BLAKE: A Gala Evening (Comming Aug 17th)

On August 17th, Trinidad will be treated to a performance literally fit for royalty. The popular Classical UK band Blake (who performed privetly for Queen Elzibeth's 80th Birthday) will grace the National Academy for the Performing Arts with a show that boasts not only to be one of a kind, but also for a good cause. The Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society in collaboration with other private hosts plan to put on a show like no other as a fundraiser to dent the cost of advanced breast cancer screening equipment which people who cannot afford the high cost of the standard private medical care are desperately in need of. Sparing no touch of taste, famous designer Brian McFarlene will be preparing the stage. Members of the organizing committee are leaving no stone un-turned in pulling together resources for this venture.

For those who are unfamiliar with UK entertainment, Blake is a Classic/Crossover band which made their debut in 2007, taking the Classical BRIT Award for album of the Year in 2008. Although some members have come and gone, the band remained on a steady and successful path. In 2010 the World Wildlife Fund used Blake's hit "Beautiful Earth" as their anthem for Earth Hour 2012, and receiving a Grammy Award the same year. Blake has performed for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Edward, and Nelson Mandela, a fitting audience as the band's name was inspired by the inspiration of William Blake (a 17th-18th century poet whose poems have impressed from royalty to ragamuffin for hundreds of years).

Co-organizer Marc Hadeed, while on work leave in the UK, met by chance with the Band and approached them in hopes of bringing a high level of entertainment of a different kind to Trinidad and Tobago. What he discovered was a band that had a genuine concern for charity above all else.  Marie Curie, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation; and Forces Charities such as Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and the Army Benevolent Fund. Their interest in Trinidad and Tobago was sparked and peaked upon hearing of the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society. Cementing their commitment to being the highlight of this Charity Event was their amazement at how much The Cancer Society has been doing and impacted on Cancer treatment/care in TnT.

General Manager of The Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society Nicole Jordan states the main direction of this to cover the cost of advanced screening equipment, which in total amounts to $2.2M. This would allow The Cancer Society to offer screening for breast cancer (which is on the rise in TnT) at a much cheaper cost than the hospitals and to help alleviate the burden experienced in public health care. While the ticket sales will not cover the full cost of this, it would make a size able relief to the situation. The Cancer Society is still open to Sponsors and Donations towards this endevour. Both Hadeed and Jordan have expressed the sentiment of many Doctors and Humanitarians alike, that awareness and early detection are of the utmost importance in the fight against cancer.



The show itself promises to be an evening of enticement and glamour, with open and select cocktail bar courtesy Angostura from 6:15pm - 7:00pm, followed by a 2 hour performance from love company and of course the starts of the show, Blake. A formal performance of the highest caliber to support a more than worthy cause. With all in place, and their marketing now about to kick off, this event is preparing to introduce a new standard of entertainment, offering people a chance to put down their rags and raise a glass to classical entertainment, the heart an soul of which for the promotion of helping the sick. If all goes as planned, this will really be A Gala Evening.