Jack: Bigger mas for Chaguanas in 2011

Speaking to Newsday as he visited yesterday’s celebrations, Chaguanas West MP, Jack Warner, said next year Chaguanas Carnival will also be carried live on both television and radio.

“The prizes will also be increased... I’m thinking of having a car as first prize for the Chaguanas Calypso Monarch. I am also looking at assisting Carapichaima with their celebrations by purchasing a piece of land; they are too cramped at the moment.”

Ramsaran Street was used this year as the judging point.

Asked whether the celebrations would be moved back to the Main Road in Chaguanas next year as some masqueraders suggested, Warner said “it’s a matter of meeting everyone midway, since there are those who prefer Ramsaran Street as well.”

Warner expressed satisfaction with this year’s celebrations thus far as he said “all has gone well, the celebrations keep growing, and it seems that Chaguanas residents have stayed home this year, judging by the crowds they have opted to celebrate right here versus going to Port-of-Spain, or elsewhere.”

He commended the police for a heavy presence and said everything was incident-free.

Warner came in for high praise from Deputy Mayor of Chaguanas, Orlando Nagessar, who said the celebrations cost close to one million dollars and they were given $200,000 by the Carnival Committee, so “Warner pumped in about half-a-million dollars and added innovation to the celebrations with a pan on the road competition; we are very grateful to him.”

Her Worship Natasha Navas also praised Warner saying he had contributed a lot to Chaguanas Carnival.

When asked just how much money he had indeed dished out to assist the celebrations Warner would only say “plenty plenty money.”

Some 13 bands were registered to participate in yesterday’s mas. However, things got underway late. The bands started gathering only at about 2.30 pm.

But this did little to dampen the spirits of Carnival lovers, as masqueraders crossed the stage at Ramsaran Street, having a ball portraying many different characters from traditional sailor mas to African Congo and Tobago’s Buccoo Reef .

The bands most of which were small numbering 20-30 persons displayed an array of colours with costumes representing fishes of the Buccoo Reef to the animal skins and nose rings of the African Congo.

There were also long intervals between each band crossing the stage.

The masqueraders made their way down Ramsaran Street, to Market Street and down Chaguanas Main Road.

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