De Silva again apologises for ‘sin’ show

De Silva made the comments as he delivered remarks at the Carnival 2017 Award Ceremony on Sunday evening at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

However, he said the NCC would look forward to a better Carnival 2018, observing that “one swallow doesn’t make a summer although it was a big blotch on the Carnival calender.” He said “in my opinion, though, we had a very good parade, we had 20 more bands in the senior parade and we had a parade that lasted up to minutes after eight o’clock in the evening and there was never a break and we even got the Lost Tribe to find the Queen’s Park Savannah. So that was a very big plus.” De Silva thanked all those who attended the Savannah show, saying there was also a “massive” crowd at Skinner Park for Calypso Fiesta, which he said was a plus.

He also said that this year’s Panorama finals was the highest standard that he has ever been exposed to although it was “a little unfair for you to have to wait until three o’clock in the morning to hear the winning band.” De Silva said that a lot of the products that the NCC produces have to be tweaked for 2018, although, he said, the traditional mas parade on Carnival Monday will build, stick-fighting is growing by leaps and bounds and Canboulay is very popular.

Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, welcomed the role played by the NCC and other cultural organisations in the country, promising to strengthen and support their efforts toward the holistic development of all the country’s festivals, particularly Carnival, “the most important of our festivals.” She added, “we look forward to supporting the pageantry, the arts, the entrepreneurial spirit, and of course the engagement of all of our peoples.” She saluted all those who contributed to the festival, urging them to continue to work and transform their talents into excellence and success.

The evening saw the presentation of 72 prizes to winners in mas, pan and calypso categories.

The Mayor of San Fernando, Junior Regrello, presented the winner’s trophy to Junior King of Carnival, Samuel Jackson, who portrayed Samuel Star — D Mystical Blazing Fireman. Regrello also made the presentation to Junior Carnival Queen, Natalia D’Abreau, for her portrayal of Egypt’s Beauty.

Saving the best for last, Gadsby- Dolly later presented the trophy to King of Carnival Ted Eustace for his portrayal Crypto — Lord of the Galaxy, and Queen of Carnival Krystal Thomas, who portrayed De Nebula.

Jason Lewis accepted the prize for pan champs Massy Trinidad All Stars and Gadsby-Dolly celebrated Hollis Liverpool (Chalkdust) as the National Calypso Monarch by presenting him with his trophy for his controversial winning composition, Learn from Arithmetic.

And then it was really over when Mavis John was called on stage to sing The Carnival is Over.