Our Second Flood Relief Visit

MaPau Charity spent an even longer day out in Southern Trinidad on Tuesday to continue our distribution efforts which we had started last Friday. On this day, we started at Gasparillo and tackled Marabella and Claxton Bay as the day progressed. Unlike Friday, on Tuesday we came across a few families who really live on the fringes of desperation and they touched the members of the MaPau team who visited them.

One man we met, Mr. Nazeema Mohammed, was left with four bare walls and a mud stained floor after the water washed away the rest of his belongings. He came across MaPau on the street and pleaded to us for assistance. When we visited him, he was living on a borrowed mattress, with only a small container of eaten food and a water bottle to keep him company. MaPau SC players took up a collection to aid in the man’s desperate plight. Mr. Mohammed was just one case of the poverty and hard living circumstances we encountered.

MaPau has committed $100,000 to our Flood Relief efforts for the month of August, but this is just a drop in the bucket compared to the significant needs of many who are still reeling from the damages. Therefore, MaPau would be happy to share information with corporate bodies and organisations interested in helping the relief efforts.

The Flood Relief Hotline can be reached at 623-4048. This number remains in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the month of August.

For all the photos that kept track of the day, please visit our Sweet Lime Restaurant Facebook fanpage or MaPau SC fanpage.

Our First Official Visit to Flood Affected Williamsville and Gasparillo

It’s not a bad way to spend a Friday when every person you meet has a smile on their face. The Sweet Lime and MaPau team donned our MaPau reds to go to Southern Trinidad on a Friday afternoon to distribute much needed supplies to those who have been affected by the recent floods. On Friday morning, we arrived at the Marketing Office to divide and pack 20 hampers each of which included cases of milk, soap powder and REALLY big bags of flour. The MaPau SC Pro League football team arrived to load up the vans and with a convoy of three trucks, three cars, a van and a big maxi we all made our merry way down to Williamsville and Gasparillo. We originally planned to assist 20 families starting at Kent Street in Williamsville, but we met many more in need while we were there. We distributed beds and stoves (which the Ma Pau SC players dutifully unloaded and set up at the families’ homes) in addition to the sizeable hampers. Our next visit for South Trinidad is slated for Tuesday.

Our Flood Response Hotline can be reached at 623 4048. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the month of August. MaPau Charity would also like to stress that we will be making children’s needs a priority.

For more photos, join our Facebook fanpage or MaPau Sports Club’s fanpage.

Two for Tying....

With the crowd of spectators it always draws on the Avenue, you could tell that Sweet Lime Karaoke Night is a popular choice for pedestrians and music lovers alike who are either making a deliberate visit to the restaurant or accidentally coming across the evening’s event.

For the first time ever, we were pleased to announce a tie between two competitors who had to battle it out for the finalist position in a.....drumroll please.......Sing Off!

The decision to choose the winner by a Sing Off was done by popular guest demand, so needless to say, they were very excited about the challenge. Finalist “Angel” put his best voice forward choosing to sing “Suddenly” against fellow finalist, Kathy’s “Hotel California.” The guests went wild for Kathy, which brings us to the Carib hamper giving portion of the night.

For a lot more photos check out our Facebook page!

MaPau Charity and Sweet Lime Announce Relief and Hotline for Flood Victims

Mapau Members Club have set up a hotline to receive and respond to requests for immediate aid from victims of the recent devastating rain and floods to hit the country. This flood response hotline will help Mapau identify areas and families in need of assistance. All funding for Mapau charities over the month of August will be exclusively devoted to those affected by floods.

Mapau will donate relief aid on a case by case basis, up to a value of $5,000 each. Priority will be given to the needs of children affected by the flooding. Furthermore, Mapau will also share relevant information with any agency or body assisting in relief efforts.

The number for the Flood Response Hotline is 623 4048. The hotline will be operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the month of August

The first family to receive assistance from Mapau is the Subero family of Williamsville, San Fernando who received a cheque for $5,000 for their children’s new school books and uniforms after their home was devastated by flooding.

