Benjamin throws fab party for cricketers

Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

India-born, Jamaica-bred Kenny Benjamin is without a doubt a toast to both his native and adopted countries.

Benjamin's phenomenal story of success has seen him coming to Jamaican shores in a quest for fulfilment and actualisation. Here, he qualified as an accountant and apprenticed with one of the island's leading accountancy firms before delving into the private sector. Here, he identified the growing need for private security to augment the official service being provided by the state.

In this respect, in 2007, Benjamin received the Privasi Bhartiya Diwas Samman, the most prestigious award bestowed on Indian nationals living outside the country who have excelled abroad and continue to promote Indian culture and distinguished themselves in their chosen field. A year earlier, he was bestowed with the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government for his entrepreneurial achievements and philanthropy, and his private-sector vision and leadership! And many moons now, Indian nationals, whether from officialdom, the sporting arena and private sector who visit Jamaica, have guested at Benjamin's or called on him. So when invitations went out a few weeks ago, bidding friends and associates to join Benjamin and his companion, the lovely Aloima Suarez, at his Stony Hill estate for a reception for members of the visiting Indian national cricket team, the occasion was the only buzz in town!

Well, my daahlings, under the threat of inclement weather, guests turned out to break bread and make merry with the visiting cricketers and team officials, with no care or concern for the overcast skies, and it made for a fab festive mood! Now, Benjamin's estate was designed with haute-living and fab-partying in mind! The gardens, a thing of beauty and a joy to behold! And as guests gathered, sharing cocktails and partying to the music of Errol Lee and the Bare Essentials Band, it was clear that the stage was set for a truly Jamaican night experience!

And just as guests, hosts and entertainers were getting in their ackee, honeys, the heavens opened up and the rains came in buckets! Dears, there was a party under way, and with the mood being festive and upbeat, it was clear that it would take more than a drenching to reign on this parade! And so it was, that with guests tiptoeing through the raindrops, the music apace with the mood, guests simply gave way to enjoying the moment. And so they did, as in between the downpour, guests were treated to a guided tour of Benjamin's immense ornamental fishing facility, dubbed the 'Guardsman Group Fisheries Division'. And with libations flowing, y'all know we are talking a night of ease here and then some! And when the rains let up and staff went about drying and reordering the evening, y'all know, that it was all good!

Magnum dancers

Dears, dinner was a fusion of Indian and Caribbean fare, and marvellously so. And this was followed by a burlesque performance by the Magnum Kings and Queens dancers, no doubt, intended as light entertainment for the cricketers. But dears, the gyrating bums and acrobatic splits proved too much for the faint of heart, but were gleefully received by others who took front-row seats in front of the stage in the garden theatre! And then it was back to The Bare Essentials who rocked the night away! But what a night! Dears, it was all that and then some!!

Among those out were Chief of Defence Staff Major General Antony Anderson and the lovely Deveta McLaren; Judge Glen Brown; Contractor General Greg Christie and his fab wife Janice Christie; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Reginald Budhan; Indian High Commissioner Mohinder Grover; Indian cricketing great Sunil Gavaskar; former West Indian cricket legend and commentator Maurice Foster; Professor Errol Morrison; Honorary Consul of Iceland the esteemed Robert MacMillan; Richard and Diana Stewart; international legal consultant Harold Brady; Sheila Benjamin-McNeill and her daughter Ashleigh Fernandez; JPS CEO Damian Obiglio; his financial honcho Sangeet Dutta; Dr Akshai and Gunjan Mansingh; Honorary Consul of Portugal and publisher Paul Issa and his fabulous wife Oriente Issa; businessman Ian Garbutt and the lovely Sonia Khan; Tanny Shirley; Nergis Ahmad; Ferris Ziadie; the charmingly lovely Valerie Juggan-Brown; Jamaica National's Earl Jarrett; the urbane Leon Mitchell; Saleem Lazarus; Honorary Consul of Switzerland Ueli Bangerter; Honorary Consul of Bangladesh Michael Subratie and his fab wife, Melanie; Rajiv Bakshi and the lovely Dorothea Gordon-Smith; Catherin Handa; Cmdr George Overton; Robert and Odette Epstein; Alex Dropinski and wife Dr Saphire Longmore; Vinay Walia; the très elegant Sonja Sutherland-Dumetz; Donald Farquaharson; Ahsanul and Rilla Haq; Safraz and Neelo Ahmad; Rajan and Sonia Trehan; Vikam Additi; Gerry Wight and his gorgeous wife, Juliet; Robert Haughton; sensational singer, entertainer and model turned-red-hot designer Ashley Martin; the lovely Miranda Ragbeir; the fabulous Toni Parke-Moodie-Panton; Ravi and Ashmita Roshilani; duchess of burlesque, former dancehall queen Carlene, Dr Raghavan and Sukanya Ramamoorthy; and son Rakul; Sheraine Murray and visiting siblings; and the charming Carol-Ann Philips; plus a number of the visiting cricketers, officials and others!