N Touch

‘Kaiso, Kaiso’ wins Monday mas

NEW DIMENSIONS’ “KAISO, KAISO,” led by Herman Clarke won the Band of the Year title at Carapichaima’s Carnival Monday competition. Clarke’s presentation highlighted calypso icons past and present in a tribute to their talent and music.

When the winning band hit the stage at the Carnival Village in Carapichaima in the mid-afternoon sun, “Kaiso, Kaiso” was loudly applauded by the thousands of spectators that turned out for the event. In second spot was Rodney Alfred’s “Original Whipmasters”, a jab jab band, and Primchan Ramsaroop took the third position with ”Flying Kites”. The King of the Bands title went to Mackesi Andrews (Music Man) from “Kaiso, Kaiso”, while the Queen of the Bands winner was Mariana Steele (A Florist’s Dream) from Leroy Steele’s “Fruits and Flowers” of West Macaulay Park, California. In the steelband competition, Claytones of Longdenville placed first, while Joylanders of Couva placed second. In the Small Bands category, Prakash Rajkoomar’s “Arabian Fantasy,” of Mc Bean Village, Couva, was first with “Sailors Ashore” filling the second spot. In the Jouvert Competition, Leroy Thomas (The Electronic Media) was first with Perseverance Slackers’ “Medics” in second position. Prizes will be distributed on Sunday from 9 am at the Carnival Village.

Here are the full results:

LARGE BAND OF THE YEAR
1. Kaiso, Kaiso
2. The Original Whipmasters
3. Flying Kites
4. Unity 2003
5. Fruits and Flowers
6. Cote ce, Cote la
7. The Sky Is the Limit

SMALL BAND OF THE YEAR
1. Arabian Fantasy
2.Sailors Ashore
3. Sailors Astray.

KING OF THE BANDS
1. Mackesi Andrews (Music Man)
2. Visham Choon (Chinese Dragon Kite)
3.  Dexter Clarke (Poui in Bloom)
4. Ronald Alfred (King Jab Jab)
5.Peter Sampson (The Matador)
6. Steve Arjoon (The Sun God)
7. Daren Boodhoo (Blackbeard the Pirate)

QUEEN OF THE BANDS
1. Mariana Steele (A Florist’s Dream)
2. Cassandra Bayne (Fire, Fire)
3. Karen Crichlow (Dance, Senorita, Dance)
4. Vanesa Lochan (Butterfly Kite)
5. Dhanmatie Persad (Celestial Fantasy)
6. Shalima Alfred (Queen of the Original Whipmasters)
7.  Ria Balroop (The Rainbow).

INDIVIDUAL (MALE)
1. Mervin Wiggins (A Gardener’s Dream)
2. Akeem Clarke (D Congo Man)
3. Tirat Ali (The Hang Glider)
4. Premnarine Boodhoosingh (The Rain God)
5. Faruk Ali (Galactica)

INDIVIDUAL (FEMALE)
1. Jean King (Splendour of the Hibiscus)
2. Nikita Ramsaroop (Paradise Bird Kite)
3. Maria Flores (Pan Talent)
4. Nandranie Persad (Fire Goddess)
5. Betsy Ann Balroop (Star Queen)

SMALL BAND KING
Prakash Rajkumar (Ali Baba)

SMALL BAND QUEEN
1. Abigail Primus (The Star)
2 Ramona Ramdass Ali (The Genie).

SPECIAL PRIZES
Lennox Joseph (Manning Cabinet)
Ivan Ryce (Midnight Robber)

SMALL BAND (MALE)
Brian Williams (The Good Man)

SMALL BAND (FEMALE)
Zainool Mohammed (The Genie Princess)

STEELBAND
1. Claytones
2. Joylanders
3. Pan Revival
4. The Wonderland Steel Orchestra
5. Dow Village Music Makers

JOUVERT COMPETITION
1. Leroy Thomas (Electronic Media)
2. Perseverance Slackers
3. Rosanne Ramdial Hamilton (Old Time Revellers)
4. Salisha Khan (Crime Confusion Me)
5. Premnath Ganpath (Freeport Mud Band)

