SCARBOROUGH, Tobago — Shurwayne Winchester wants visitors to fall in love with Tobago for more than its Carnival parties.

The soca star and two-time Road March champion is bringing the island’s heritage into the festivities with Tobago Love The Xperience, an event themed The Harvest, set for October 29, at Signal Hill Secondary School.

Organised with his longtime friend and former schoolmate Lester Duncan, the event aims to give visitors a taste of Tobago’s traditions while celebrating the Carnival season.

“We’re using this event to show the world what Tobago is truly about. For me, it’s about giving back to the place that I came from. There is no prouder moment than being able to do something like this on your home soil,” Winchester said.

“We wanted to offer those visiting the island, something more than the décor and the lights and music.”

Winchester, who has been part of the soca scene for more than 20 years, said he wants people to experience the history and character of Tobago alongside the festivities. Although he now lives in Trinidad, he remains closely connected to the island where he grew up.

“When people enter the venue they will see and feel exactly what a Tobago Harvest is like even as we fete and celebrate the Carnival season,” he said.

He believes that connection to place should extend beyond a single event, with Tobago’s Carnival offering visitors a reason to return at other times of the year.

“When they come here for Carnival, what they experience should make them want to return even outside of the Carnival season,” he said.

Winchester’s interest in preserving local culture also shapes how he views his role as an entertainer. He recently performed at the funeral service for calypso legend The Mighty Sparrow, whose career helped carry Trinidad and Tobago’s music to audiences around the world.

Reflecting on Sparrow and Aunty Rose, Winchester said their example showed the importance of representing the country with pride and dignity.

“We have so much to offer the world and there are men and women who showed us how to do it with class and dignity,” he said. “Men like Sparrow and Aunty Rose represented in a particular way for T&T and I just think it’s a fundamental part of being a patriot – someone who puts country before anything else.”