Year End Review Culture loses icons in 2016

These people left indelible marks on this country on very huge scales. But there was also much to celebrate with the return of ten-time National Panorama champions, the legendary Desperadoes Steelband that attained its 11th title, after a classic jazzy arrangement of 5-Star Akil’s “Different Me” arranged by Carlton Alexander that brought back great memories of the past.

Also, after a decade-long hiatus, there was the return of Peter Minshall mas, albeit in a small way but with great appeal to most in the mas fraternity, with his king creation: “The Dying Swan: Ras Nijinsky in Drag as Pavlova” which appeared in K2K’s Alliance and Partners’ mas band Searching for Shangri- la.Then there were youngsters Helon Francis and Aaron “Voice” St Louis, and first time big steelband entrant Supernovas who proved to be forces to be reckoned with, after producing highly entertaining performances, and by large margins they copped the Young King, Soca Monarch and second place in the Panorama competitions respectively.

It was also a phenomenal year for Calypso Rose with one of her 2016 releases going platinum in France, a first for a local. The demand for her performances around the globe increased.

JANUAR Y, However, as the year began the big dreaded “R” word, recession, caused a lot of pain and financial losses for show and fete promoters, and by extension, artistes throughout the Carnival 2016 season.

* A number of shows and all-inclusive fetes took a beating in terms of attendance, while others were outright cancelled, due to the “recession facing the country.

* In the height of the season, steelband icon, composer and arranger Jit Samaroo passed away at age 65. Over the years, he arranged for the Samaroo Jets, bp Renegades, Sangre Grande Cordettes, Arima Angel Harps, Tornadoes and Trinidad Nostalgic.

But Samaroo, who was bestowed with an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies in 2003, got his major success with the bp Renegades earning nine Panorama victories, the most by any arranger to date.

* Platinum Steel Orchestra created history as the first all-female orchestra to participate in a National Panorama competition, in the Single Pan category.

The 35-player orchestra led by Natasha Joseph debuted with an aptly named song, “Unknown Band”.

* Given the “recession” the allocation for Carnival was $270 million, a $44 million reduction compared to $314 million in 2015, while the 57 Regional Carnival Committees got a subvention of some $13 million from the State that also paid out $2.9 million in financial assistance to more than 180 unsponsored steelbands across the country, and another $1 million towards the staging of Dimanche Gras.

*With the masses watching their spending, pan lovers came out in their thousands to follow judges visiting large conventional panyards in the north. It was by far the largest number of people taking that annual pilgrimage from panyard to panyard.

*Partygoers too, opted for the cheaper cooler fetes and boat rides that were more suited to their pockets. But pulling the biggest crowd was the annual Army Fete where patrons flooded the Queen’s Park Savannah (QPS) and Machel Montano’s “Machel Monday” concert that also had a large crowd, no doubt because of its featured acts that included Pitbull, Timaya, Lil Jon, Omi, Taurus Riley and Angela Hunte.

CARNIVAL BACCHANAL

* Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon, frustrated by having to wait for hours and then being told that she could only sing one song at the annual Ladies Night Out Concert, as she got on stage she told the crowd: “Ladies allyuh know Saucy love allyuh… but yuh see this F---ery!!!”. This led to her arrest backstage for using obscene language.
However, no charges were laid.

* “The Dying Swan”, a costume designed by Peter Minshall for K2Kand Partner’s Searching for Shangri- La, depicted a ballet dancer on stilts. The portrayal played by Jhawhan Thomas was a clever piece of genius by Minshall that captured the hearts of mas lovers. However, newly crowned King of Carnival Ted Eustace was most critical of the costume.
Needless to say, Eustace got severe flak for his criticisms.

* Calypsonian Skatie (Carlos John) was thrown out of the semi-finals of the National Calypso Monarch competition for failing to pay the $100 registration fee. But three days later, a High Court judge ruled in his favour and he eventually competed in the semis and went on to make the Dimanche Gras finals.

* Failing to pay musicians hired to accompany performing artistes at the San Fernando Calypso and Soca Monarch finals (south pre-Dimanche Gras), resulted in the ten-member soca band “Temperature” packing away their instruments and making their way off stage, leaving organisers, the San Fernando Carnival Committee (SFCC) very embarrassed. After much discussions, band members returned to the stage for the show to go on.

* Soca Monarch producers felt by not carrying the event “live” on television on Carnival Friday and not naming the winner until the next night, would have drawn the crowds.
That plan backfired as there were fewer patrons who got into the venue with tickets scalped for as little as $25.

* The national television Carnival coverage was the worst ever. Very few events went live, thus depriving thousands of viewers who either were unable to come out of their houses or who depended on the television to keep up with the goings on about what is termed the supposed national festival.

CARNIVAL BIG WINNERS KAISO Devon Seale - National Calypso Monarch; Voice (Aaron St Louis) - Soca Monarch; Machel Montano - Road March winner; Helon Francis - Young King; Amrika Mutroo - National Calypso Queen and also Star of Tomorrow; Gypsy - Extempo King;