Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

Holistic Music School pulled out all the stops at its latest concert, Rhythms of Love: The Jazz Lime. The concert, held at the Trinidad Country Club, Maraval, showcased past and present students of the school.

Cellist Tracell Frederick, accompanied on keyboards by Adan Hagley, began the four-hour show with a smooth, stirring, nostalgic set composed of When I Fall In Love, I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You and Ray Charles’ What A Wonderful World. Up next was Seth Escalante and the Holistic Guitars. They combined Latin and Caribbean flavours in their set, including Carlos Santana’s Samba Pa Ti and Calum Scott’s You are the Reason. They were joined by vocal student Gwen Johnson, who sang A Million Dreams from the Greatest Showman’s Soundtrack in a husky voice which charmed the audience, who then joined in for the final two songs – Farmer Nappy’s Hookin’ Meh and Kes’ Savannah Grass.

Local music dominated the next presentation by the younger students of the school on steelpan, led by pannist Kyshon Frith. The professional playing by the students on John Lennon’s Imagine drew an enthusiastic response from the audience, who then clapped along with a rendition of Ashley by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, enhanced by a drum and pan solo. Kes’ Savannah Grass rounded out the offering by the steelband.

Vocalist Mya Scott’s smooth, smoky, deep vocals entranced the audience with her renditions of Sam Cooke’s A Change Gonna Come, London Town, Blue Moon and Lovely Day. She was backed by the jazz trio of Zane Charles on bass, Anton Charles on keys, and Joshua Salcedo on drums. Next, Director of Holistic X, saxophonist Daniel Ryan, and the Daniel Ryan trio of Adan Hagley on keys, Joshua Salcedo on drums and Charles Ryan on bass guitar, played Girl from Impanema, the Bee Gees’ How Deep is Your Love and Caught up in the Magic of Love.

Rellon Brown and the Dominant Seventh Calypson Jazz Band entertained the audience with Chuck Mangioni’s Feel So Good, Ordinary People by John Legend and an original piece composed by Brown called New Beginnings, which was fast-paced dancing music reminiscent of calypso rhythms in the golden days of the genre. The sweet, powerful voice of vocalist Neisha Guy, accompanied by John Arnold and Richard Joseph, thrilled the audience with Summertime, At Last, Skanking Sweet and Savannah Grass.

The jazz band, Holistic X, conducted by Daniel Ryan, opened the final segment of the show with the invigorating big band sound of Duke Ellington’s Caravan. They were joined by a series of vocalists, including Zalika Pollard accompanied by Josiah Raymond, Satin with Heaven and Brie, Mya Scott, Reuben Crookshank, Dayna Reyes, Ari Van Drouten, Leon Gooding, Barry Mannette, Kyshon Frith and Noelle Archer. Their offerings included A New Day’s Gonna Come, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand, If I Ain’t Got You, What You Won’t Do For Love, Natural Woman, Overjoyed, Dingolay, Savannah Grass, and Bring Down the Power. The evening ended with the audience forming a conga line and dancing around the room to Van Drouten’s Nation Time.