New York Starlite Serenaders singers, from left, Shawn Figaro, Debbie Plaza, Rosmarie Brereton, and Pat Scott. Photos: Glenville Ashby

It was the night before Thanksgiving, that big holiday weekend that surpasses Christmas in dining, celebrations, and family reunions in the US. On Lefferts Blvd, Queens, New York, home to countless Trinidadians, when premier parang group Starlite Serenaders was billed to perform at The Flamingo Restaurant and Bar, a huge crowd jammed the popular joint, at times spilling into the street. With 15 years as a unit, the Serenaders hail from all parts of Trinidad, Las Lomas, Siparia, Maracas, just to name a few.

Used to attracting crowds in Washington, Baltimore and even Georgia, the group wowed patrons with old favourites such as Alegria Alegria, Medicina and Vamos a Gozar. With some Castilian thrown in, patrons journeyed back to the heyday of the Queen of Parang, Daisy Voisin. Singers Debbie Plaza, Pat Scott, Rosamarie Brereton, and Shawn Figaro were on top of their game, belting out song after song, at times fusing the distinctive musical cadence of parang with some soca and reggae. Captain Francis John did promise a special event, and it was.

The young and fashionable posing before the concert.