker this is Carnival season and the Attorney General indicated to us–and this is why he could barely keep his eyes open as he was making his presentation–he told us that he spent the night out last evening,” Hinds said. “He went as far as to tell us that he was hoping–I suspect sending a signal to those to whom this might matter–that Machel would come away with the $2 million prize.
“Mr President, there are those in the society who are saying that Machel Montano has been seen in the company of the Honourable Prime Minister and the UNC very frequently within recent times. And there are those—not me as I really don’t have time for those matters—who are saying that he is sponsored by the Prime Minister and the UNC!”
Government senators loudly groaned at this remark. “Oh please!” shouted the Attorney General.
Hinds continued, “There are those who say he and the honourable Prime Minister are frequent liming friends.” Ramlogan objected to this comment.
“Mr Speaker, of what relevance is this to the debate? More importantly, where is my friend going by imputing improper motives.”
Senate President Timothy Hamel-Smith told Hinds, “Senator we are getting a little off track. I know you said that the Attorney General raised it in a context that he (Montano) was mentoring youth as it were. So I don’t see that we need to draw the Prime Minister into it.”
“I appreciate that,” Hinds said. “But liming is not a bad word. And I was using it in the context of mentoring too. The Prime Minister was mentoring him.”
Montano, who performed at UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s one-year anniversary rally in January, did not answer calls or return messages from Newsday yesterday.
Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis, Sports Minister Anil Roberts and Ramlogan were photographed at Montano’s concert at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Monday night. Montano recently performed at the Chutney Soca Monarch finals, an event attended by Persad-Bissessar, Ramlogan and other members of the Cabinet. Montano’s song, “Advantage”, also contains a lyric which welcomes the return of the big-stage at the Queen’s Park Savannah, an initiative of the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism.
Tomorrow’s International Soca Monarch competition, in which Montano is competing in the Power Soca category which has the multi-million dollar purse takes place at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Montano is currently before the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on a charge stemming from an assault incident outside of the Zen nightclub in April 2007. That case was last year adjourned to after the Carnival season.