Entertainers weigh in on Taste of Carnival

It is just a taste; just a little taste of the Carnival that Trinidad and Tobago knows. For some – whether it’s a taste or the full-blown mother of all Carnivals – whatever was happening with Carnival 2022 should have been communicated earlier.

Well that’s the way some artistes including Terri Lyons feel.

Lyons said many overall are glad for the Taste of Carnival but some were not totally ready, mentally or otherwise, for it.

“Everyone asks if we have other incomes, even if we have other incomes, our main income, where we produce most of our finances, to continue balancing our lives and keeping our heads afloat, is in entertainment.

“Yes, the other incomes and stuff is there but it cannot compensate for the amount that has been taken away. That come like a pay cut for us. A drastic pay cut.

“Even though some of us may be ready musically, we are not there but we are just doing. That is why we fly out and do most of our shows because the place is more open to be more comfortable to do certain things.”

Lyons said many understood the seriousness of the situation but wished the announcement of what was happening with the annual festival had been made earlier. She said many artistes were glad that the Government was putting in some effort but they share the view that that effort should have been put in before.

“I know some of the people are like, ‘But ent you ready?’ Yes I am ready but I can’t just study me alone. At the end of the day, I don’t want to be standing in a show by myself.

“I want to have other people to have me on my toes also. And a lot of strong calypsonians, especially calypsonians, are not ready, mentally even if they are ready with music, mentally, they are not.

“Financially, they are not.”

Lyons said many calypsonians were making do with what they do have.

She said if there was no pandemic she would have been aware of the dates of events and tents dates way earlier.

“I could have prepared myself. People don’t have the money right now to put on a show. We will show up to give what we can...”

Asked how easy it was for her to get her songs out this year, Lyons said it was not easy.

She has Fling Bam Bam, Can You Feel It featuring DJ Private Ryan and is featured on Swappi’s We Wanna Live along with Carl and Carol Jacobs and is yet to release another.

She said an artiste has to be careful about how they spend their money but, “Right now, thankfully, plenty of the artistes band together and producers now band together with the artistes where we try to be lenient with each other when it comes to recording, using each other’s studio, when it comes to writing music.”

Lyons said people needed to understand not because they were hearing music coming from the artistes meant that they have real money.

“Just like you would make sure to find that meal for your child. That is what we are doing because that is how we provide for our kids and ourselves.

“We have mortgages just like everybody else. We have bank loans just like everybody else. We have bills just like everybody else and that is why we will find that way of getting a song out. Even if we have to get it done for free and pay sometime down the road,” she said.

Lyons said many artistes were looking to leave the country and participate in carnivals that are happening. She said they want to make their revenue, come back to TT, take care of themselves and help other entertainers who were unable to do so.

“We assist each other. It is not posted all over Facebook like some people would want it to be but we are not to post… that kind of embarrassment, like some entertainers, for them to be ridiculed by John Public.

“Not everybody have a couple millions in their bank accounts.”

For some artistes, like herself, their breakthrough year was 2020, the year the pandemic hit TT.

She said when one hardly has revenue coming in, it means that money is simply going out and “bills isn’t halting.” She said some entertainers were forced to take less than their usual price simply to earn and, for Lyons, this was like sort of “belittling their talent in a way.”

Like many entertainers, things were up in the air as to what she will be performing in or not. She did confirm, however, that she will defend her Calypso Monarch title. Lyons is still the reigning monarch as there was no Carnival in 2021.

She said if it is just a Taste of Carnival there should be no competitions and instead only shows should have been done. Lyons has called for the commission to hold a forum with the artistes.

The reigning chutney soca monarch Imran “GI” Beharry says he is happy that the Government is doing something.

“Yes it is late. We are probably one month away (at the time of writing) from what is supposed to be Carnival Monday and Tuesday but at least we are getting a taste of something rather than nothing,” he said.

Beharry said the Government was trying to the give the people and the entertainers something.

He said it may not be what people are used to in terms of a “bumper-to-bumper” season but people could still get on a stage and perform for a limited audience.

Beharry said the chance to be on a stage in TT was a big thing for him as he had spent the last six months touring.

The pandemic months and years have been difficult times for all artistes and entertainers, he said.

“I won my first Chutney Soca Monarch in 2020 and right after winning that chutney soca monarch the pandemic came along.

“I basically won my two titles – 2020 and 2021 – in the pandemic. So I did not get to enjoy the touring so to say. It was only in 2021, when the US opened up, that I got the chance to go out there and work to be able in bring in some sort of income…”

However, it was still exciting and he was grateful to still be touring to bring in some income to care for his family.

Beharry has not decided if he is defending his title as yet.

“But we have not had any discussions with any stakeholders as yet except Chutney Soca Monarch which is Southex.”

He is hoping to have some discussions in the very near future. He, too, anticipates that there will be a lot of cuts in budgets from promoters in terms of paying artistes, sound engineers and others.

He recently released his 2020 single called Wa We Go Do. He said the song speaks to friends and togetherness. He said the song was produced eight months ago.

“This song is in perfect timing because we have not been on the road for how long?”

He said all of the artistes were on the same wavelength and he encouraged people to get vaccinated so TT could get back to some kind of normality. TT has to learn to live with the virus, he said.

Actor, bandleader, musician and member of 3canal Wendell Manwarren too agrees that the announcement of what was happening should have been made earlier.

He said, “As things stands, today is January (time of interview) and that means we literally have a month to the main event. I would say Carnival is a season. We know Carnival season is here and as a Carnival artiste for the past 27 years. We have always been involved in creating something.”

Manwarren said that urge to create is something that 3canal can’t get out of its system and that could be extended to the rest of the creative industry whether whether it is pan, calypso, mas.

“That urge to create and put something out there, is there, has been there and still is there. What we were waiting on – and I think most people would agree – we were waiting on a clear signal of intent from the people responsible for organising the mainstream Carnival.

“So people would use that as a signal, ‘Let’s proceed. We can put things in place.’”

Although Manwarren had said initially things were up in the air, the group came together with an independent promoter and will be a part of a series of concerts being done in collaboration with new media content creator, Sound Forge.

Whatever taste is left in the mouths of Trinis come February 28 and March 1, Manwarren and others wants the Government to signal whatever it plans to do with future Carnivals earlier.

“I understand to a degree the rationale behind the attempt to still present something called a Taste of Carnival but I hope we don’t end up with a tasteless meal.

“Carnival is a season. Is a time. It is born of us, the creative people and the people who participate in the Carnival. The government has a crucial role to play in organising things but they are not actually very critical when it comes to the Carnival.

“And I have always encouraged people to try to understand that the Carnival and the Government have nothing to do with one another. We have allowed that part of it to become way too prominent,” he said.