by TRACY MOORE

COHOBBLOPOT will be cooking up more than the usual spice this year.

Not only will Trini-soca sensation Machel Montano be headlining the August 3 show along with Patrice Roberts and David Rudder, but the SATURDAY SUN understands that an additional Trini-element, Brian Lara, would be added to the stew.

A well-placed source revealed that negotiations were still on-going yesterday between the batting legend and the National Cultural Foundation (NCF).

"Lara is looking to move his fete from St Peter to Cohobblopot with a party stand," said the source. "He hasn't signed on the dotted line as yet, but it's looking like it will be a done deal."

Further investigations revealed that Lara's party will be at Kensington Oval's 3Ws Stand and that admission is set to be priced at $175, inclusive of food and drink, compared to $50 for other stands.

The source also said that the former West Indies cricket captain was expected "to bring three plane-loads of Trinis for that weekend" and "thinking of holding a day 'thing' at his plantation house on a separate day."

When the SATURDAY SUN called NCF's event co-ordinator David Jordan to get confirmation about Lara's participation in Cohobblopot, he had no comment.

This will be the third year that Lara will be throwing his own carnival, with the last two years being extremely exclusive, tucked away on the lavish secluded $3 million-plus Ebworth Plantation grounds in St Peter.

Both times, his $200-per-head fete had international artistes performing on the same night that thousands of Barbadians and tourists would be heading to the National Stadium for Cohobblopot.

Last month, NCF chairman Ken Knight announced that the three Trinidadian entertainers would be joining the local flavour which will include Red Plastic Bag, Gabby, Kid Site, John King and The Merrymen.

Meanwhile, other local artistes are still expected to be added to the roster.