Why Beyonce Blew My Mind
Peter Taylor
She came, she saw, she conquered our hearts. In a dazzling, flawless performance at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Thursday evening, Beyonce Knowles captivated a massive and enthusiastic crowd with her music, her moves, her humility and her humanity.
The multiple Grammy Award winner brought the curtain down on her world tour at an impressive looking Queen’s Park Savannah, taking the stage at just about 8.30 p.m. or thereabouts.
She thanked the large crowd for having her in our twin island Republic and she proceeded to belt out many of her popular hits as she interacted with the audience and hyping up the crowd section by section in much the same way our local soca artistes do.
What made this performance extremely special for me at least was the manner and ease with which the star made it her business to interact with the crowd and to allow them to literally ’feel’ her.
A passageway from the main stage to an elevated dais some 100 metres into the crowd facilitated her ability to interact intimately with the throng and touch the hands of many adoring and screaming fans who, did not anticipate being able to actually see Ms Knowles so close up, let alone being able to actually press her flesh.
That once in a lifetime opportunity many will say, was well worth the price of admission to the VVIP area.
But two instances will forever remain indelibly printed in my memory as being defining moments in Beyonce’s performance.
The first was when she began to jump and wave to none other than the history making Road March tune ’Palance’ that sent the crowd into a wild frenzy.
To have been able to capture the pulse of the nation which, a mere 48 hours before, was jumping and waving and singing to the tune of choice on the road for Carnival by incorporating it into her repertoire, sensing a national thirst to ’Palance’ just one more time, was a stroke of genius that will endear Beyonce to us all for all time to come.
Brother Valentino’s lamentation of the demise of calypso as world music in his composition ’Whey Calypso Went’ and Beyonce’s proficient incorporation of ’Palance’ must serve as a catalyst for our producers and stakeholders to strive to ensure that calypso/soca takes its rightful place as a legitimate genre of world music.
The second was when she made one of her many forays into the crowd and held a shy child in her arms, for a brief but albeit poignant moment.
Such spontaneous demonstrations of caring cannot be rehearsed and I was convinced at that point that Beyonce is clearly an artiste who, despite her mega star status, possesses both humility and humanity. That she was moved to tears as she thanked her crew was all the more touching as she no doubt internalised the affection and love that emanated from the audience.
TSTT must also be complimented for the tremendous effort they expended on preparing the Queen’s Park Savannah and transforming it into a most exquisite venue worthy of such an occasion. The planning and thought that went into ensuring the public’s comfort and safety must be commended.
I intimated that there were two defining moments on the night that will remain etched in my memory. Well actually, there is a third.
It was hearing a voice that sounded like Destra Garcia in the darkness during Machel Montano’s performance of the classic ’Carnival’ only to have that speculative excursion confirmed by Destra’s entrance onstage to complete the duet. What an occasion, what a sight, what a moment.
I have made the point time and again that this country is only truly itself when we are in the front rank, when we are courting destiny or when we are standing at the gateway of history and giving of our best as we have done on numerous occasions.
This country is located at the gateway to the Americas, between North and South America and we will forever be remembered as the place where Beyonce ended her ’I Am’ world tour.
Last April this country successfully hosted the Americas during the Fifth Summit and it was on our soil that the world witnessed a rapprochement between US President Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
It was therefore only fitting that T&T is the place that the South American ’I Am’ tour both culminated and climaxed.
I have always been convinced that this country has an eminent and exceptional destiny.
Now of course only one outstanding questions remains... who is going to issue the invitation to Beyonce and her crew to return to our shores for next year’s Carnival celebrations?
I certainly will .that is if someone has not already beaten me to it.
TRINIDADEXPRESS
everyone loves her
simply the best
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