Bad luck? Not really

WHILE THE weather, bad luck, even politics may be cited, with some justification, for our failure to qualify for the Super Six final of the World Cup, there is no escaping the fact that, in the final analysis, it was the West Indies disappointing performance which has left us in the cold. True, the showers which washed out the match against Bangladesh robbed us of what should have been an easy win — and four points — against the weakest team in the tournament. True, Kenya, who were demolished by us in our final match last Tuesday, collected four vital points when New Zealand refused to travel to Nairobi because of security concerns. Clearly, a Windies win against Bangladesh and Kenya’s almost certain loss to New Zealand would have put us in the finals.

But having said all that, the fact remains that, had the Windies played to expectations, had we performed as a team, had all our players given of their best, the result would have been quite different. In other words, while we did have our share of bad luck, the real cause of our failure lies in the generally poor performance of our players, their inability as a team to rise to the occasion. While our batting was inconsistent and brittle, the regular failure of our openers was a particularly grievous weakness, since they hardly ever provided a good foundation on which the middle order batsmen could build. Gayle’s first decent score was his 55 against Sri Lanka and it seems almost laughable that when he finally did come off, it was too late. His robust 119 — the century coming off 143 balls — accounted largely for our decisive victory against Kenya in a last round match which had only statistical value, since we had already been eliminated from the Super Sixes. It seems ironical, too, that the experiment of substituting Chanderpaul for the non-performing Hinds succeeded, but again too late.

In that critical encounter with Sri Lanka — a match we had to win to qualify — both Lara and Hooper, the Windies most experienced batsmen, failed. Their disappointing turn at the wicket at a make-or-break point in the tournament, Lara being caught for one and Hooper out LBW without scoring, might well have sounded the death knell for the Windies. A target of 228 should have been easy going for the Windies, but after Chanderpaul fell for 65, our chances appeared dim, needing an unlikely 43 off 23 balls for victory. However, Sarwan proceeded to turn matters around by his spectacular hitting. The young Guyanese, who had returned to the wicket after being knocked out by a bouncer and treated at hospital, produced a flurry of fours and sixes that brought the Windies within sight of a dramatic win, needing 16 in the last two overs. Muralitharan’s tight bowling yielded only two. In the last over, Sarwan edged the second ball from Gunaratne for four but his tail-end partner Dillon was run out with four balls to go and the Windies ended up six runs short of the winning target.

So the great hope we had of bringing the World Cup back to the West Indies has been dashed. Now we must prepare to meet the Australians whose tour of the region begins in Guyana within a month. The expectations we had of fielding a winning team in the World Cup have not been fulfilled and the West Indies Cricket Board must reassess our performance, possibly with a view to making some strategic changes, bringing on young run-getters as Devon Smith and including a recognised spinner on the side. Apart from the Aussie challenge, we must start planning for the 2007 World Cup tournament which will be played at home.

Remembering Carnival 1979



Whatever the wiseacres said at the time, Carnival, big people’s Carnival, the Parade of the Bands on Carnival Tuesday, was still worth watching in 1979.

On Carnival Monday, 2003, it seems that Minshall’s “Ship of Fools” excepted, the only shows worth watching this year were Children’s Carnival — only there could one see the creativity, the originality which made Trinidad Carnival “The Greatest Show on Earth”. Even so, Carnival 1979 was not without controversy, for I began this piece on the Parade of the Bands with these words: “Carnival of the Sea was pretty but was it mas?” “No!” said veteran (and rival) bandleader Irving McWilliams. ‘Yes,’ said the Carnival Development Committee (CDC) judges. So Peter Minshall walked away with all the top CDC prizes and the Angostura Trophy, leaving everyone with colour TV sets or tickets to the stands arguing fiercely in favour of theatre, dance, colour, and impact on the competition stage. This left the owners of black-and-white TV sets to turn down the sound, and sidewalk spectators (who never had a hope of seeing the stage presentation) to rely on radio commentaries for a full description of the controversial scene. For the rest of ’79 the burning question in every masquerader and Carnival bandleader’s mind is bound to be “is Carnival for the people, or for ticket holders and colour televiewers only?” And that should keep at least one section of the population happy arguing the toss until Carnival ’80.

