Socadroma pulsates

THE once contentious Socadrome at the Jean Pierre Complex appears to have settled into the regular routine of the annual Carnival. Yesterday saw the Socadrome take the lion’s share of mas together with the Queen’s Park Savannah. Downtown mas, placid for most of the day, picked up steam in the evening after the drome closed shop for another year.

This year was the first year the National Carnival Commission (NCC) brought the Socadrome into the official Carnival route.

In the beginning, the Socadrome was accused of separating the masqueraders as large bands such as Tribe and Bliss wanted to reduce the congestion while waiting to cross the stage. This year large bands such as Yuma and Tribe crossed the Socadrome stage without any backlog.

Approximately a half an hour after Bliss left the Socadrome Stage, Yuma entered. That band took about a half an hour to cross the stage. They were quickly followed by Tribe which took more than an hour to cross.

Popular songs among the bands included Soca Monarch Mr Killah’s Run Wid It and Road March contenders Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin and Skinny Fabulous’ Famalay and Kees Dieffenthaller’s Savannah Grass. Both Montano and Dieffenthaller appeared on separate music trucks in Tribe singing their possible Road March songs.

Newsday spoke to Diffenthaller who said Road March is just a title for him. He’s just happy so many people loved his song. “The race is over for me. I’m just having a good time. I am very happy,” he said.

NCC chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters performed on stage and touted the benefits of having two calypsonians running the NCC. He then invited NCC CEO Colin Lucas on the Socadrome platform where the two sang Lucas’ immortal, Dollar Wine.

David Rudder, Nailah Blackman, Kes were among the performers who also sang at the Socadrome. Starlift performed after Rudder, playing a number of popular songs. However, when they played Blackman’s Iron Love, the soca singer appeared and danced across the stage as if the panside summoned her.

Port of Spain Mayor Joel Martinez said he was delighted in the success of Socadrome with a number of people choosing to watch mas there. The Complex was almost three quarter filled with spectators at midday. Even the vendors appeared to be pleased with the flow of foot traffic coming from the Socadrome.