Acting PM Imbert: Carnival a success

ACTING Prime Minister Colm Imbert reports that by all accounts there was “tremendous participation” for Carnival 2019. He was speaking yesterday at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

He said Community Development, Culture and the Arts Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly was ill and unable to present on Carnival 2019, so he would present some of the highlights on her behalf.

“It was a great success. There were issues, of course, complaints from regional carnivals and so on, and we will have to formulate policies in terms of promoting the festival in all parts of TT. But those are things we will look at as a government. We have to get a proper post-mortem done.”

He said the new North Park at the Queen’s Park Savannah proved a more versatile venue than the North Stand because it was able to host multiple events in the same spot, but added, “Of course a post-mortem will be done to see what were the positives or otherwise with the replacement of the North Stand by the North Park.”

Imbert said Brass Bacchanal, which was held on Carnival Monday night at North Park, was a “tremendous success.

“It’s a return of brass to Carnival and it was a good use of North Park and they had a good turnout.”

Imbert said the Socadrome was included in the mas route for the first time in 2019 and he saw a report in the newspapers – which he assumed to be correct – that the owners of the Tribe family of bands financed it and entrance was free.

“And if it was, I don’t think anybody should have anything to complain about when it comes to the Socadrome.”

He said the format of Dimanche Gras was changed to a cultural show and there were quite a few positive comments and some criticisms.

“The Ministry of Culture wants to apologise to the moko jumbie king and queen not being able to take the stage. And this will be investigated and corrected going forward.”

He said the Panorama finals, which saw BP Renegades win their 11th large band title, were a tremendous success and the junior events for calypso, soca and chutney monarchs and school pan were growing. He recalled the Prime Minister had said he had an opportunity to visit Junior Panorama.