The way the music makes me feel

Patrons really showed us how they felt when Karaoke Tuesday rolled around at Sweet Lime on the Avenue. A sturdy number of contestants entered our weekly fun night at Sweet Lime to exercise those vocal chords, with one stylishly clad lady amp-ing up the crowd with her tribute to Michael Jackson’s classic “The way you make me feel.” The evening’s winner, and contestant in the finals, was Natifah, a soulful songbird who won a generously laden MaPau hamper.

What's a party without cake? - Wine and Jazz

If you didn’t make this month’s Wine and Jazz at Sweet Lime in La Romaine, then you really missed out on a night where the guests, staff and entertainers alike proudly claimed was the best edition thus far at the location. Held for the first time on the very Wednesday of the month, guests who arrived were probably surprised to see a birthday party going on in full swing. Prudence, the birthday girl, celebrated the occasion with thirty of her closest friends and family at Wine and Jazz where the entertainers made it a point to croon a few notes to the crowd while also doing battle between themselves. Veteran performers, saxophonist Francis Prime and singer Laureston Affare (a.k.a. Special), provided the evening’s official entertainment program; they were also joined by the talented Lucretia “Tequila” Pierre.

The featured wine for the evening was the special Virgin Vines sponsored by Hand Arnold Trinidad Limited.

For more photos, like us on our Facebook fanpage or pick your free copy of the monthly magazine Lime Juice at any Sweet Lime or MaPau location.

Wine and Dine at Wine and Jazz

Wine and Jazz at Sweet Lime on the Avenue summoned some of our favourite performers to the occasion. Laureston Special and Francis Prime were scheduled to perform but guests received the added surprise treat of Chris Quammie and Jason “Fridge” Seecheran of H2O Phlo. The lulling sounds of smooth classics drifted across the avenue and guests joined in to clap and sing for such well known (and loved) tunes as “Lean on Me” and “I just called to say I love you.”

Guests enjoyed complimentary glasses of Virgin Vines wine sponsored by Hand Arnold Trinidad Ltd.

If you missed out on this beautiful event, Sweet Lime in La Romaine will be hosting their Wine and Jazz next Wednesday 28 July.

For more photos of this event, check out our Facebook fanpage or a video of our favourite performance for the evening on Youtube.

Making beautiful music at Karaoke Night

Karaoke is more like professional singers night at Sweet Lime on the Avenue. At 9:30, the first of eleven singers took to the stage to wow us with their skills. Most of these singers hit the mark in a big way, with fantastic renditions of contemporary tunes and older classics. The crowd was in jovial spirits and many attendees came in large parties and took up multiple tables. Table hopping was the norm for the evening and taking a drink out on the sidewalk where the view of the stage can be at its best was the norm. The crowd voted in the winner who sang her version of Alicia Keyes’ “If I ain’t got you.” She walked away with a Carib hamper and the opportunity to compete at the Sweet Lime North Karaoke Finals on Saturday 31^st July.

Check out the rest of the photos on Facebook, watch some videos from the evening on Youtube, or pick up your free copy of Lime Juice magazine at any Sweet Lime or MaPau location to get the dish on the last month!

One Year Anniversary of Wine and Jazz on the Avenue - Videos!

We had an unbelievable line up of performers for our One Year Anniversary of Wine and Jazz! Here are just some videos of the night’s entertainment which included Ken “Professor” Philmore and Jerome Bissessar, Francis Prime, Jennly Williams, Arthur Marcial, Laureston Special and his daughter Lucretia “Tequila” Pierre and son Chris Quammie, Jason “Fridge” Seecheran of H2O Phlo, Adesh Samaroo and too many more to list. Click on the links to take you to more videos of the night’s entertainment!

Happy First Birthday Wine and Jazz!

Bottles popped, people ate, performers entertained and the atmosphere held the intoxicating scent of good times and wine at Sweet Lime’s One Year Anniversary of Wine and Jazz. It was smashing evening with a line up such Sweet Lime favourites as Ken “Professor” Philmore, Francis Prime, Lareston Special, Chris Quammie, Arthur Marcial and many, many more. Hand Arnold Trinidad Ltd. sponsored Two Oceans wine which we featured for the evening and we gave away many bottles of Fetzer wine to the audience.

Chutney singer, Adesh Samaroo made a surprise appearance at Wine and Jazz and performed a crowd favourite “Raajin.” The crowds got up to dance in the aisles of Sweet Lime and Ariapita Avenue rung out with the sounds of the chutney music, Samaroo’s singing and the audience clapping.

