No Carnival shows at Normandie

For the first time since the Hotel Normandie began its Under the Trees Carnival programme 24 years ago, the entire programme has been cancelled.

Raymond Chin Lee, general manager, confirmed this yesterday saying: “We didn’t see the ticket sales materialise.” However, one of the performers scheduled to appear at the Hearts and Minds show said, during a phone interview, he was told the reason for the cancellation was that managing director Fred Chin Lee had to leave the country urgently for medical reasons.

A notice was put on conventional and social media a couple days ago that read: “The Blood Bank, Maraval Rotary Club and the Hotel Normandie regret to inform that due to unforeseen circumstances their joint project Hearts and Minds on Fire, the all-inclusive event scheduled for Under The Trees at the Normandie in St Ann’s on Sunday February 4, has been unavoidably cancelled.”

That show was expected to feature Pelham Goddard and Roots, David Rudder and creole music from Dominican Ophelia Marie. The notice gave details of when ticket-holders could collect their refunds at the Normandie in St Ann’s, and that any inconvenience caused by the cancellation was regretted.

But not only was this fete cancelled, but all other shows as well. They included Kaiso House calypso tent on February 5, Rudder in the House on February 7, Chalkie & The Political Bandits featuring Chalkdust, Panther and Skatie, and Rotaract Club’s Blue Food all-inclusive on February 11.