Full taste of Carnival at Socadrome

FOR those looking for a full taste of Carnival, they certainly got a treat at the Socadrome on Tuesday, as many aspects of Carnival were on show.

Popular Carnival bands like Tribe, Rogue and Paparazzi; traditional characters tan tan and saga boy; stickfighting; a riddim section; and soca artistes graced the stage to entertain the patrons.

Tribe started to cross the stage at 11.30 am with its many sections. Carnival Contract by Bunji Garlin was the favourite song by Tribe, with DNA by Mical Teja also receiving a lot of airplay.

Former TT footballer Kevin Molino said he enjoyed playing mas for the first time with multiple bands. Molino told Newsday, “First-time ever (playing mas), amazing to see all the people, amazing to see everybody happy and unified together as one.”

Giving his take on the road march race, he said, “Bunji Garlin – the energy and the vibe and everybody gravitated towards it. It’s amazing, and I hope he wins it. I just want to enjoy the time with Scorch, Tribe and Yuma.”

The region and the world were well-represented throughout the day at Socadrome as flags from Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, Guatemala and Nigeria were among those seen.

Rogue quickly followed after Tribe and went across the stage quickly, with a much smaller population. Again, Carnival Contract was the song of choice by the Rogue DJs.

Friends from Canada, Samantha Duncan and Kafi Craig, were happy to be in Trinidad again for Carnival.

Duncan, who has Jamaican roots, said, “It feels amazing. Been here once before, but I feel this year is the best.”

Craig, sporting her Guyanese flag, agreed, “I have also been once before, loving it this year.”

Speaking about the experience playing with Rogue, they said, “Just the vibes of everybody, the food...the costume pick up was seamless.”

They had a different take on the road march race, with one saying DNA and the other Carnival Contract. To keep cool, many masqueraders were seen with handheld mini fans.

Between the big bands, the entertainment did not stop as Darryl “Farmer Nappy” Henry performed a few songs for the crowd, including his 2019 hit Garbage Bag. Tan tan and saga boy, as always, was well-received, along with the Qualitech Roaring Iron Riddim Section and stickfighting, accompanied by drummers.

When the crowd moved to the western side of the venue to avoid the sun, Olatunji Yearwood kept the temperature hot with a sizzling performance. He performed for about 20 minutes, going into the stands to engage the crowd. During Olatunji’s performance, he gave high fives and took pictures with children, who were especially excited to interact with him.

He had everyone singing songs like the 2023 song Engine Room and this year’s Inventor.

Shortly after Olatunji finished performing, Paparazzi entered the Socadrome, followed by Teja – one of the stars of 2024. He, as expected, thrilled the crowd with his performance of DNA. Viking Ding Dong also performed.