Socadromea huge success

CAROL MATROO

While most venues in Port of Spain suffered from poor crowd turnout for Carnival Tuesday, the Socadrome at the Jean Pierre Complex saw the best turnout in its five years of existence.

“This is no doubt our best year. We had a greater turnout this year. We advertised for a shorter period, but I guess that goes to show that the product speaks for itself. We also opened it up to other bands to come through. As of 2 o’clock, 2,400 people came through the drome, but I don’t have the final count,” Socadrome marketing manager Danielle Jones said at 4 pm.

She said because of the National Carnival Committee’s (NCC) route and the rules not everybody could make it to Socadrome, but hoped they could eventually open it up for everyone. In previous years non-competing bands were not allowed to pass through Socadrome.

Before 10 am, traditional mas characters were already at the complex entertaining an albeit small crowd. But by the time Bliss began to cross the stage the crowd began to grow with the eastern stand filling almost to capacity.

This large band was followed by another, Tribe, which took more than an hour and a half to complete its presentation.

However, the crowd did not seem to mind as they danced and sang along to Machel Montano and Austin “Super Blue” Lyon’s Soca Kingdom, which was played the most number of times.

Yuma followed at 12.40 pm and took just over one hour. The performance times were not unusual for these big bands and those were more or less their times for crossing the stage at the Queen’s Park Savannah. Spectators got to see not just “pretty” mas, but were treated to performances by iconic calypsonians David Rudder, Michael “Sugar Aloes” Osouna and the Sweet Soca Man himself, Timothy “Baron” Watkins, and sound of sweet pan by Starlift Steel Orchestra.

“Last year the people asked for calypso and steelpan and this year they got it,” Jones said. Jones said she was also pleased that small band Papparazzi was able to make it to Socadrome. Security was high at the complex as dozens of police and security officers were present at every entrance, exit and every place in between, which ensured that masqueraders and spectators enjoyed crime-free at Socadrome.