Carnival come back again…

“I wake in the morning and I just realise Carnival come back again,” Neil “Iwer” George sang almost prophetically in 1999.

In the Trinidadian crystal ball, a future without Carnival might have been an unlikely prediction. However, the covid19 pandemic made that a reality for two years.

With the festival back, it is left to be seen if people will behave like those in the late Aldwyn “Kitchener” Roberts’ 1973 calypso Rainorama. In 1972, when Carnival was postponed from February to May because of the threat of polio, Kitchener sang, “They start turning beast on the street. And they start to jump around, and they start to tumble down….”

There was a plethora of events leading up to the actual Carnival days and many of the major competitions will end this week.

Titles have already been given, with Pan Trinbago’s single, small conventional and medium bands being among the first shared this year.

Chord Masters Steel Orchestra won the single pan band title, Uptown Fascinators won the small conventional band title and Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra won the medium band title.

The last title to be decided is among the conventional bands and 13 will battle in the finals on February 18 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, for the $1 million prize. Proman Starlift will play first in the competition.

Finalists for the Calypso Monarch competition were selected on February 11 at the newly-refurbished Skinner Park, San Fernando. Eleven calypsonians will vie for the title at Dimanche Gras, Queen's Park Savannah show on Sunday.

This year's Fantastic Friday will be minus the International Soca Monarch contest which was cancelled. Instead, soca star Machel Montano will host his One Show at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain. The Junior Parade of the Bands will also be held on Saturday at the Queen's Park Savannah from 9 am. It will begin downtown Port of Spain and end at the Savannah.

There is also going to be the Traditional Carnival Characters Parade on Friday in Memorial Park, Victoria Square and Woodford Square from noon.

On Sunday there's Dimanche Gras being held under the theme, Metamorphosis: From Mud to Mas. The show will feature the Carnival Kings and Queens competition as well as the Calypso Monarch.

The National Carnival Commission’s deputy chairman Davlin Thomas says he anticipates a strong turnout at this event, as other events have been well subscribed. He cited Pan Trinbago’s semifinals and Calypso Fiesta at Skinner Park as examples.

Thomas said there is going to be a pre-show from 5 pm featuring Darion “Mr Strings” Dennis and David Bereaux and Friends.

At 7 pm, the show starts with an opening presentation giving life to its theme. He added there will a tribute to the late Dexter "Blaxx" Stewart, with some of his music being covered by Akhenaton “Yung Bredda” Lewis and Neil “Iwer” George. Yung Bredda will sing one of Blaxx’s J’Ouvert songs.

The opening will also feature Patrice Roberts and Destra Garcia, along with a special guest. After this comes the Calypso Monarch competition followed by guests artistes including Olatunji and MX Prime, and then the kings and queens competition will follow.

“We hope to have people going home a little after midnight. We are looking to give people an intense treatment,” Thomas said. “We have seen record numbers, as a National Carnival Commission, coming to our shows.”