Many guests arrived at 8 pm and stayed for the entire evening’s event which ended at midnight where the affair climaxed with an ensemble of the evening’s stars and included Jason “Fridge” Seecheran of H2O Phlo.

Get our free copy of Lime Juice (which contains all the juicy details of this night and many others) at any Sweet Lime or MaPau Members Club location.

Karaoke Evening at Sweet Lime on the Avenue

Karaoke is an individual’s love affair with singing and there’s no shortage of people willing to express this love on Karaoke night at Sweet Lime on the avenue. Last night was the final evening of this month’s qualifying rounds for the Karaoke Competition. Eleven contestants poured out their souls to an eager crowd and the audience voted for their favourites. We were treated to everything from one name wonder, Monica, to a classic Beatles song but the winner was an early 2000’s song by 3 Doors Down, “Kryptonite.” He’s advancing to the finals which will be held this Saturday.

Jazzy Fresh and Smooth in the South

Wine and Jazz is still as smooth as ever in Sweet Lime South (La Romaine). We got the funky groover, Arthur Marcial to jam on his guitar for us before bringing out Laureston Special and his stage “son” Chris Quammie for a performances of their own (solos and duets), to the delight of the crowd. We featured two Fetzer wines from Hand Arnold Trinidad Ltd., a White Zinfandel and a Riesling (which is so popular some refer to it as the new Chardonnay).

The Zinfandel is summery crisp and sweet and it’s just liquid strawberries and cherries corked up into a sleek bottle. The Riesling is rich and floral and has the taste strongly reminiscent of pear and apricots (which you would swear was sitting at the bottom of the bottle).

The entire evening was a success, as demonstrated by our patrons who felt the urge to just get up and dance. So if you missed this special evening, you should definitely join us at Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue on Wednesday 30 June, 2010. We’ll be celebrating Wine and Jazz’s one year anniversary with a huge bang and guest artistes are to include our favourites – Ken “Professor” Philmore, Laureston Special, Chris Quammie, Arthur Marcial and many more surprise guests!

Tuesday Nights at Sweet Lime

Karaoke Night remains a popular night at Sweet Lime on the Avenue. While most would think Tuesday nights are reserved for staying at home, I don’t think anyone informed the crowds on Ariapita Avenue. Long lanes of cars occupied each side of the street and patrons were crowded into the establishments. Sweet Lime was no exception as the voices of the singing patrons drifted over the road to penetrate even wound up windows of cars waiting for the light to turn green. Within the restaurant, everybody was very excited to vote for their favourite singers and so we’d love for you to come check them out and vote for your favourites too!

Karaoke is on every Tuesday night from 9 pm at Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue. For more photos, check out our Facebook page!

Laventille Rhythm Section brings the fire!

If you don’t spend your Friday evenings on the Avenue....then you are seriously missing out! At the end of May, Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue brought out their latest secret weapon for traffic stopping good times...the Laventille Rhythm Section! In their first official appearance on the avenue, people were certainly not shy to throw some waist as they enjoyed the fast and earthy beats which had the pedestrians and the cars stopping for closer look. Some drivers were even trying to dance out of their car windows! So, stay tuned, we’re sure to bring you lots, lots more of exciting stuff this June!

Check out the hot, high quality videos of this event on Facebook and Youtube!

And the winner is.....

Karaoke at Sweet Lime on the Avenue closed on a family note when a member of the Sam clan snapped up the second Karaoke Competition title in two months, and the first for Sweet Lime North! Shermaine Sam won her title as Queen of Karaoke in North Trinidad when she swept away her title with a tribute to Whitney Houston while wearing a shimmering orange blouse and black skirt. Karaoke finalists who won their rights to sing over the month of May sang their best for the crowd at the last Saturday in the month to vie for the trophy and a $2,000 prize.

The Professor, Special and Family

Wine and Jazz had some pan, some hips and a little something extra Special for all attendees this Wednesday. Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue shared some groovy beats with an enthusiastic crowd who were entertained by the grandmaster of pan, Ken “Professor” Philmore, Laureston Special, his “son” in the music world, Chris Quammie, and in her Sweet Lime debut, Special’s daughter, Tequila. The soulful voice of Mr. David Baptiste rounded out this merry line up of performers, who at one point, decided to perform together to an excited crowd.

