‘River Dance’ wins Downtown

“RIVER DANCE,” presented by Masquerade, has won the Band of the Year competition run by the Downtown Carnival Committee. The band, led by Earl Patterson, got the nod yesterday at a news conference held by Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown in his office. The Road March downtown was won by Shurwayne Winchester for his song “Look De Band Coming” which was played 49 times, ahead of Destra’s “Bonnie and Clyde” (31 times), and Machel Montano’s “Craziness” (26 times).

The full results for the band of the year (large class) in rank were: 1. Masquerade’s “River Dance”; 2. Trini Revellers’ “Arabian Nights”; 3. Poison’s “Retromania”; 4. Barbarossa’s “Mythropolis”; 5. Legends’ “Freedom”; and 6. Brian ‘Tico’ Skinner’s “Hell Come to Trinidad.” Topping the medium class was “Banquet on D’ Nile” from D’ Midas and Associates led by Stephen Derek. The top downtown small band was De BOSS (Belmont Original Stylish Sailors) portraying “Golden Memories.” The top mini-band was “Thunderbirds,” led by Anthony Jackman, and the top group was “Minstrel Playboys.” The downtown Carnival King was Curtis Eustace’s “Drums of Freedom” and the Queen was Alana Ward’s “If You Love Something, Set It Free.” Mayor Brown noted some special awards downtown for Carnival Monday.

The band of the day (large) was PCS Starlift, second was “Retromania” and third came “Freedom.” The medium band of the day was “Banquet on D Nile” and the best small band was “Festival of the Sun.” Monday’s best mini-band was Rosalind Gabriel’s “Things Trini” and the best group was “The Dragon Returns” presented by L Richards. The best Jouvert bands downtown were: small — “USA and TT Small Jail Prisoner”; medium — “No Bush in Iraq”; large — “Trinbago Melting Pot” by Chris Humphrey. The Jouvert King was Franklin Jones with “Busines-smen...” and the Jouvert Queen was Claire Boyce of San Fernando presenting “Crime Stoppers.”

The Jouvert Bomb Compe-tition held at City Hall was won in the traditional class by Scrunters Pan Grove. The conventional class was won by Solo Pan Knights, followed in order by Invaders, PCS Starlift, Harvard Harps, Birdsong and All Stars. At the South Quay Bomb the best conventional band was Bp Renegades, followed by Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille, and Solo Pan Knights. The top traditional bands in rank were Harlem Syncophanters, Spree Simon Harmonics and Untouch-ables. For Children’s Carnival the Junior King was Stephen Derek with “Abdul the Moon Dancer” with the Junior Queen Being “Moving to the Left, Moving to the Right” by Chelsea-Marie Spence. The top medium junior band was “Every Day is Fun Day” by Betty Spence. “Nah Leaving” by Rosalind Gabriel, was the best large junior band. Brown noted that this year downtown had 110 junior bands on Carnival Saturday, and 53 on Carnival Sunday, up from last year.