Minority: Assess impact of Tobago Carnival

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

There must be more talks involving key stakeholders before any decision is made to host a separate Carnival in Tobago.

This is the view of members of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Minority Council as they responded to questions from members of the media on Tuesday.

Electoral representative for Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside, Assemblyman Farley Augustine recalled a March 2019 motion proposed in the House by the Minority calling for discussions on the way forward for a second Carnival on the island.

“Our position has been that we need to actually stop, assess it, see where it's plausible, see whether it makes economic sense, see what impact it would have in terms of disruptions on other services such as the education sector on the island and whether it is worth it. Weigh the balances, look at the opportunity costs and then decide whether we should have a second Carnival."

Augustine said the issue is no new one and must be taken seriously.

“We cannot just sit by year after year, whine about the fact that many Tobagonians and many foreigners choose to participate in Carnival in Trinidad… The reality is that Trinidad has a bigger, much more exciting, much more offerings in terms of their Carnival product, much more mature and developed Carnival product than Tobago does and no one in the Caribbean can compete with Trinidad’s Carnival, that’s the reality,” he said.

Tobago Mas Band Leaders' co-chairman Terrence Sandiford, Tobago Band of the Year winner Lou-Ann Melville and Carnival researcher Rawle Titus addressed the issue recently.

Having attended most of the island’s festivities, Minority Councillor Dr Faith BYisrael said she was comforted by what she saw. She believes the island has the tools to create a top quality product.

“Looking at the offerings of the bandleaders and looking at the offerings of the individuals who participate in Carnival; we have the mas, we have the pan, we have all of those, I have actually been pretty impressed by the offerings of Tobagonians this year.

“The mas was really, really top-quality mas. The pan was… of course… really, really top quality, which shows that Tobago can produce if we are managed properly," she said.

Acknowledging some of the friction between various Carnival stakeholders and the Tobago Festivals Commission, BYisrael said the final Carnival product was still of a high standard despite the challenges.

"Even given the horrid management that happened over the last couple weeks as it relates to Carnival in Tobago, those individuals, the stakeholders were able to pull through even though what happened at the THA level and what happened at the Festival Commission levels seemed to be in shambles. They still were able to show up and show off, and I think they certainly need to be commended for that.”

In an hour-long meeting in 2012, then Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston Peters and then THA Chief Secretary Orville London failed to reach agreement on a second Carnival in Tobago.