‘Good Carnival’ for Roving Tent

Massive started off promoting his own tent for calypsonians and chutney artistes five years ago. In the previous years, he strongly criticised the PNM for not supporting East Indian art in TT.

This year, however, he has changed his tune and is now singing praises to the Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams for her tremendous support to the tent.

The minister was at Massive’s award show Aranjuez, where she complimented him for having the best blend of local talent at any tent in the country.

After enjoying the tent’s entertainment, she handed out awards to the recipients. Music producer, Fareed Mohammed Kerry Ramgobin, Michael Salikram, Krishendath Singh, Molly Bridgelalsingh, and Ramchan Rajbal received awards from the minster at the Aranjuez show.

Top calypsonian and chutney star, Rikki Jai, was named the “grandmaster” of chutney by the Roving Massive Tent on Carnival Tuesday at the Couva carpark. Jai received $10,000 and a crystal trophy donated by Ramsingh’s Sport’s World.

Jai, whose tunes ‘Bol Bolay’ and ‘Take off the Kangana’ earned him the People’s Choice award at the recent Chutney Soca Monarch competition, has had a successful Carnival season. He performed his winning tunes as well as the mega hit song, ‘Mor Tor.’ He also gave the audience a piece of his old selection, ‘Sumintra.’

Another top act that carried Massive’s tent through the season was Sexy Tricia (Tricia Hamilton) with her hit ‘Callaloo.’

The line-up of top singers and dancers at the tent were former Chutney Monarch Kerry Ramgobin, Ramnarine ‘Molly’ Bridgelalsingh and Budram Holass, Rex East, Sexy Jozan, and Riad Sultan.

Massive said, “There is a need to promote the Chutney and Soca artistes that have not been able to secure a place in the ‘big’ shows taking place in the country.” He emphasised that the purpose of tents is for singers to voice their views via Calypsoes and Chutney tunes.