Tassa bacchanal in South

The fest is due to take place at Screamers Car Park in San Fernando in August.

Speaking at a meeting of tassa men in Penal on Tuesday last, Bachu who is the leader of the famous Country Boys Tassa Group, labelled United’s move as "deliberate disrespect" to the tassa men of this country who have been working hard towards promoting the art for many years. "It is an insult to the tassa champs of this country. I believe that these men are just trying to divide the groups instead of trying to bring them together," he said. Tassamen are in a sad state when just any particular tassa-drummer can organise a fiesta and not invite his fellow tassa men, he added. He noted that while there have been numerous calls from the Tassa Association of TT (TATT) to have tassa as the second national instrument, "yet here is another person appearing on the scene one day to form an organisation to do the same thing. "If the tassamen honestly wanted to push tassa they will find a way to unite. But I believe that there are certain tassamen who just want to score political points. They are trying to invent the wheel all over again," Bachu lamented.

Among those who share this view are members of the Caribel Funlovers Tassa drummers led by Devanand Mandeo, who were finalists at the 2004 Mastana Bahar programme, and considered one of the top bands in the country. Members of the reigning tassa monarch of TT, St John’s United Tassa Group led by Vishnu Ramnarine also share this view, and have since lashed out against the TDU for not including them in any of the projects that they claim will push tassa to the next level in the country. Bachu is now calling on the relevant authorities to disregard the claims made by Kumar, and instead ask the tassa men of this country to come under one umbrella in order to move on.

When contacted Kumar said that there are various tassa groups of TT who are discontented with the way TATT has been handling competitions in this country and have since gone to the TDU for shelter. He noted that he has not invited any tassa groups to perform at the fiesta this year. Instead, anyone is free to call him and register for the fiesta. "Tassamen must follow the rules of TDU in order to participate in this fiesta," he said.

Kumar also said that Bachu has been quoted as saying he is aware of the new body and is not interested in joining another body for tassa in TT.

According to cultural activist, Surujdeo Mangaroo there is a need to get the young and vibrant tassamen involved in workshops and exposition instead of competition. "The competitions are dividing the groups and we must now try to come up with strategies to unite them," he said.