Created in 1980 by Pan Trinbago, the post-Carnival Champs in Concert, staged annually at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, will not be held this year. At last Saturday’s National Panorama finals, this was confirmed by Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz. The beleaguered steelband association head said that his organisation was unsuccessful in sourcing sponsors to underwrite the costs of the event.
Sorry that the 2017 edition of the production would not be staged, Diaz said this would be a loss not only to Pan Trinbago, but also to the champions in pan, calypso and mas who form the content of the show. He said it would also be a loss to the hundreds of overseas visitors who look forward to seeing the winners of Carnival one last time on one stage.
Pan Trinbago has been embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the National Carnival Commission (NCC) and legal arguments between both parties are expected to continue in court now that Carnival is over.
Carnival 2017 was one of mixed experiences and outcomes, with a number of highs and lows.
Topping the list of positives was the overwhelming Road March victory by MX Prime and Ultimate Rejects with its runaway hit song Full Extreme. This ditty was undoubtedly the most popular song of the festival and provided most of the energy which fuelled Carnival. Full Extreme was the selection for winning National Panorama steelband Massy Trinidad All Stars and is the second song to win both the Road March and Panorama.
The last time this was achieved was in 1983 when SuperBlue’s Rebecca won both competitions, that year performed in Panorama by 2017 runner-up Desperadoes.
Another achiever this year was Panorama winner Pan Elders which scored a beaver trick of wins in the Medium steelband category, a feat matched by Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra in the National Junior Panorama (Elite category) competition. Not to be outdone, St Margaret’s Anglican School copped a record tenth victory in the primary schools competition.
As far as youth and their achievements are concerned, outstanding were the Camejo brothers (Stefan and Sergio) capturing both the Junior and Secondary National School’s Soca Monarch titles.
Also reaching the skies in calypso was calypsonian Chalkdust (Prof Hollis Liverpool) when he passed Mighty Sparrow’s longstanding record of eight wins in the National Calypso Monarch competition. To achieve his ninth win, Chalkdust sang Learn From Arithmetic.
A calypso repeat winner was Voice in the International Soca Monarch final, singing Far From Finished. A past achiever in record sales in Europe, Fireball was crowned the 2017 Young Kings Calypso Monarch. Gypsy too was an achiever this year, recording his tenth victory as the National Extempore Monarch.
Trinidad All Stars became only the second band in National Panorama history to score a double figure of wins in the 54-year competition, taking its tally to ten wins playing Leon “Smooth” Edwards’ infectious arrangement of Full Extreme. Desperadoes is closely ahead in wins with 11 victories and bpTT Renegades is third with nine. All Stars complemented its impressive Panorama win by presenting one of the largest bands in Port-of-Spain on both Carnival days, attracting many personalities including Prime Minister Keith Rowley.
Three other outstanding bright spots on Carnival 2017 were Machel Monday, held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on February 20, the Calypso Rose concert at the Savannah on Carnival Friday night and Etienne Charles and David Rudder returning live music to the street with their band Red, White & Black on Carnival Monday. The Prime Minister also played with this band.
But Carnival also had its down side, the worst of all being Sunday night’s Dimanche Gras at the Savannah. Despite Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (Tuco) producing a commendable first half of the production, its second half left much to be desired in every aspect of stage management and presentation. In its wake NCC chairman Kenny de Silva has apologised for the show’s flaws and shortcomings.
The National Panorama semifinals was another production failure as its organisers decided to include the small bands semi in the show —resulting in 58 steelbands facing three panels of judges. The marathon exercise lasted all day on the Sunday and well into the wee hours of Monday morning.
Another disappointment this year was the non-television broadcast of the annual Republic Band Junior Carnival. Each year this mas parade is beamed nationwide and globally, especially to thousands of mas lovers who are unable to make it to Port-of-Spain to see the nation’s children in their splendour.
In short, the current Carnival model is in dire need of a facelift and needs to be retooled by all stakeholders making every component of the festival more attractive and digestible to all, at home and abroad. The NCC is entangled in discord with Pan Trinbago and Tuco, and Pan Trinbago has its own Pandora’s box to try and close.
My suggestions to all parties involved in an attempt to improve T&T Carnival include staging the National Panorama semifinal for small steelbands on a separate day, the reduction of finalists in the National Calypso Monarch competition and the return to finalists being required to sing two calypsoes instead of one, and the return of the King and Queen of Carnival finals to Dimanche Gras, fielding ten competitors in each category instead of 15.
A number of people and organisations must be commended for making Carnival 2017 the event that it was. Topping the list is Cepep, seen at all major events, ensuring good sanitation and cleaning up the nation’s capital on Carnival Tuesday night. Also deserving kudoes is React, the communications entity which ensured contact on the streets, observing the safe movement of over 100,000 people on Carnival days. The protective services also played its part and on more than occasion I saw police officers lending assistance to masqueraders and spectators in a cordial manner instead of with brutish attitude and behaviour.
May I remind all that Carnival 2018 is much shorter and will be held on February 12 and 13. There are a mere four months left before mas bands begin hosting their launchings. The NCC and its special interest groups must begin to get their house in order if they are serious about continuing the branding of T&T Carnival as the “Greatest Show on Earth”.