Meanwhile Pan Trinbago has been brewing up a next callaloo of Carnival calamities. Or have they? The stands certainly got their money’s worth; this year visitors were spared the hours of boredom and their hosts an endless repetition of abject apologies for the regiments of uncostumed steelband supporters who normally monopolise the stage for an hour or two on end — much to the fury of the CDC and the Tourist Board. Only Despers came over the Savannah stage to demonstrate their mastery of pan, and save the face and the reputation of “we kinda music” — and gave Kitch the airing he deserved. The straight fight for the rest of this year will be between those who dare to wear the “I Love Despers” T shirts, and those who wouldn’t be seen dead in them — in case they are. And such must be the torment in the breast of every kaiso fan. Would “I tell she”, and “Mammy, Mammy, I want to go back to school” have stood a ghost of a chance for Road March honours without the unexpected aid of Pan Trinbago? Too bad that Kitch withdrew the promised extra $3,000 for Road March King this year . . . . (2003 note. Sorry, I’ve no recollection whatsoever of what Pan Trinbago did — and why. Perhaps Bill Trotman can enlighten us — well, jog my memory, at any rate.)

While Crazy and every other calypsonian will be beating their brains out to produce two hits for ’80 (one for pan and one for brass) the rest of us will be watching this year’s steelband clash-with-a-difference. No one seems to know if they are taking on the CDC alone, or if higher echelons of Government are involved in the struggle for next year’s cash. People with no interest in Carnival at all, people who have been saying all along that education and culture were never suitable bedfellows, will remember the Central Library and how much money hasn’t been spent on that since it was forced to close down. (And in 2003, more than a quarter century after the old building was condemned, how much money was, may still be spent on the new Central Library — and when, if ever, will it be open to the public?) Yet, those same people with little or no interest in Carnival, will reflect that money was no problem for Carnival in schools, or for the junior calypso competition, or kiddies Carnival (in retrospect, one is grateful for that in 2003). And they will be expecting the next press reports of protests about the shortages of school equipment, school buses, school maintenance and the rest of that depressing list of the educational woes of the nation.

Although, technically, maintaining school buildings and the rest of  those educational woes are supposed to be the Minister of Works’ baby, as the British would say “The hand that holds the purse-strings rules – OK?” Is the steelband fight the first puff of a wind of change that will shift the emphasis from culture to education? There are many who will argue that if this is so, then the change is long overdue. (Ahem — in 2003 it seems that prizes for steelband competition were about to be slashed in ’79 with the money going to make up for deficiencies in education. But that’s just a wild guess for it seems that while we have a great many competent young pannists in our schools, there are growing numbers of school-leavers who are barely literate — so perhaps music won out after all? I welcome readers’ comments . . .) Carnival ’79 is a fete that is still worth watching as the comesse goes on and on. Did Despers know something that the rest of Pan Trinbago didn’t? Or did they remember the fate of the Bee Wee pilots (2003 who had gone on strike) and the late “Priority Bus Route” Minister of Works (2003, apologies, I’ve forgotten that one, too). Who knows? (Obviously, I don’t, in 2003). Yet, Carnival ’79 has indeed been a fete to remember . . . With hindsight, a quarter century later, of Carnival ’79 I can only remember seeing Bill Trottman on the Savannah stage dressed as schoolboy singing his hit calypso. How about you?

E-mail your memories of Carnival ‘79 to annehilton@opus.co.tt

What lies beneath the conscious…

THE EDITOR: Kindly publish the following — God becomes manifest in our consciousness through the vibration of light, love and life etc — His Spirit.

