Celebrity All Stars Game Release

Trophy and Prizes
Trophy and Prizes

Thirty-two (32) local celebrities including West Indies Cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan and reigning Sportswoman of the Year Shondell Alfred will be competing on Saturday August 20th at The Knights Basketball Club Second Annual Celebrity Basketball Game.

The event is billed for this Saturday at 19:00hrs at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and apart from the Celebrity Game, There will be three supporting games featured top local teams. The Celebrity Game cast has been beefed up this year to include a wider pool of celebrities.

The list includes twice the amount of females from last year, athletes from more sports disciplines and even prominent professionals.  Proceeds from last year’s event were donated to Joshua’s House and this year The Support Group for Deaf Persons has been earmarked.  Scotia Bank and Republic Bank will play the first supporting game followed by Giftland Office Max versus Qualfon and Youth Basketball Guyana’s (YBG) Elite versus Knights.

Below is a complete list of this year’s participants:

Athletes

  • Ronson Williams (National Football goal keeper)
  • Theodore Henry (National Rugby Coach/player )
  • Godfrey Munroe (Former National Table Tennis Champion)
  • Ramnaresh Sarwan (West Indies Cricketer)
  • Charles Ramson (Cricketer/Attorney-at-Law for Office of President)
  • Chris Barnwell (National Cricketer)
  • Kiev Chesney (2007 Junior National 800m champion /2010 Sports Reporter of the Year)
  • Steven Jacobs (National Cricketer)
  • Stephen Vieira (Superbike champion )
  • Edison Jefford (Former National Runner/Sports Reporter)
  • Leon Johnson (National Cricketer)
  • Paul DeNobrega (National Junior Cyclist Champion)
  • Leer Nunes (National Cyclist)
  • Jody-Ann Blake (National Female Tennis Champion)
  • Shondell Alfred (Guyana Female Boxing Champion/Sports Woman of the Year)
  • Kezqweyah Yisrael (Sports/Fitness Guru)

 

Entertainers

  • Chow Pow (Actor/Comedian)
  • Adrian Dutchin (Musician)
  • Jonthan Beepat (Wildfire Ent./Beepats)
  • James Bond (Attorney-at-Law)
  • Curtis MacKenzie (Curtis Workout/Fitness Guru}
  • Gialiani (Musician)
  • Lisa Punch (Musician)
  • Sheldon Brathwaite (Actor)
  • Compton Bobb (Artist/Marketing Manager Giftland OfficeMax)
  • Trevor Rose (Designer)
  • Joel Browne (Musician)
  • Michael Ignatious (Actor)
  • Dellon Peters (Graphics Designer Digicel/TV Host)
  • Vanila (Musician)
  • DJ Akelo (Stereo Sonics DJ)
  • DJ Casual (Radio DJ)

 

 

 

Jamzone International Night Review

Trey Songz
Trey Songz

Has anyone ever told you that an “opportunity lost can never be regained”? They are usually right, and if you missed universal megastars Eve and Trey Songz then shame on you; just shame! It was mind-blowing, and this is from a man’s point of view; just imagine how the ladies are still feeling. The crowd was enormous, comprised primarily of ladies of course, and the atmosphere was pulsating. The Guyanalive.com team had access to almost every area and whether it was VIP or general section, the feeling was the same – excitement and monumental levels of anticipation. In the VIP and LVIP (Luxury Very Important Person) sections there were lots of drinks and food (some free) distributed by beautiful waitresses from the Shakers Cocktail Bar.

Eve
Eve

The audience was mixed with people from all walks of life – the young, the old, the straight and the gay. It was a plethora of well-dressed, well-mannered and joyous patrons. The Jamzone International Pageant delegates also graced the masses with their presence and they were warmly welcomed. We at Guyanalive.com presume that there were no serious issues because of the heavy security provided by the Guyana Police Force

Timeka Marshall
Timeka Marshall

The performances were kicked off by local hip-hop star Don Gialiani, with his hype lyrics and sick dances. However, he failed to get the crowd moving enough and as such his stint was short-lived. Timeka Marshall, our very own singing sensation, did a much better job with hits like “Whining Pro” and “One More Day”. Her dancers were fantastic when they showed the audience how to do certain dances that her songs instructed. She then surprised us all by doing a collaboration with West Indies cricketer Dwayne Bravo (who substituted for Beenie Man) which was seriously not bad. However, Bravo decided that he would continue trying to entertain us all after Ms. Marshall’s performance but was quickly stopped. After a brief interlude, American Superstar Eve, known as the First Lady of the Ruff Ryders, made her way to stage and was welcomed by dropped jaws and loud cheers. She was absolutely stunning in a partially sequinned, partially see-through black bodysuit and red shoes, which made her stage presence much more appealing. She delivered tracks from the old hip-hop generation along with some new hits. Her dancers (hailing from the USA) spared us no moves as they wowed the masses with their sultry moves and attention-commanding outfits.

Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo
Trey Songz hugs a Fan
Trey Songz hugs a Fan

Then, it was the moment we were all waiting for. After a short awkward silence and the assembly of a live band, we were teased by an interlude from the album Passion, Pain and Pleasure before seeing the Prince of Soul and R&B making his way to the stage casually dressed in short khaki pants and a white T; from that moment, pandemonium was everywhere. Ladies screamed, hyperventilated and pulled great amounts of hair from their heads as he smiled, and sang nothing but hits. He graciously interacted with the crowds of females, teasing their very beings by taking off his shirt and vest and throwing them into the audience. He was in total control of the stage and left us all wanting more. But, before he left he chose a lucky lady from the LVIP section to come on stage and collect his vest (which he tore from his ripped body) as a token of his appreciation. She blushed and gushed while he serenaded and caressed her; he also instructed her to wear it every night when she went to bed, so that she would always think of him. Imagine the jealousy of the other female fans as they witnessed the man of their dreams embrace another woman while they wished it was them. He encouraged all committed females to remain in their relationships if they were happy but enticed all single ladies to join him in his hotel room after the show. Of course, all females wanted to take him up on his offer.

Don Gialiani
Don Gialiani

Even though we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the show we must interject our constructive criticisms of the evening’s events. First of all, if the LVIP experience just means free food and drinks for $30,000 and excludes any mingling with the performing artistes, then why do it at all? Many complained that they felt robbed because they could’ve paid the regular cost or the cost for VIP ($20,000) and had just as much fun. Maybe the Hits and Jams team can amend this for the Regional Night. When we at Guyanalive.com thought about it, there was not much memorabilia to receive nor were there photo ops for artistes with fans. Then, and most importantly, some media houses were given the shorter straws when it came to access. For instance, the Guyanalive.com team had VIP Media Passes only and as such they were restricted from entering the LVIP section. Some other media houses had All Access Passes and were even allowed backstage; that strikes us as slightly unfair and we would love to hear the explanation behind such a decision. All in all though, it was a great show and we give it an 8 out of a possible 10 on the Guyanalive.com scale. We have just one closing question: How will Hits and Jams top this?!

View pictures from this event at –> GuyanaLive.com Gallery

By – Patrice Wishart

Ramnaresh Sarwan confirms participation in Knights Basketball Celebrity Game

Ramnaresh Sarwan
Former West Indies Captian - Ramnaresh Sarwan

Former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has indicated his willingness and enthusiasm to compete in the Second Annual Knights Basketball Club Celebrity Basketball Game which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 20th 2011 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The brilliant right-handed batsman will be making his debut in the event this year, which featured fellow national athletes and entertainers such as Stephen Vieira, Howard Lowe, Ronson Williams, Chow Pow and Don Gialiani last year.
“Well it means a lot to me, I missed it last year but I’m really excited about competing this year… I think should be very interesting, funny and entertaining” Sarwan said.

The accomplished West Indian batsman, who has 15 test centuries and 31 half centuries, said that although he expects the event to be mostly exciting and entertaining, he does not underestimate the sport and how demanding it could be.
“Hopefully I’ll be fit enough [for the game],” Sarwan said.
The 31-year-old middle order batsman did not disclose much about his basketball background, since he wanted his supporters to attend the event to judge for themselves. He did, however, modestly state, “I played a bit of street ball, or yard basketball if you want to say that.”

Sarwan commended organiser of the event Kester Gomes, who is the president of Knights basketball club, saying that it is a very impacting event considering Gomes’ intention and drive.
“Anything to deal with supporting a charity or a cause like this is always good to be involved with and it’s an honour for me to be a part of this…” Sarwan added.

Sarwan and the other celebrities will be playing for The Support Group for Deaf Persons, which has been earmarked as the charity for this year’s event. Last year, proceeds for the game were donated to Joshua’s House. According to Gomes, The Support Group for Deaf Persons was chosen this year because it is an organisation that is often overlooked or forgotten.
Some of the other celebrities that played in last year’s event were national rugby captain Claudius Butts and coach Theodore Henry; six-time Sportswoman of the Year, Nicolette Fernandes; national cricketers Christopher Barnwell, Stephen Jacobs and Leon Johnson. Organisers promised some fresh faces at the event this year, although a few of the players from last year will compete once again.

