http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161139385WARM WELCOME: Retired West Indies star batsman Brian Lara, right, acknowledges the warm reception he received after he was invited on stage by soca star Machel Montano HD for a special tribute during the Plymouth Jazz Festival in Tobago on Sunday night.
Machel brings Lara to tearsPlymouth Jazz Festival finale
by Michael Mondezie mmondezie@trinidadexpress.com
Tuesday, May 1st 2007
Soca star Machel Montano recovered from a nightmare week and found his Carnival form to close the Plymouth Jazz Festival in emphatic fashion on Sunday night at Plymouth, Tobago.
The Siparia-born star dedicated his performance to recently retired West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara and seemed as surprised as everyone when the world double record holder decided to join him on stage.
"Keep going, keep moving, don't you ever stop. The road is long and rocky but I know you're gonna' make it," he began, singing the lyrics to his 2005 Carnival hit "We Not Giving Up", bringing tears to the eyes of the batting star. Montano embraced the emotional Lara and sang a new song he had written especially for "the world's greatest".
"Anything they can do, you can do it better because you are the greatest,"
Montano sang to the former skipper who was at this time drying his eyes with his hands.
Lara took the microphone from Montano and turned to the packed Plymouth recreation park to offer his gratitude.
"Thank you so much for the love and support. The difference between me and Machel is every time he comes out here he scores a century. He doesn't know about failure," Lara joked.
It was a storybook finish to the biggest music festival to be hosted in Tobago.
Even the sceptics couldn't deny the perfection and timing of Lara's impromptu appearance.
Montano capitalised on Lara's appearance and romped home with a slew of his soca hits, even dropping a verse from his school boy hit "Too Young to Soca" during an impressive hour-long set.
He told journalists minutes before his performance that the events of the last week made it "difficult to focus" on preparing a set for the show.
Montano and his entourage were accused of being involved in a fracas outside Club Zen in Port of Spain last week.
One patron was seriously injured.
The Signal Hill Choir joined him on stage to create a colourful opening of his Carnival hit "Higher Than High" before Zan, Montano's "hype man" for the night, rushed out on stage to provide ad libs and background vocals.