Waterloo Secondary, Robert Village Hindu Primary top Tassarama

THE top two positions in the secondary school category of the 2024 Schools’ National Tassarama Competition went to first-time contenders on Wednesday.

Waterloo Secondary School unseated last year’s champions, Naparima College, to become the reigning victors among the ten competing secondary schools. Team captain Darsa Maharaj described the achievement as a pleasure for first-time competitors.

It was no beginner’s luck either, he said, as it took months of practice, including during lunch breaks, to perfect their performance. He admitted that he did not expect the team to be victorious.

But, the co-ordinator of the school’s tassa club Debbie Bachu said there was no doubt the group would have succeeded given their natural talent.

“I know the boys have talent...they had no trainers. They trained themselves. We didn’t have any outside help. The dancers are also from our school. They were also trained by a teacher from our school so everything is within Waterloo.”

“These boys are really, really good boys, and they had the talent so we were the first school to register for the competition because I knew they were good. They’re disciplined, they’re really really hard-working boys and the school is a good school so they deserve the win.”

Apart from winning the title, the school saw victory in having its players selected as the best cutter player and best bass player in the secondary schools’ category.

Placing second was another first-time competitor, Parvati Girls’ Hindu College.

Not only was it their maiden performance, it was the first time the competition had an all-girl team.

Team captain Ahalia Rennie said she felt exuberant, elated, and lost for words. “We worked so hard, we put in so much sacrifice, and we showed people we could break the barriers being the only all-girls band. I think we did really good,” she said.

Coaching the team was the 2022 Chaconia Gold Medal winner and musician for over 48 years, Lenny Kumar, who commended the girls, saying they only picked up their instruments in January 2023.

He said he used his lengthy experience to help craft the girls’ performance into something the judges would like.

Despite an astounding theatrical performance with depictions of the arrival of East Indians to Trinidad and Tobago, working on sugar cane plantations and presentations by moko jumbies and a fire-breather, former champions Naparima College placed fourth.

In third place was Presentation Chaguanas.

Also competing in the secondary school category were Marabella North Secondary School, Marabella South Secondary School, Tableland Secondary School, Barataria South Secondary School, Vishnu Boys’ Hindu College and Moruga Secondary School.

The primary schools’ competition also saw an upset as reigning champions Avocat Hindu Primary School was bumped down to second by Robert Village Hindu Primary School. Placing third was the Debe Hindu Primary School. These were all the competing schools in this category.