More money for regional mas

Touching on some of the National Carnival Commission’s (NNC) plans for Carnival 2023, chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters told Newsday in an interview that traditional mas is going to get more focus as it is a major tourist attraction with people visiting specifically for the regional carnivals. There will be no new routes for bands, he said, as congestion on the roads on Carnival days is inevitable and cannot be escaped. Peters also urged people to stop denigrating Carnival as it has benefits, is the “largest temporary employer in TT” and a major boost to the economy.

The first part of the interview was published on November 16.

No new route for Carnival 2023

Each year there is discussion about the Carnival route, which has led to developments such as the Socadrome. But come next year, there will no route changes, Peters said.

“There is very little anybody in Trinidad, Tobago or anywhere else could do about the congestion on the road for Carnival in TT. We will do as much as we can – you will never escape congestion.”

He said the roads were largely the same as when his great-grandmother played mas about 100 years ago, and these roads now have “18-, 20- and 30-wheeler trucks” with bands.

The number of people playing mas is also larger now.

While there is not much else it can do about congestion, the NCC has built a larger stage at the Queen’s Park Savannah, as well as supporting the Socadrome.

It would continue to do what it could, but “inevitably it is going to end up with congestion,” he said.

He added this would continue until the country had a dedicated place for Carnival, like a Carnival city – the NCC would love that, but Peters asked where it would be placed, as certain sites would lead to complaints. People would continue to talk about changing the route, he said, but not everyone likes Carnival, and some might find fault with it.

“We are in a catch-22 position in this whole thing, and it is not in the NCC’s purview to say we need a Carnival city. That is something that has to be negotiated with the Government.”

The only place he thinks has the space to build a Carnival city is south Trinidad. Peters said former prime minister Basdeo Panday had plans to do that when he was a junior minister in the Panday administration.

The idea was to construct it on lands in Caroni, an idea given to the administration by Machel Montano’s father, Winston Montano.

Peters believes people would have complained about this, as TT is a “funny country” and everything has to be considered, whether religion, race or politics.

Return of the North Stand

One major development for 2023 is the return of the North Stand. Peters said people have been clamouring for it. It was removed in 2018 because it was said not to be economically viable.

“The epicentre of Carnival is the Savannah. Any innovation we have to make has to be done there to bring people there. It has to be done in a way it can be monetised.

“We also have to understand not everything that you do there would be monetised. There are things you have to do there for the people, because Carnival is for the people and by the people.

“These are all of the things we have to balance to make our Carnival what we want it to be.” He said unlike other carnivals across the globe, TT’s Carnival took place throughout the country and each community’s carnival was different.

“The innovations we have to do will culminate one place, but cannot be started (in) one place.”

Innovations also have to be made in the regional carnivals.

“All over the country there are different characters. We have a portrayal Carnival. Everywhere there is a portrayal of something. Other carnivals play mas just to play mas.”

There will be greater allocations for regional carnivals as well as restructuring their committees.

Focus on traditional Carnival

There is also going to be a heavy focus on traditional Carnival next year.

Peters said many people do not understand that many tourists visit TT for its regional carnivals and traditional Carnival – a lot of people come to TT and never come to Port of Spain.

For next year’s Carnival Village, the commission will have a “Carnival Character Corner,” where there will be photo cut-out boards (life-sized cardboard cut-outs of characters where people can place their face and take a photo).

These photos can be posted on social media and are part of the further digitisation of Carnival.

There will also be also an emphasis on the history of Carnival characters.

Stop denigrating Carnival

Peters said some people, including religious bodies and groups, denigrated the festival and did not look at the significant benefits it brought to the economy and society. He said the $146 million spent on Carnival is for and on the people.

“You know how many people in TT, who work absolutely nowhere, depend on the little money they make for the two or three months leading up to Carnival to live for the rest of the year? Carnival is the largest temporary employer in TT.

“The very people we hire take that same money and go to the grocery, pay their children’s school fee, buy clothes and do whatever, and that money ends up right back in the treasury.

“That is the money that sustains a lot of us. Carnival is not just about wine and jam and wine down the place.”

Public education campaign on Carnival’s benefits

After Carnival, the commission will run a public-education campaign about its benefits.

“We have to go and have some public forums and we have to have the relevant people speak on the benefits of Carnival.

“I think it is spoken about in silos, and those silos are usually closed.”

The NCC plans to open those up to the people.

“Carnival is not a bad thing. Carnival is not an evil thing. Carnival has nothing to do with the devil.”

The NCC plans to use money from this year’s allocation and what is made during the Carnival season to drive that campaign.