Cops, revellers praise J'Ouvert in Tobago

Tobago carnival gold commander ACP Collis Hazel hailed this year’s J’Ouvert as a success, saying it was the safest on the island in past 33 years.

Hazel said three people were arrested, seven vehicles and several weapons seized. There were no reports of serious crimes of road traffic accidents.

“As gold commander for the event in managing such mammoth crowds of persons, I am indeed elated that our plans have worked for this event and we look forward to executing our other strategies for the other events in the October carnival,” he said.

After Scarborough’s J’Ouvert ended, the revelry continued with Mud Is Life at the Shaw Park Complex.

Costumed masqueraders will be on parade on Sunday as the celebrations draw to a close.

Earlier, in a separate interview at the event, Burris claimed all of the THA’s events, in the run up to carnival, were “completely subscribed to.

“We are happy with the response we have been getting from Tobagonians, from Trinidadians because all of the boats, all of the planes are coming filled. Everybody is reporting that they are doing excellent business. So far the carnival looks like it will be extremely successful,” she told reporters.

Burris believes the carnival has improved from last year.

“One of the things we wanted to achieve has been achieved, which was to get more local buy-in. So we certainly have more Tobagonians coming out and supporting the events, which we are happy for.

“In addition to that, the strong support from the domestic market, Trinidadians, they have taken up every extra seat that is available as far as I am aware.Everybody who is here have been enjoying themselves and we just want people to continue enjoying themselves for the rest of the weekend.”

She also believes the carnival is helping to revive the island’s economy.

Burris observed that shortly after the Buccoo Reef docked on Friday there was traffic in Scarborough.

“Traffic in Scarborough is always a good sign. It means that people are moving. It means that people are spending money. It means that the economy is turning over, commerce is taking place and that only redounds to the benefit of the Tobago economy.”

Although the J'Ouvert celebrations kicked off with a late start, hundreds of revellers turned out for the street party.

The mud, paint and mas event kicked off the street party on the penultimate day of the island’s second annual October carnival.

As usual, Fog Angels’ presentation, Turn It Up, was by far the largest band along the parade route.

The band, led by Tele Cruz, was the first to hit the road around 6am.

Under brilliant sunshine, the revellers, dressed mostly in orange jerseys, chipped to soca and calypso music, which blared from Randy B Sound Company and other music trucks that accompanied the band.

Fog Angels also had tight security. But this did not prevent spectators, including the family members and friends of players, from sneaking into the band and taking part in the revelry.

“This is the first year I am playing in this band and I am having a good time,” said US resident Susan Archer.

She said several of her relatives from Trinidad have been playing with Fog Angels for the past four years.

The band is known for its huge Trinidadian and foreign-based following.

Unlike previous years, there was major shift in venue from Crown Point to the capital city, Scarborough, for this year’s event.

The revellers, representing some 22 bands, gathered at Shaw Park Cultural Complex and made their way along the Claude Noel Highway, into Wilson Road and finally, Milford Road, along the waterfront.

They expressed mixed views about the change in the route.

“It is something I guess I have to get used to because I accustomed to Crown Point. But I find I can’t dance as I used to there,” one woman said.

Another agreed, saying she walked for much of the route.

“But I still had fun in my band. I guess we will just have to see how its works.”

Owing to the large number of players and the narrow thoroughfare between Wilson Road and parts of Milford Road, the band stood still at various junctures along the route.

Organisers opted to change the venue this year owing to the traffic nightmare that occurred in Crown Point during last year’s J’Ouvert celebrations.

Many of the presentations featured colourful outfits and accompanying items such as cups, scarves and hats. Among them were Venus Promotions and Majestic Carnival Band’s Mad As A Hatter, Iconic Mas’ Gems of the Isle, Jade Monkey Mas’ Faces of Tobago, Naomi Lynch’s The Tobago Experience: Let’s Paint Tobago Blue and Bago’s Outta De Blue.

Some, like Marcellin Nedd & Associates, paid tribute to Mighty Sparrow’s (Slinger Francisco’s) tune Jean and Dinah.

The bands were interspersed with moko jumbies and other carnival characters such as gorillas, blue devils, minstrels and dame Lorraines, which delighted spectators.

Bars and food stations, selling everything from pholourie and fried chicken to bottled water and hamburgers, also lined both sides of Milford Road, the main parade route.

The parade took place under the watchful eyes of police and soldiers, who walked through the crowd in single file at several intervals.

Before the event, they also carried out random searches at the Signal Hill traffic light, Mt Marie and at the corner of the Claude Noel Highway and Wilson Road.”