Make Love Not War wins in Couva

Central Elite made a clean sweep of the major titles at Carnival Tuesday parade of the bands organised by the Couva Carnival Committee (CCC).

The Montrose, Chaguanas-based band which is led by John Roberts, commanded the stage with beautifully-crafted costumes as it presented Make Love Not War, said a media release. It won Band of the Year and the king and queen of the bands titles with Marlon Thomas portraying A Web of Love and Arissa Gracia the Queen of Peace, said a media release.

Although Carnival Tuesday got off to a slow start after 5 pm, the action picked up with several bands crossing the stage before the 11 pm end of parade.

Chairman of the Couva Carnival Committee Ramchand Rajbal Maraj said the Carnival turned out to be brighter than expected since the level of funding was uncertain due to the state of the economy, the release said.

“We had to be very creative and cost-effective to pull off such a good show this year. We must thank all the bandleaders, masqueraders, mas individuals, calypsonians, and our few sponsors, for their support," Maraj said. "We also thank the Central Police for making sure Couva experienced a safe carnival. We will start planning for next year with the next few weeks.”

Following are the results for the Tuesday parade of the bands:

Band of the Year

1. Central Elite – Make Love Not War led by John Roberts

2. Madness Crew – Jungle Crew led by Jenna Dass

King of the Bands

1. Marlon Francis – A Web of Love (Central Elite)

2. Mahindra Mahadeosingh – The Serpent King (Madness Crew)

3. Micah Beal – King of Monkeys (Golden Mas Community)

Queen of the Bands

1. Arissa Gracia – Queen of Peace (Central Elite)

2. Jena Dass – Jungle Royalty (Madness Crew)

3. Ranella Alfred – First Citizens Original Jab Jab