If during our life we substitute light for darkness and love for hate, then obviously, our subconscious mind will be filled with hate, vengeance and darkness destroying our own kind — humanity. My dear fellow citizens, we all are quite aware of the fact criminally, things are getting out of hand in our lovely cosmopolitan country. The Government, authorities and the concerned population are doing that much, but the missing link between must be re-established; that is prayers from all. I used the word re-established, because the way we all used to pray long ago, solemnly, devotedly, and peacefully, has now become modernised by jumping and bawling, ranting and raving as if we are mad people. Factually, there still could be a few exceptions; but the majority to me are looking to build their empire and feather their nests. This is not taking place only in Tt but world-wide and we didn’t spare any time becoming copy-cats. By our actions and behaviour, we are reversing the name God to Dog. I heard some preachers and pastors saying, when the Spirit of God in you, your behaviour is uncontrollable. When Moses met his God on Mount Sinai, what did he do? May I ask?

My dear fellow citizens, there are two types of energies or substances — (1) Physical or material and (2) Primal or Astral. During meditation through the latter, I saw mankind’s behaviour on planet earth will cause and evoke the wrath of Mother Nature tremendously and disastrously, if we continue with our present trend. Recently, the kind of almost nude female pictures I had seen in one of the weeklies, raised eyebrows by concerned people as to what our society is really coming to. We must not only think about selling things to attract customers to buy, but also think about improving and uplifting our society; moreso, the children and teenagers. Irresponsible and unprofessional journalism also leads to the pathway of crimes. Finally, if by writing this letter I have offended or hurt anyone feelings, please accept my unreserved apologies.


SOOKDAR DANNY
HENDERSON
Cedros

Chi-chi not natural

THE EDITOR: In response to the now infamous “chi-chi man’ song by Antiguan Wanskie, veteran masman Peter Minshall commented “I would like to think that we in Trinidad and Tobago are wise enough and wary enough to know that “bun the chi-chi” is the same as “lynch the nigger” and “kill the coolie.”

While I have the greatest respect for Mr Minshall as an internationally renowned artist, I would respectfully point out to Mr Minshall and like minded individuals that this comparison is completely misplaced. And it is a comparison unfortunately used often by the local gay community and its sympathisers in an attempt to equate homosexuals with heterosexuals and gain solidarity. For one thing, the words “nigger” or “collie”, disgusting as they are, are more than anything, bastardised terms used to describe something which is natural.  That is to say, an African or East Indian. Some would take it further and say that they use these terms to describe the “state of mind” of an African or East Indian.

A “chi-chi man” however, is a bastardised term used to describe something that is not natural in nature, namely homosexuals. The debate goes on ad nauseam as to whether or not homosexuality itself is a natural thing. That is a subject best dealt with by geneticists. So when some idiot hoping to get crowd reaction and participation says “bun the chi-chi,” it could never be the same as “lynch the nigger” or “kill the coolie.” As previously stated, the latter terms are used by the ignorant to refer to something which is natural, while the former “chi-chi” generally refers to something which is not natural. For my part, I like to think I am  able to make the distinction. Mr Minshall, you should be pleased!


D JENNINGS
San Juan

Waving balisier in praise

THE EDITOR: Recently certain full gospel pastors took to the streets marching and praying against crime. Nothing is wrong with that. That’s commendable. But why did they not march and pray against crime in the same manner, when the last administration was in office? Why do they always have Manning on the platform of the church to pray for him whether is Prime Minister or not? Little do they know how Manning would have preferred to remain at Skinner Park to lend support to his calypso colleagues. Why do they always gather in the PNMs stronghold? Why don’t they bring Manning to march and pray in Central and South? Is this an effort to give political mileage to the PNM in the name of prayer? It is clear that the majority of this section of full gospel pastors is only another arm of the People’s National Movement.
 
These fellows really think that they can outsmart God, as they do so many of their unsuspecting followers. When they gather together, they expect their presence to be interpreted as “the gathering of the Christ of the living God.” To think that they can fool all Christians is a figment of their churlish imagination.

We have to stop pretending to be praying against crime. We have to be sensitive to the victimisation, oppression and sufferings of the Indo-Trinidadians. We have to discern the spirit of deceit and racism in this government. Some of these fellows prayed insensitively conscious-less for Manning and the PNM as though they were waving balisiers in high praise. They cannot understand the difference between the office and the person. It was very easy to detect their motive and their allegiance. While it is everyone’s prerogative to support whichever party he or she chooses, it is un-Christian to use their unsuspecting followers in the name of prayer, to try to keep this PNM in power. It is clear that some of these so-called pastors can pray only for a PNM government.

