Friday, August 10 2012

Arima Borough Day celebrations will climax tomorrow with a full day of activities beginning with J’ouvert at 5 am and ending with pan which goes until 12 midnight.

Saturday’s activities are part of celebrations for the 124th Anniversary of the Arima Borough which began on July 21 and ends on September 2. A taste of Carnival is what patrons have in store for them tomorrow.

After the J’Ouvert celebrations, there will be the parade of traditional mas character bands and “pretty mas” bands. Fifteen registered bands are expected to take to the streets of Arima in traditional mas costumes between 1-5 pm.

There will also be conventional steelbands in concert at the Town Centre from 1 pm to midnight. Bands scheduled to perform include WITCO Desperadoes, Solo Harmonites, Arima Angel Harps, Arima Golden Symphony, Supanova. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille, La Horquetta Pan Groove, Melodians and Simple Song.

The single pan bands will also have their time in the spotlight with a competition from 6 pm to 11 pm. At the draw for playing positions earlier this week at the Arima Town Hall, Vernon Morancie, Chairman Pan Trinbago East Region sent out a warning to DJs and those who use other electronic instruments that they will not be allowed on the streets of the eastern borough for the Arima Fest 2012 Single Pan Bands Competition.

He emphasised that only Single Pan bands will be allowed to play music on the streets of Arima. “It is a steel pan thing and it must remain so. Let the national instrument be heard by all and not the loud DJs and other electronic instruments that drown the sweet steel pan music,” Morancie said.

Morancie also read the rules of the competition to the representatives of the 11 bands in the competition. He advised all bands to have their musical instruments assembled at the various locations allotted to them by 5 pm.

Bands failing to comply with the rules will be penalised for which they would make no apologies. Patricia Cedeno Metivier, Arima Deputy Mayor and Chairman of Arima Fest welcome the bands’ representatives and thanked then for their participation. She advised band leaders to be punctual so the competition would begin on time. Metivier said next year the competition would be open to all bands and promised the prizes would be much better.

To the public she reminded all to have fun and ensured there would be a heavy police and army presence along the route and at the judging point at First Citizens Bank. In addition, she said, security would be beefed up for the competition.

Metiver then announced the prizes on offer for the competition. The first prize is $10,000; second, $7,000; third, $5,000 and all unplaced bands will receive $4,000.



The order of appearance of the 11 bands in the competition is:

1. Magic Notes Rebirth

2. Sipabatt

3. Star Sapphire

4. The Graduates

5. Curepe Polyphonics

6. Arima All Stars

7. Marsicans

8. Nu Pioneers

9. Pan On The Move

10. Pan Elites

11 Trinidad East Side

Symphony.