The 'oil' man behind Trini Revellers

WHAT does an “oil man” of 27 years know about producing a Carnival band, lame, beads and camouflaging bra tops with decorative sequins? Ask Trini Revellers bandleader David Cameron where he gets his keen sense of creativity and he will tell you that his parents were his main influence. Gordon and Nora Cameron, who operated Cameron’s Record Shop in downtown Port-of-Spain were bandleaders themselves and produced children’s bands for Kiddies Carnival in the 1950s. While his parents had died and his three brothers and two sisters, once involved in the family business, had migrated to Canada, David was determined to carry on the legacy. Added to that he knew he would have been homesick once exposed to the cold weather. Instead of producing a children’s band though, some decades later David joined forces with the band “Camboulay” (successor of Stephen Lee Heung’s mas band), and in the first year of its reformation, copped both King and Queen of Carnival, medium band category. This was an historical feat for the newcomers, renamed “Trini Revellers,” since no band of that size had done that before. (The name “Trini Revellers” was coined to appropriately depict the uniqueness of the true Trini at Carnival time.)

In 2004, with an additional eight sections, Trini Revellers seem poised to enter the large band category. “That is what I foresee..,” David said as he switched positions in his chair during our conversation at Trini Revellers camp on Gallus St, Woodbrook. “It’s good foresight to start with medium and build yourself a strong base.” He was pleased with the band’s progress in the four years of its existence. After its debut wins in 1999, Trini Revellers went on to cop ten titles in 2002 with the Carnival presentation “Six Days Seven Nights in Shanghai” and last year, be adjudged Band of the Year and win the Lil Hart Award for the presentation “Gathering of the Tribes.” Next year’s presentation, “Arabian Nights” — a portrayal of the folklore “The Tales of the Arabian Nights” consists 14 sections and will include belly dancers, harems, sheiks and sultans. David credits his success to a creative and supportive team of 30 friends including his mas designer Geraldo Vieira, Jr “who follows on the heels of his father Geraldo Vieira, Sr — a mas extraordinaire, mas sculptor and designer.”

“Our desire is to maintain some level of enjoyment and to uplift Carnival with better presentations and portrayals with some story line. In this way we are marrying the historical with the modern concept,” David said. But it has only been two years since David has been able to focus most of his energy on the band. On August 31, 2000, he retired as head of retail sales at National Petroleum Company Ltd. Throughout his career in the oil industry, he occupied various posts including those of accounts clerk, marketing research assistant, aviation assistant, head of marine procurement and later, head retail sales. In 1972, after ten years at Esso, he joined the team at Shell and when they folded in 1973, he transferred to NP. Now that retirement had set in, did it mean that David was going to slow down the pace? This was far from it! While he was relinquishing a senior position in a full-time job, it certainly didn’t equate to relaxation aboard a Caribbean cruise liner. Soon thereafter, he accepted the post of public relations officer at the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA). He is also an active member of the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Retired Persons (TTARP) and a member of various sporting committees.

David joined the NCBA on the eve of its controversial period. In 2003, ten bandleaders who were members of the NCBA took the National Carnival Commission (NCC) to court. “Carnival has been in existence for the past 50 years or more and we still don’t have it right. The end result: NCBA and NCC came together to decide to work together to produce a better Carnival,” he said. As PRO he shared his concerns and ideas of what needs to be implemented for a better and safer Carnival. He said: “Government must ensure that people in these organisations are trained in financial management and events promotion because they serve TT. They must be efficient and professional so that Carnival is properly planned and executed. We still have a long way to go. “Crime mustn’t spur on security. Security must be there for everybody. I would like to see disposable toilets at strategic points. The marketing of Carnival should start in August and there must be a government organisation to see about that. There is a lack of information on the Internet for tourists.

“I see NCBA as having to play a meaningful role in ensuring that this is properly carried out. We must seek to have training in skills like wire-bending, sculpting, moulding, costume construction for the young and old, especially in the traditional area,” David added. The father of four including 13-year-old twin girls, shared his secret to life, apart from having good time management. He confided: “As long as I have good health, I enjoy it. They say that you must enjoy what you do in order to make a proper contribution to it.” He added: “But I’m still open to new ventures.”