I am calling on all Christians who are not supporters of the PNM and know how to pray for any government objectively, intelligently and according to God’s Word, not to get involved with these full gospel preachers and their hypocrisy. Their intention is to continue to use the gullible Christians to prop up the PNM in the name of prayer and march. Separate yourself from these pro-PNM full gospel pastors.


REX MAHADEO
Marabella

Woolmer better coach than player

Former England all-rounder and South African coach Bob Woolmer is the favourite to replace outgoing West Indies cricket coach Roger Harper. This is the latest development following several interviews conducted with leading candidates during the current World Cup in South Africa.

Several meetings have been held with three of the leading candidates, headed by Woolmer and including Trinidad and Tobago’s Gus Logie (on loan to the Canadian team) and former West Indies all-rounder Eldine Baptiste (currently coaching in South Africa). The other contender, after some 40 applications were received, was Australian coach, Bennet King, but there is some opposition in certain circles to the selection of an Australian. Woolmer belongs to a select band of Test cricketers who enjoyed reputations as international coaches when their playing days were over.  Indeed, Woolmer might be said to be the first to make a bigger impact as coach, in four years with South Africa, than as a player.

For whatever reason, and it might simply have been that his array of gloriously timed off-side strokes made him look a better batsman than he was, he had a disappointing Test career —- especially for a man who, in only his second Test, saved England as they followed on against Australia by holding out for 499 minutes against Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson to score 149. Although he added two more hundreds, also against Australia, he first interrupted his Test career by signing for World Series Cricket in 1977, and then ended it forever by joining the rebel South African tour of 1981-82. As a coach, his pioneering use of computers to show, for example, where opposing batsmen scored their runs may have stemmed from an experience of his own, batting against Mike Brearley’s Middlesex. “Knowing I liked the cover-drive, he had Mike Selvey bowl at me wide of off stump, with two slips and two gulleys. In 45 minutes, I scored 12. Then I chased another wide one from Selvey and was caught at second slip.”

In the 1996 World Cup, Graeme Hick was a notable victim of Woolmer’s computer-based analysis, which revealed that if Hick could be kept scoreless for a spell, he tended to flick an off-stump ball in the air to midwicket. The trap was sprung by Fanie de Villiers, and Brian McMillan took the catch. Woolmer was creative and adventurous. But coaching was based on a simple premise: the more enjoyable he could make the game, the better his players would respond. No two fielding-practices were alike when Woolmer was in charge.

FACT FILE
Full name — Robert Andrew Woolmer
Batting — Right-hand top/middle-order
Bowling — Right-arm medium
All-round status — Batsman who bowled
Born  — Kanpur, India, May 14, 1948
Teams — England,  Kent 1968 to 1984.

WI return but not in disgrace

KIMBERLEY: An early exit from the World Cup wasn’t all doom and gloom for the West Indies, skipper Carl Hooper said, because his squad showed visible signs of the rebuilding Caribbean cricket.

After a dream start to the tournament in a thrilling three-run victory over host South Africa, which included a brilliant century by Brian Lara and fine bowling from Mervyn Dillon and Vasbert Drakes, the West Indies foundered on losses to New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and a rain-induced no-result against Bangladesh. Hooper, however, refused to be bleak about the campaign. “Our first match of the World Cup was very positive, and the two losses we suffered, we were not too far off the mark,” he said. Typically straight-talking, Hooper is one of the world’s most respected captains, and his disappointment with the exit from the World Cup is laced with carefully considered criticism for the tournament. “No disrespect to either team, but Kenya’s and Zimbabwe’s presence in the Super Sixes is a reflection on the rules we play under. The reaction to rain needs to be consistent, and, while I understand that the logistics of this tournament meant no reserve days could be had for first-round matches, the problem needs to be revisited,” he said.

