THA plans for 2025 carnivals, weighs $$ support

Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris says the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will have to carefully consider which products it will support and produce in the national and Tobago carnivals in the future.

In a WhatsApp message Burris told Newsday the THA’s focus was currently on a “robust post mortem” of the Tobago carnival, which concluded on October 27. She said stakeholders had to have their input on Tobago's position on the national Carnival.

“We will continue to support participation in national competitions at junior and senior levels for pan and calypso. The medium band finals are also confirmed to be hosted in Tobago in 2025.

“With the success of the Tobago carnival it is clear that we have to clearly differentiate between what we support and produce in October versus what we support and produce in February/March.”

Pan Trinbago’s Tobago Region chairman Kerron Fletcher said the Tobago carnival in October was a boost to the resources of steelbands in Tobago.

He said the bands were already preparing for Panorama next year, so they were glad to get the extra money for things like buying T-shirts and paying their players, arrangers and tuners.

He explained the bands were selected to perform at the various events during the October carnival, including the Rhythm, Steel and Powder event. They were chosen to ensure the same bands were not booked repeatedly. The system allowed for the equitable distribution of performances and funds so bands were able to sustain themselves for the upcoming Carnival season and throughout the year.

“We treat it as we see it. We respect the national Carnival as well as the Tobago carnival. We participate in the national Carnival fully in every single event. In fact, Tobago bands have been dominating the national Carnival for the past three years or more with our bands and arrangers and so forth.

“But Tobago carnival is only three years in the making and, in order to see a product grow, you have to give it your energies.”

He praised the THA and the head of the Tobago Festival Commission for the progress of the Tobago carnival, the marketing, the increased success of the events, for Trinidad and international parties participating in the carnival, and for giving the stakeholders a say in the production of the carnival.

Roslyn Reid, an executive member of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation’s Tobago Zone said its calypsonians had different views about the two carnivals.

She said for the last three years, the Tobago Calypso Monarch was moved to the Tobago carnival in October and THA hosted a junior calypso monarch competition at that time.

She said for the national Carnival, Tobago used to have a Windward Calypso Monarch competition, but that was cancelled this year.

“From the inception, the Tobago Monarch was placed in the October carnival. This year, the October carnival took away one competition, the Windward Calypso Monarch, from the adults. And we’re not sure if they’re going to have it again. We’re not hearing anything about it.

“If we have to have just one carnival and make October a real carnival, then we need to have a lot more included, not just for calypso but for pan and everything.”

Reid said the Tobago carnival in October was growing, but for now, the national Carnival was still very important for the calypsonians in Tobago, as it included calypso tents, qualifications for the semi-finals of the National Calypso Monarch competition and the National Junior Calypso Monarch competition in Trinidad.

Tobago October Carnival Association interim chairman Dexter Sandy explained its members did not participate in the national festival, except for two or three of the 30-plus bands, so they were not affected.

Head of the Tobago Bandleaders Association Dianne McCrimmon agreed the Tobago carnival in October had no effect on its members, who mostly focused on the national Carnival.

However, she lamented the THA’s removal of J’Ouvert events from Scarborough and Roxborough for its national festival, except for one at Crown Point. She said since there were no prizes for the Parade of the Bands in the October carnival, people mostly attended to enjoy the J’Ouvert in Scarborough.

“We are hoping that next year, they give us back J’Ouvert. I find the THA needs to give it back to us, because there are people who do not like to go to Crown Point because it’s too congested.”

She said new members were joining the organisation so there would be more mas bands on the road next year. Seeing that membership was increasing, she believed interest in mas was continuing to grow, but the reason there was a decline in participation in Tobago’s national Carnival was because the prizes were too small to be attractive.