Couva mas expands but prize money drops

CHAIRMAN of the Couva Carnival Committee (CCC) Ramchand Rajbal Maraj has called for a “proper evaluation” of regional carnivals to determine levels of funding from the National Carnival Commission (NCC).

Rajbal Maraj called for better treatment for Couva Carnival at its 2019 prize distribution function at the Couva/Pt Lisas Chamber of Commerce auditorium on May 25.

He told stakeholders that Couva had to work with a sharp reduction in its allocation from the NCC in 2019. “Do not sit in your ivory towers in Port of Spain and make ad-hoc decisions. Do a proper evaluation of the regional carnivals and determine which are worth their salt and should be funded appropriately," he said.

“This year Couva experienced its largest crowds ever, with seven days of activities, but we have to cut cash prizes by 55 per cent. Some people who worked during the Carnival may not even get anything this year. We don’t know what will happen in 2020.”

Echoing the call for greater funding, MP for Couva South Rudranath Indarsingh said the NCC did not have a proper perspective on the immense growth of Couva Carnival over the years.

“The NCC and the regional committee are doing a disservice to Couva by not being fully involved on the scene. I challenge the line minister and the NCC chairman to come to Couva to understand and appreciate where we were, where we are now and where we want to be in the future,” he said.

Joseph Adams, representing the regional carnival committee, explained that it was a “tough call for the NCC when it makes its allocations, since many other committee have to eat from the same pie.” He nevertheless congratulated the Couva Carnival Committee for organising “one of the best Carnivals I have witnessed.”

Taking the top prize for 2019 Band of the Year for its presentation,Wings, was Chase Village Carnival. Calypso Monarchs Amrika Mutroo (Senior) and N’Janella Duncan-Regis (Junior) performed their winning compositions.