By – Kester Gomes

Gialiani’s Barbados Press Release

GialianiTruly destined to put his country on the map in the international music industry is the rapper locally known as ‘Don Gialiani’. The rapper’s newest accomplishments came while he was recently invited to attend the launch of the 2009 Barbados Music Awards on November 2nd and to perform at an annual Hip Hop Festival held by ‘Timeless Barbados’ where he was the opening artiste for headline act Kardinal Offishal of the Konvict Label and received a very warm reception from the Bajan crowd and media that were present. Besides Kardinal, he was the only other overseas act invited to perform at the Hip Hop Festival. The show was hosted by ‘Timeless Barbados Inc. (timelessbarbados.com, http://www.myspace.com/timelessbarbadosinc) who are the owners of both the Hip Hop Festival and the Barbados Music Awards and also now the rapper’s new management. While there, Gialiani had center page features in Heat Magazine, Barbados’ most popular paper and the Advocate, another renowned entertainment paper of Barbados for the Hip Hop Festival and received rave reviews for his performance in The Heat Magazine and Nation Newspapers in center page aritcles. In addition, he was also featured in the Trinidadian ‘Guardian Paper for that festival. He was also interviewed by several entertainment media companies from various countries including SoundCity Television which is said to be the largest Nigerian Entertainment television station. He also made other performances including at the Escape Hotel, West Coast. The artiste is currently working on music with the Hit Island Studio producer KB Sharp who is the manager of BMA winners and ’09 nominees Ayana John and Buggy. He has so far recorded a collaboration with Dwane Husbands, a finalist of this year’s ‘Digicel Rising Star’ competition and who has also done music with Rihanna (song titled “Dem Haters”) off her “A Girl Like Me” album. He is also scheduled to work with other accomplished Bajan artistes such as Kirk Brown who is nominated for 5 BMAs in ’09 including male artiste of the year and ‘G’ has also recently done a Hit Island remix for already popular chart topper “Guns And Roses” to be released on radio soon by Ayana John who is said to be the next big female Bajan artiste. Don Gialiani, now a confirmed Timeless Barbados managed artiste and their first non-Bajan artiste is scheduled to return to Barbados to attend and present an award at the BMA’s on the 4th Jan. ’09 . You can look forward to new music and videos and a host of entertainment events, from the artiste in the new year through his promotional company MusiCentral Production which he co-owns with business partner and fellow rapper Ry. These events are surely likely to see appearances and some performances from his new found contacts of the Bajan Music Industry and promise to put a new look on the concept parties of Guyana’s Entertainment Scene. You can also find more info and music of Don Gialiani at http://gialiani.imeem.com, www.myspace.com/gialiani, and Or contact him at his personal email address: [email protected]

MusiCentral.

Carifesta X Mega Concert

Amid rumors that the main performing artiste would not be able to make an appearance, the much anticipated Polar Carifesta X Mega Concert got underway. This concert was promoted in the media, even prior to the start of CARIFESTA, as being the biggest concert to hit Guyana. There were also assurances made that an international artiste would be performing live. Though the concert was not as big as the promoters may have wanted it to be they were still able to live up to their promise and bring an international artiste. The length of time it took for the artiste to arrive however caused patrons to become frustrated and even angry.

 

The evening started out with some smooth juggling from the fusion family to get the crowd going. This was happening while the crowd was now building up. The rumors started when admission to the venue no longer required tickets. This caused may persons to wonder if Akon was still slated to perform or whether the promoters had duped them into buying large quantities of beer.

 

The live performances were kicked off by the Brutal Jammers band followed by the man with the Sophia story Ilaman. Gialiani was to follow with his hip hop styled performance. The Polar Ladies were to grace the stage with their presence, showcasing their polar outfits to the appreciative men in attendance.

 

The next string of performances was well received and consisted the likes of Jory and Celeste David. Giants of the Guyanese music industry First Born took to the stage and hyped the crowd with their 45 min performance. Every song selected by the group to perform was well received. This was not hard to imagine with hits such as “irits”, “headlines” and a much loved classic First Born track “how are we gonna survive”.

 

It was at this point in time the frustration stepped in and delay tactics were employed by the promoters. DJ green dongs of fusion audio did some more juggling, at this point it was already 01:30 hrs and there was no sign of the main guest artiste. Brutal jammers band took to the stage once again but this time frustration had turned to anger and bottles and cans of beer were sent flying from the crowd onto the stage. This prompted DJ Kerwin of Hits and Jams to come on stage in an effort to ease the tension building up in the crowd. He gave the crowd assurance that the artiste was in the country and would be making an appearance. He also stated that the president had given the promoters of the event an extension on the permit so as to allow the party to go until sunrise.

 

At approximately 03:05 hrs international recording artiste Akon took to the stage at the National Stadium Providence much to the delight of his loyal fans who stayed through the night to witness his performance. The 3am crowd that greeted the artiste was a fraction of the crowd that had gathered earlier in the evening, but he performed as if the place was packed to capacity. Those who persevered to witness his performance were not disappointed. He even went the extra mile of requesting the crowd to build a “unity bridge” for him to get from the main stage to a platform about 15 feet away. The aim was for the crowd to carry him across and take him back. This he did successfully despite some instances where he had to urge some members of the crowd not to pull him. Notwithstanding his previous experience in Guyana it was a courageous act on his part but much appreciated by his fans.

 

Despite the long wait and rumors fans were rewarded with a full hour’s performance by the artiste. Though there were dramatic segments during the event it would be fair to say the event was a success.