‘Gypsy’: NCC glad its ideas take on-board

REINSTATED National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Winston "Gypsy" Peters said the commission is happy some of its ideas were taken on-board by the Prime Minister about what should happen come Carnival 2022.

Dr Rowley while addressing the nation on Thursday said that the Government received good advice after extensive consultation about Carnival.

He added that Carnival 2022 will not see street parades, unvaccinated gatherings and wild public partying but there is room for "safe zone" venue specific events where some elements of Carnival can be sampled as a Carnival "microcosmic mosaic with a difference."

The commission had said earlier this month that it had proposed a Carnival within the ambit of TT's safe zone initiative and for vaccinated people.

"Of course, we have done that. We have done proposals which we took to our ministry and of course the minister (Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell) would have had discussions with the cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. We are happy that some of our ideas are taken on board..."

He added that once the commission is given the go-ahead, which it might say is partial at the moment, it is ready to host Carnival in whatever form it is required to host it in.

Pan Trinbago's president Beverley Ramsey-Moore did not interpret Rowley's statements as there would be Carnival 2022 but rather there would be a taste of Carnival.

She said in a phone interview on Friday that whatever "taste" of Carnival there is, the organisation and its vaccinated members will be there to provide support.

"So it is a good time for me to encourage all of the pannists out there to get vaccinated. Because it is only if you are vaccinated you will be able to take part," she said.

Ramsey-Moore said while she was concerned about the increase in numbers and the spike in cases, she was cautious about what would happen in 2022.

She said Pan Trinbago's priority is the preservation of life and she was happy that some kind of event would be rolled out for most people who have taken the vaccine.

Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation's (TUCO) president Ainsley King said the organisation agreed with the final decision about Carnival 2022.

He said the organisation and other Carnival stakeholders were in the initial stages of discussions about Carnival which started at the level of the NCC.

King said the decision makers would have gone through the process and decided it should be this way.

For the TT Carnival Bands Association president Rosalind Gabriel it was encouraging to learn that careful consideration was given to the proposed plans of a "safe zone" Carnival.

She said in e-mail responses that having that level of support will only serve the effort as Carnival stakeholders continue to meet and flesh out the plan even further. While, "gathering as much feedback and suggestions as possible on how make such a thing (safe zone Carnival) not only highly viable and effective but as culturally, socially, and economically beneficial as possible."

Speaking specifically to the street parade, Gabriel said this forms only one part of the mas calendar although a prominent and widely known one.