Read more: http://globalgrind.com/node/826664#ixzz1myelC2Rs

Published: Saturday, February 18, 2012

Machel Montano

Machel Montano has won the Digicel International Power Soca Monarch and the Play Whe Groovy Soca Monarch for 2012. The competition, which was held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on Fantastic Friday, started just after 9pm and ended just after 4am on Saturday. Thousands of avid Soca lovers turned out at the venue to see the best artistes perform but in the end, Machel, known as “Mr. Fete” this year, was chosen by the judges and the people for the Power Soca and Groovy Soca titles. He secured the $2 million first prize after beating 11 other competitors in the Power Soca competition with “Pump Your Flag” and $500,000 in the Groovy Soca category.

The Results of Fantastic Friday’s Soca Monarch 2012 is as follows:

Digicel International Power Soca Monarch

1st Machel Montano
2nd Neil Iwer George
3rd Destra Garcia
4th Prophet Benjamin
4th Blaxx (Tie)

Play Whe International Groovy Soca Monarch

1st Machel Montano
2nd Kerwin Du Bois
3rd Benjai
4th Nadia Batson
5th Kees Dieffenthaller

Donning a look that instantly reminded viewers of the legendary Tina Turner, a lace and leather clad Rihanna took to the stage of the 2012 Grammy Awards Ceremony. “People Magazine” states, “The singer’s feathered do was a spinoff of “Scarface” character Gina’s big, sexy curls, says Motions stylist Ursula Stephen, who created Rihanna’s tousled texture by wrapping hair around a curling iron.” Covered in a sleeveless denim jacket, similar to that seen in her recent “WE FOUND LOVE” music video, Rihanna opened a dynamic performance “with “We Found Love,” during which she writhed around on the crowd until the Calvin Harris-produced track came in.” (Huffington Post)

Sporting signature Tina Turner blonde do, a “leggy” Rihanna was then joined by ColdPlay’s Chris Martin & performed “Princess Of China.”

Rihanna & ColdPlay's Chris Martin perform "Princess Of China."

21221225635 by YardieGoals

Decades after his education by Havana Jesuits, is Fidel Castro starting to feel kinda bad about the whole renouncing religion and being a hated dictator stuff? According to his Miami-based daughter Alina, the Marxist in fact has “come closer to religion” as he edges stubbornly toward death. Vatican officials confirm to one Italian paper that the pope expects to talk Jesus — and maybe even take confession — from the ailing strongman during Benedict’s visit to Cuba next month.

“He has rediscovered Jesus at the end of his life,” says Alina Fernandez, his estranged daughter.

Worth noting: Alina, born to a mistress of Fidel who fled with her to Spain in 1993, is a stringent critic of Castro in a book about her life in Cuba and in regular Spanish radio shows in Miami. So it’s questionable just how close she is to Fidel’s religious thinking these days.

But in an interview in Italy’s second-largest paper, La Repubblica, she claims Fidel has moved back to his long-lost religion. Here’s how ABC News translates the interview:

“During this last period, Fidel has come closer to religion: he has rediscovered Jesus at the end of his life. It doesn’t surprise me because dad was raised by Jesuits.”

An unnamed Vatican official chimes in to say that Pope Benedict also expects a warm welcome from Castro when the two meet in Havana on March 27:

“Fidel is at the end of his strength. Nearly at the end of his life. His exhortations in the party paper Granma, are increasingly less frequent. We know that in this last period he has come closer to religion and God.”

Is it true? Could Fidel have rediscovered his long lost faith?

He’s certainly on better terms with the church than he was in 1962, when he was officially excommunicated for imprisoning church leaders; he welcomed Pope John Paul II to Cuba 1998.

And in the past two years, Castro has been more receptive to releasing political prisoners at the urging of Cuba’s bishop.

Still, the idea of Castro humbly confessing his sins to Pope Benedict is tough to imagine. If he does, Benedict better clear his schedule for a few hours. How many Hail Marys does, “I’ve been a dictator for four decades” carry?

Click here to visit the Official Bob Marley Website.

“Feb 6 1945 St. Ann, Jamaica, Daddy was born. I remember us celebrating one of his birthdays in Jamaica at 56 Hope Road with him, no big superstar party, just us kids, Mommy, some cake, few laughs and that was it. Even if he wasn’t known to the world on Feb 6th I would still think of him and in my heart say Happy Birthday Daddy. Love.” – Ziggy Marley

(Click on flier to see enlarged version)