He also bore no ill-will to New Zealand for choosing to forfeit their match in Nairobi, Kenya on security grounds, a move which gave Kenya four free points and a huge leg-up into the Super Six phase of the tournament. “I know New Zealand had concerns, especially after they were near that bomb blast last year in Pakistan. So I understand where they were coming from,” he said. In looking at his team’s performance in the tournament, he chose rather to look for positives. “We need to regard this as a minor setback on the long road to recovery we have set out on,” Hooper said. “It’s important not to judge our World Cup performance in isolation, but in the context of the improvements we have been making over the last few years.” He managed to keep his team focused on the future with a convincing win over Kenya in the final match they played, saying it was important to finish on a high. “We are getting over our disappointment at our elimination, and we know we have to look to our future, especially the tour by Australia in April,” he said.

And while he emphasised the importance of the rebuilding, he was a little frustrated that he was unable to give some of the younger and less experienced players in the World Cup squad a chance to perform: “Most of the matches we played in were ‘must-win’, so we found ourselves going with players of experience. It was only in the match against Kenya that Jermaine Lawson put up his hand and perform,” Hooper said. The young fast bowler responded to the challenge with real fire and pace, and finished with match figures of two wickets for 16 against Kenya in eight overs. Hooper was also confident of the full support of the administration of West Indies cricket as the team continued to rebuild. “I have talked with Sir Vivian Richards, and there is no question of blame being apportioned for our performance in the World Cup,” he said. “I am happy with the support I am getting from the board, and we need to go forward with the plans we have made to rebuild West Indies cricket.”

Brown, Manswell in line for WITCO award

SPRINTER DARREL Brown and heavyweight boxer Kerston Manswell are neck-and-neck in the running for the West Indian Tobacco (WITCO) Sports Fou-ndation 2002 Sportsman of the Year accolade. The 41st edition of the awards ceremony —- where the Sportswoman of the Year 2002 will also be announced —- takes place from 8 pm at the Hilton Trinidad.

The 18-year-old Brown had a sensational 2002 season, where he won the 100 metres titles at the respective events —- World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica (where he clocked a personal best time of 10.09 seconds), CARIFTA Games in Nassau, Bahamas and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Champio-nships in St Michael, Barbados. Manswell, a Roxbor-ough, Tobago native, took the gold medal at the Caribbean Champ-ionships in Martinique and, during the year, he added two silver medals following the Common-wealth Games in Manchester, England and the CAC Games in El Salvador.

In line for the Sportswoman of the Year title are Giselle Salandy and 2001 winner Rheann Chung. The 15-year-old Salandy shrugged off the controversy  regarding her legality in fighting as a child to defeat Colombian Paola Rojas by a unanimous decision to claim the Women’s International Boxing  Association (WIBA) Latin American junior welterweight belt in Curacao. And Chung, yet another teenager (aged 17), had commendable re-sults at the Common-wealth Games and at the Criterium Federal National tournament in Lille, France, where she resides. Also on the agenda tonight will be the presentation of the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Memorial Award for the year’s most outstanding Sports Association.

Dave Mohammed found not guilty

ST GEORGE’S: Young Trinidadian cricketer Dave Mohammed was found not guilty of rape in the Grenada High Court on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old First-Class cricketer from Princes Town was on trial for an incident last June at a south coast beach where he had been partying at a nearby nightclub during his stint in the country at the Shell West Indies Cricket Academy at the St George’s University.
The six women and three men making up the jury, were divided after their initial deliberations, but returned after an additional hour with a not guilty verdict. The court dismissed all charges. When he appeared in the lower court last year, Chief Magistrate Patricia Mark had ruled that a sufficient case had been made against Mohammed to stand trial. The trial has been going on here for the last month, and Mohammed has spent some of his spare time playing for leading local club GCC, also the team of former West Indies wicket-keeper Junior Murray. The left-arm spinner, who was called up to the West Indies 13-man squad to face South Africa in the Third Test match of the 2001 South Africa tour of the Caribbean, was omitted from the Trinidad and Tobago squad for the current Carib Beer Series 2003. Mohammed, with 34 wickets and a highest score of 52 in 11 First-Class matches, faced the possibility of a 15-year jail sentence if he had been found guilty.