The following is strictly subjective, based on my observations since arriving on the island on October 26, and anecdotes from various persons, ranging from those intimately involved in some aspect of Carnival, to the man on the street.
It’s not an in-depth analysis, but more of a back-of-the-envelope evaluation. An in-depth analysis will be done when I get enough empirical information.
The good one
• The previous version of this type of event, Tobago Fest, was often marred by violence (some actually think this contributed to its untimely demise); however, this carnival was virtually (if not completely) violence-free. Congratulations are in order for Acting Commissioner Jacob, Tobago ACP Glen Dillon and their team.
• If the main objective was to promote tourism on the island, then the effort deserves full marks. Despite the limitations of the sea bridge and the air bridge, I seemed to encounter more Trinidadians than Tobagonians everywhere I went.
Among the Trinis I met was the greatest T20 cricketer of all time, whom I saw relaxing by the pool at the Tropikist hotel where I stayed. Furthermore, friends who came on the direct flight from New York told me that the flight was full.
• The HUSH party at Mt Irvine Golf Club was the best I attended, and based on anecdotal evidence the first to “score”. Color me biased, but I’m very happy about it because, unlike most other religions, the promoters are 100 percent Tobagonian. Congratulations to Dexter Plante, the Alfred Brothers and other members of the crew for putting on a classy and lively event.
• My proudest moment at Carnival was when I “looked up” the band from my home village of Moriah (old wedding producers). We (despite being in Trinidad for a while, I still have my Moriah address on my ID card and still vote there) were the only group to have a uniquely Tobagonian production – something the Carnival committee had said would be a priority.
Bad
• The limited number of Tobagonians who participated in the mass aspects was somewhat disappointing, but not unexpected. The biggest band for Jouvert and “pretty mas” was the Fog Angels. However, in both cases it appeared to be 80 to 90 percent non-Tobagonian. Apart from this group and Jade Monkey’s production, the numbers in other groups were small. In fact, I’m almost certain I saw two or three music trucks on the route (I walked, snapped, fixed the entire revised route) playing for no masquerade. Consequently, tourists (especially foreigners) coming to see the mass would have been disappointed.
• The late start prevented the bands from covering the entire route, so I had friends who organized mass-viewing limes at Lambeau, who along with several vendors in the area waited in vain for the bands to appear as promised. I was waiting with them, but when I saw that it was 2 o’clock in the afternoon and the first group was still on Wilson Road in Scarborough, I decided that the Mountain would not come to Muhammad, so this Muhammad set off for the Mountain.
It turned out to be a good decision, as I walked the entire revised parade route, saw all the bands and still had time to hear the refreshing waters of Store Bay beckoning me after my sweaty street shenanigans. – singing loudly “D Sweet Carnival in Tobago” on the way.
I stopped singing, however, when I saw the look of disbelief and despair on the faces of some vendors under a tent on the Claude Noel Highway, just past Shaw Park Road, when I told them that I was surely informed by no less a person than he. assistant commissioner of police that the groups will return to Orange Hill junction and will not reach their location.
• While the Mud is Life site is ideal for that activity, the number of vehicles allowed on site should be limited. Access to the venue is a narrow cul-de-sac (one way in, same way out) which resulted in a huge traffic jam which caused, among others, some people staying at the Tropikist and Sandy Point hotels to parked their vehicles on Milford Road and walked back to their respective hotels and picked up their cars when the congestion eased.
It also resulted in some customers parking, possibly illegally and certainly dangerously, against the perimeter fence of the airport. Organizers should consider a “park and ride” arrangement, taking into account whether drivers will want muddy people in their vehicle.
The damned
It pains me to write this because I’m a huge fan of Nadia Batson and was really looking forward to her All-Inclusive Garden of Eden Party. I saw it as an event where I could eschew my Tobago frill shorts and tank top/versatile outfits and step out in my chicest attire to enjoy what this super talented young lady has to offer. In short, I had it as the highlight of my weekend.
I arrived at the venue around 6:15pm for an event that was supposed to start at 4pm, waited until 7:15pm for the gates to open (all the while, clueless as to what was going on), entered the bar at 7pm: 25, where I felt like I was in the second half of the previous Mud is Life festival, I was back in my car and I was leaving at 7:30 pm approximately $1,500 in the channel.
Conclusion
Despite my concern about the lack of information on how the $17.5 million was actually disbursed, I agree with the prevailing view that the positives at the festival outweighed the negatives. Some of the negative issues were avoidable and many could be easily addressed. As such, Carnival should only get better from here. Consequently, although I do not know the exact date of the 2023 festival, I have already started organizing to be there.
Claude A Job
