Janet Jackson has cancelled her appearance at the upcoming Soca Warriors Fete now scheduled to take place on Carnival Saturday.
TriStar Promotions, producers of the event, had confirmed three weeks ago that Jackson was contracted to host the event, but TriStar founder, Roy Maharaj, said yesterday that Jackson will not be coming because of health problems.
Reports coming out of New York, however, state that Jackson who within recent weeks gained a lot of pounds is pregnant. Maharaj said he is presently in negotiations with two other major female artistes from the United States, adding that come Carnival Saturday there will definitely be a top international celebrity hosting the fete.
Maharaj refused to go on record with the identities of the two artistes, but one of them is already expected to perform here later in the year as part of a series of promotional concerts for a local telecommunications provider, while the other is one of the sexiest crossover Latin acts of the day.
Maharaj is hoping to lock a deal soon and will reveal who his special guest for the Soca Warriors Fete will be at one of his other events. The Soca Warriors Fete was supposed to take place this weekend, but because Jackson has cancelled, the fete has been rescheduled to Carnival Saturday at the National Stadium.
Maharaj also handed out three all-inclusive package trips to Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final to the respective winners yesterday. Receiving their packages, which include air fare, hotel accommodation, ground transfers, tickets to the three preliminary round games involving the Soca Warriors and other gifts were Karim Redmond who won his package at the Republic Bank Fete, James Melville who attended the Licensing Fete and Samuel Saunders who won at the TriStar Boxing Night Fete.