IDA: THA trying to kill national Carnival in Tobago

INNOVATIVE Democratic Alliance (IDA) political leader Dr Denise Tsoiafatt Angus believes the Farley Augustine-led Tobago House of Assembly (THA) intends to “kill off” the national carnival on the island.

On the Tobago Updates morning show on March 7, Tsoiafatt Angus claimed “the events leading up to and even on the actual two days definitely showed that.”

She said she learnt that staff members of the Tobago Festivals Commission were sent to Trinidad to market this year’s October Carnival.

“I understand that a large number of them were posted to Trinidad leaving a paucity of persons to be able to run the carnival in Tobago at a budget of more than half a million dollars that they put together and approved to go to Trinidad to supposedly promote October carnival. Yet whilst that is being done, you still have not seen the local personnel.”

Tsoiafatt Angus also claimed calypsonians did not get any financial support.

“They have not even gotten a promise so far of how much they will be getting for the carnival season.”

She said the calypsonians must be commended for their performances.

“Throughout the communities, they ensured that people were entertained and felt the carnival spirit. Without them, the spirit may not have been felt.”

From a logistical standpoint, Tsoiafatt Angus observed there were some challenges.

Referring to Carnival Tuesday celebrations in Scarborough on March 4, she said, “A pan bomb competition with the masqueraders at the same time, created some confusion there and they need to look at that. They need to look at the sequencing.

“You have tourists waiting to see the masquerades coming out. What could have been put in that place? Could you have brought in the calypsonians to engage tourists at that time while you are waiting for the masqueraders to come out.”

“The sequencing just was not right. It looks like it was haphazard. It was like, ‘We supposed to do this. Let us just have something happen.’”

Regarding the October carnival, Tsoiafatt Angus, said the festival has significant potential.

She said the IDA recently had an in-depth conversation with economist and social scientist Dr Keith Nurse on its online platform, who agreed that the carnival presents “a huge opportunity for us as an economic driver.”

But Tsoiafatt Angus observed there is no available “appropriate data” to drive the decision-making process for the event.

“So you will just have haphazard things happen.”

She believes relevant data could give rise to “a developmental model that begins to shape the Tobago carnival in October and not just have a carnival in Tobago in October. There is a difference.”

Tsoiafatt Angus, a former secretary of community development and culture, said the success of the October carnival cannot be determined by the number of people on the road.

“It is time to bring in the experts, the economists, the cultural artists, who understand what this product could be. We have them measure, we have them collect data, give us guidance in terms of what data must be collected in order to make the prescription for the patient.”

She added, “We have an opportunity to build an industry. We have soca, calypso, all of that. How are we helping our local artistes to get into exporting themselves to the world and helping them understand what type of music would sell internationally versus locally.

“We are sitting on a goldmine and we have to nurture it. We have to shape it by ensuring that all of our artistes have opportunities, not just in Tobago.”