From platinum hits to Caribbean connections, Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Ashanti and iconic rap artiste Ja Rule have officially touched down in Trinidad and Tobago ahead of this weekend’s highly anticipated R&B Brunch Festival at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Saturday night promises a musical spectacle as the singers are set to take centre stage for a high-energy performance.
Chairman of the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Kenny Phillips, presented the stars with locally inspired gifts on their arrival at the Piarco International Airport on Friday.
Minister of Culture and Community Development Michelle Benjamin thanked the entertainers for highlighting this country’s culture through their collaborations and experiences.
“It gives me immense pleasure to have you here home with us. Trinidad and Tobago is home of calypso, we are home to the greatest show on the earth. Ashanti, I know you would’ve experienced our Carnival already. We cannot pay for that kind of advertising, persons that would’ve experienced our culture and the take it back to their homeland and, of course, encouraged persons to come and enjoy it.”
This country is far from foreign to the pair, as Ashanti’s Caribbean heritage has long linked her to the region, and Ja Rule boasts that his wife is from this country.
During his stay, he hopes to partake in the local cuisine.
“My wife said I gotta try I think is doubles, and bake and shark.”
Ashanti has also embraced Caribbean culture over the years, which saw a collaboration with Soca king Machel Montano.
Meanwhile Ja Rule says he is now focused on new ventures beyond music, a move he says feels more fulfilling as he gets older.
“I don’t think I have interest in doing music the way I used to before. I’m fifty years old now, so I’ve moved on a little bit, and I’m doing film and television stuff, which is great. You guys will be seeing a lot of great, great production, new content coming from me from that side, and I got my new whisky that I’m promoting, which is an amazing honey whisky. You know, different business ventures as I get older, and you know, maybe even taking on some new artistes and putting some new talent out there. That feels more in my lane as I get older.”
According to the organisers, anticipation continues to build for what promises to be a memorable night of music.