An oasis in the covid19 desert

THE EDITOR: At a time when Trinidadians and Tobagonians were steeped in anticipation of the yearly catharsis that is the bacchanal of Carnival came a pandemic that stopped the greatest street festival on Earth. The impact of no mas not only dulled the enthusiasm of the local population but left those in the diaspora out in the cold and denied them their annual pilgrimage to bask in two epic days of revelry in the burning sun.

But just as the people of this small country created the steel pan, the only musical instrument developed in the 20th century, these innovative people found ways to celebrate Carnival within the covid19 desert.

On February 10, I joined an audience at Queen’s Hall (full covid19 protocols strictly enforced) where YUMA the Carnival band presented its contribution, Road to Stage. The “new normal” in our daily lives, as it has been termed, makes one unsure what to expect at this type of event.

The waiting in anticipation of the start of the show was too long. However, once it started it blossomed into a presentation that showed the creative capability of the YUMA team that conceived and brought this production to the stage.

The presentation opened with a beautifully rendered tribute in song to TT and here the journey began. The production took us back to the time when a live band accompanied artistes on stage as they belted out their popular calypsoes. The live band (horns included) in front of the Queen’s Hall stage in the area of the pit brought extra life and vibrancy along with nostalgia to the production.

The programme continued with the age-defying Drupatee and the youthful Nailah Blackman as they enthralled the audience with their versions of each other’s songs. What followed was exciting as Shurwayne Winchester paired with Sekon Sta on centre stage and sang one another’s calypsoes to the delight of the audience.

The show continued with Sharlan Bailey, who brought back memories in song of his enigmatic dad Shadow – splitting image and all – to an appreciative audience. The next act transported us back to the now as Shal Marshall and Swappi brought the vibrancy of their soca to the stage.

What came after was a reminder of our loss to the art form (the recent passing of Singing Sandra) as three women of soca – Destra Garcia, Nadia Batson and Patrice Roberts – graced the stage with calypsoes made famous by Sandra, plus their own songs.

The exit of the women saw Ricardo Drue, Ravi B and Preedy bring hype and dynamism to the stage in a raucous performance that enthralled all. Then entered the solo act of Erphaan Alves with his captivating style and smooth delivery of his familiar calypsoes, to which the audience added their voices.

The charismatic Iwer George came next and was accompanied by Ding Dong. This pairing proved to be both exhilarating and funny as the ageing Iwer with his high energy caused the heavyset Ding Dong to stop and catch his breath as he tired from the prancing on stage.

The final performance saw the coming together of the old soca master Ronnie McIntosh and the new sensation Voice electrifying the audience. This proved to be a fitting finale to an enthralling and engaging production.

The YUMA management must be commended for conceptualising and successfully bringing this production to the stage. The idea of mixing the old stars with the present-day showstoppers proved to be an excellent decision. The show as conceived and staged has the capacity to have broad-based appeal across all ages. That appeal was very evident as patrons, both young and old, waved their hands in the air, wined in their seats and a few even left their’s to take a small prance.

The audience’s thirst for calypso and soca was certainly satisfied at the YUMA Road to Stage oasis in the covid19 Carnival desert.

ALBAN C SCOTT

Woodbrook