The evening’s featured Canei wine, sponsored by Hand Arnold Trinidad Limited, decorated almost every table in the house, and one even went home with a lucky guest at the event’s prize drawing. Wine and Jazz proves consistently to be a crowd favourite each month and with its growing popularity, it’s set to celebrate its one year anniversary this June with a big bang!

Karaoke, Backgammon and so much more.....

It seems like singing runs in the genes of Sherlana’s family. Shermaine John, sister of last month’s talented karaoke winner and karaoke regular, Sherlana, made it through Tuesday night’s preliminary rounds to become the last contestant to participate in the Karaoke Finals on Saturday.

It was a crowded night at Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue and the seats began to fill at 8 pm where karaoke contestants used their vocal talents to spar off against their competition in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Singers patiently took their turn at the microphone and the audience made no bones about voting for their favourites.

On the other side of the restaurant, backgammon players were busily vying for their own top prize as the Trinidad Backgammon Association assembled for their monthly meeting and tournament to compete for the coveted position of calling himself king of all Trinidad’s backgammon players for a month.

Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook holds karaoke preliminaries every Tuesday night with the finals at the end of the month. The Trinidad Backgammon Association also holds their meeting at the Sweet Lime on the last Tuesday of every month from 8 pm.

Special, Prime and Quammie make it a Jazzy Affair

Soft music, candlelight, complimentary wine and sophisticated cheese hors d’oeuvres—with an offer like that, where can anything ever go wrong? Wine and Jazz kicked off to a smooth start this month at Sweet Lime in La Romaine.

Hand Arnold Trinidad Ltd. sponsored the Canei wine, a tipple which encouraged the guests to maintain their seats for the evening. An array of complimentary cheese and crackers were presented to guests to accompany the wine.

Special and his “son” in the music world, Chris Quammie performed heart warming, soulful beats and teamed up for a few duets together. Francis Prime jazzed up the crowd with enthusiastic performances which included songs from Richie Spice and Alison Hinds.

Karaoke at Sweet Lime in La Romaine

Karaoke is a hot affair at Sweet Lime in La Romaine, Trinidad. On Thursday night, a list of competitors waited patiently to take their turn at the mic to prove to the crowd why they deserved their moment in the Karaoke Finals spotlight on Sunday 30 May. The talented performers gave it their all to an enthusiastic crowd who embraced their favourites in the final vote of the evening. The crowd votes determined the finalist for the grand finale.

Competition for the crown is getting close....

Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue hosted its third night of qualifying rounds for the grand finale of the locale’s first ever Karaoke competition. Karaoke draws the crowd every Thursday evening at Sweet Lime in La Romaine, so much so that a monthly competition was introduced and Sweet Lime North took up the weekly event as well.

The third round of qualifiers saw roughly a dozen brave faces who showed the crowd why each of them deserves his (or her) moment at the finals on Saturday 29 May, 2010. It's the people's choice on who gets to advance to the next stage so you've got to be there to vote! Here are some cool photos from the night, and oh....check out our new page on Facebook too!

Every day is a sweet day here at Sweet Lime

Since the restaurant opened in 2000, Sweet Lime on the Avenue has become synonymous with fresh, artistically prepared Caribbean food and international fare presented in a friendly and relaxed Caribbean ambience. Here at Sweet Lime, we like to keep up with the times. Our famous SL chef changed his outfit over the years from classic white to Soca Warrior fever and finally the sophisticated suit and trumpet of Wine and Jazz.

In the last few years, we decided it was time to share some of our Sweet Lime love to our Southern neighbours and take it across the sea to our St. Kitts friends. Since we first started, we’ve carefully crafted a loyal relationship with our guests, and we are always open to meeting new friends. We’re celebrated for our superior fresh and succulent seafood but please join us for one of our many fabulous events as well. Once a month, each location hosts the fabulously popular Wine and Jazz, Karaoke nights and at our Sweet Lime on Ariapita Avenue, the Trinidad Backgammon Association hosts a Backgammon evening.

So please, feel free to join us at any time, seven days in the week at one of our three locations for a great time. We’ll see you there!