Carnival queen Roxanne Omalo holds court in Mayaro

On a first encounter with Roxanne Omalo, one would be astonished by her cool demeanour. Who would think this woman has danced with and pulled almost 1,800 pounds of a Carnival costume on the Dimanche Gras stage and holds several titles?

Omalo, 37, holds the 2020 Carnival queen crown with her portrayal of Antourage Productions’ Mother of Dragons – Keeper of Light. She also holds won the 2018 crown and placed second a few times in past competitions.

With almost ten years in Carnival, Omalo thought 2021 would be the ideal year to retire and focus on her family, businesses and community.

WMN met up with Omalo at her home in Ortoire, Mayaro to get an idea of what she has been up to in a season with no Carnival, given that the festival has been cancelled because of the covid19 pandemic.

Not the least disappointed by Government’s decision, Omalo said the population needed to understand the severity of the virus and Carnival being cancelled was for the greater good.

“It is heartbreaking, especially for the mas men and women who made it a part of their lives. But having no Carnival this year is for the right reason, because lives are more important than Carnival. So many people around the world are dying because of the virus and even if there was Carnival, I would not have participated. It is hard, it is sad, and it affects a lot of us in the industry, but we are saving lives.”

Omalo, after her win last year indicated that she would retire, but said she had a few more performances to make for her group members and supporters.

“The group found that I should not have made that decision without consulting them. I thought about their arguments and decided to give two more years. I have achieved my goal of having the crown.

“It is strange because for the last ten years this has been my life and have grown accustomed to it. I usually prepare from September, the tabanca is not that strong during the day but at nights when I lie down, I would think about it. Within the group though it has been very hard.”

A confident Omalo said if Carnival 2021 was in full swing, she would have walked away with the title for a third time, with a costume designer Varma “Leo” Lakhan has already prepared.

WMN asked for a sneak peek into the concept and design of the costume but was denied, as Omalo hinted it may be used next year, if there is Carnival.

“My designer usually starts to prepare the costume in March and would have invested his time and money in it. I know I would have won this year. After seeing my costume, I knew I had the best chance of winning, because of his creativity and design. The costume is mind blowing.”

She noted that her successes were because of her faith in God and her family’s support and encouragement over the years.

The pandemic has forced many innovations, reinventions, connections and introspection about life for many in the. People in their stories shared in the media embarked on projects for commercial gain or as non-profit to assist families and communities.

For Omalo, her experience over the last year has been nothing but slow as she now had the time to invest in her family, businesses and community.

As a wife and mother of a 15-year-old boy, she said the downtime has given her the opportunity to connect with her family and plan for the future.

“I create hair oils from local products, manufacture burger patties and run a car rental service. I also have to ensure my son Jamel (Cooselal) is prepared for online school, so my day is usually packed.”

Omalo explained that she has been working to start a community initiative to empower women through her businesses. A bit upset, she noted that the current battle against gender-based violence was the reason she needed to push forward for women empowerment in her community.

Omalo called for the nation to put politics aside to save the country which she said was falling apart.

“We could have a better TT. We need to put politics aside because it is mashing up this country so much. It has divided us so much as a society. Parents also need to be active in their children's lives and not leave it to chance.”

Omalo hoped to open a factory and production line to manufacture her patties, and hair products, which she believed can provide job opportunities to better the standard of living for many in Mayaro. But getting assistance from the authorities has been difficult.

“We need to educate and speak up. We also need to create opportunities for the vulnerable to give them a fighting chance and not to feel trapped. We cannot continue to be double standard society.”

“I have reached out to the agriculture, land and fisheries (ministry) with my idea but have not received any responses and I have been doing this for years now. Why hasn’t the minister taken any action to assist Mayaro?

“It all kind of runaround to get information. I am not doing this for me. This is for the people of Mayaro, especially the vulnerable women.”

Omalo said the ministries of trade and investment and agriculture, land and fisheries need to assist local entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry, and not be selective about how it helps.

Omalo makes her hair oil – Head of Hair Re-growth and Moisturiser – at her home and the product is available throughout the country.

Likewise, her patties, which are vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and her flour-based products are also done from home.

“I have been trying to get the food products in the supermarkets but none of them, except PriceSmart has given me an ear. I am working on their recommendations to get my product on the shelves.

“I support local but cannot understand why there are some many red tapes to assist local farmers and manufacturers. It seems as though it is just talk and no action to support us.”

Agriculture, she believed was the way forward for TT given the economic crisis the world faces because of the effects of covid19.