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Offline Tallman

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Africa for South Africa?
« on: February 26, 2009, 06:21:06 AM »
Mac Farlane’s ‘Africa’ for Obama
By Sean Douglas (T&T Newsday)


Brian Mac Farlane’s Out of Africa, which has won the 2009 Large Band of the Year title, will perform for April’s Summit of the Americas whose guests will include US President Barack Obama.

“We are doing the Summit of the Americas. We have been asked by the Government to do it,” he revealed to reporters at the celebrations at his Woodbrook mas-camp.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, so I rest for about three or four days then the camp is back in full swing. It will be a whole Carnival-sort presentation that we will be doing for the opening ceremony,” he said.

Mac Farlane also hinted at the possibility of Africa performing at next year’s FIFA World Cup competition in South Africa, as he recalled being interviewed by South African football officials during Carnival.

“Five days before Carnival there was a contingent from South Africa that came to visit. They were from the Cultural Department of South Africa...They want to do a carnivalesque opening ceremony and so there’s no better place than Trinidad to learn from. They came and were elated and excited.”

Mac Farlane said a Zulu member of the delegation praised him for the band’s authenticity.
He also saw his Mas being taken worldwide through the filming of Africa over Carnival by renowned Trinidadian-British broadcaster, Sir Trevor McDonald. One woman even offered to take the mas to Broadway, he recalled.

“There was this wonderful spiritual vibe that was in the band, which is all part of the soul, the history and the heritage, and people wanted to be part of that.”

Mac Farlane also said many teenagers know only of bikini-and-beads mas, as he recalled his own efforts to involve youngsters in making his more traditional costumes. Africa gives Mac Farlane a hattrick of victories.

He won in 2007 with India, and last year with Earth.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

 

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