Late start to Carnival Tuesday celebrations in San Fernando

SCHEDULED to begin at 11 am, the parade of the bands in San Fernando only kicked off after 1 pm on March 4. But despite this, judges said the turnout was larger than last year, and police said it was incident free.

A total of 15 bands had an opportunity to impress the judges with their vibrant, colourful displays just outside the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA).

Jagessar Costumes was the first band to make its way to the judging point with its theme Red Clouds Over The South. Bandleader of the veteran fancy Indian band Lionel Jagessar Jnr paid tribute to his father, the late Lionel Jagessar Snr with some of the sections.

Jagessar Snr, a legendary masman, died in 2022 at age 74.

They were followed by Southern Mas Associates’ Native Gathering 2025 whose theme was titled Fancy Indians, and then Apache New Generation with Fancy Indian.

A four-year-old boy, Maison Samuel, stole the show during Southern Mas Associates’ presentation as he was singing along to Machel Montano’s Pardy and dancing like a seasoned masman.

But after these two bands, there was an hour-plus wait for the next band to reach the judges.

Some grew weary and complained, especially as no seating is provided for observers in San Fernando. Several people opted to sit on the ground or concrete barriers after standing for too long.

Chief judge Ancil Rooplal said he would like to see bleachers installed moving forward to provide comfort to viewers.

He also would like to see a stage as opposed to the revellers just running on the road at the judging point. His vision, he said, is for a “hub” to be implemented.

He added that the number of masqueraders this year is “much more,” adding that there were “thousands at Monday night mas (in San Fernando).

“Carnival in San Fernando is coming, it is here and it is alive and well.”

On the request for bleachers, San Fernando mayor Robert Parris said the city corporation “could always do more to improve on the product.

“(It) was always something in mind but keep in mind, we working within a budget. So as we raise money, we certainly will look at continuing to build so we can improve and have bleachers.”

He also believed the late end to Monday night mas, which he said was “the biggest in the history of San Fernando,” could have caused the late start on Tuesday.

“I’m very satisfied. (There was) only the incident (Monday) with Mr Little. That put a damper on the Carnival. I knew him personally, and a lot of people know him and it was really sad…I send my condolences out to his family.”

After the long pause, it was around 3.18 pm that another mas band finally came, with others trailing.

Many of the presentations had the judges smiling, while some even recorded videos.

Mas band Alvin Maynard and Friends paid tribute to Selwyn Little, who was crushed to death by a music truck in San Fernando on Carnival Monday.

The band Little was in, D Jammerz International Mas Band, would have been the 16th to participate on Carnival Tuesday but pulled out owing to the incident.

Maynard told members of the media that Little was his good friend “for a number of years.

“We played mas together, we lime together…So it was fitting to give him a tribute. Mas was his thing. He was a rel general.”

He said some revellers from Little’s band asked to “fall in” with his and he immediately said yes.

He said bandleaders need to watch their masqueraders “like a hawk.

“It’s your duty to do that. You’re the bandleader, not the band follower.”

Representatives from the Trinbagonian Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) said that at the time, Montano’s Pardy was in the lead for the Road March competition.

TUCO representative Pamela Farrell-Reyes said San Fernando mas is not like it used to be and most are going to Port of Spain instead.

Asked why she thinks this is happening, she said she could not say.

As for safety, ACP for the police’s South, Central, and Southwestern divisions Wayne Mystar said there were no “incidents” of crime on either day.

“The activities in San Fernando are doing quite well. We have a heavy police presence and I am happy to say our officers came out in their numbers and everything is going well so far.”

He said they had no major challenges as the Southern division is “easy to manage.”