REVIEW OF TOBAGO FEST

In fact, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) chief secretary Orville London added that following this year’s festivities — which ended yesterday with a ‘‘cool down’’ fete at Mt Irvine beach — there will be a total re-evaluation of the event.

"I will be quite frank; I am not comfortable with all aspects of the Tobago Fest, in fact I am not comfortable with many aspects of the Tobago Fest," London told journalists Thursday. "I have said that on a number of occasions and I have spoken to all the delivery agents about that. And I think the Tobago Fest has got to find its space and redefine itself; and unless it does that it runs the risk of becoming irrelevant. We all have got to accept that!" he declared.

London pointed out that the Secretary of Community Development/Culture, Cynthia Alfred was well aware of the concerns and was committed to a re-evaluation of the Tobago Fest. "Obviously, you can’t stop the momentum, but I give you the assurance that immediately after this Fest there is going to be a total re-evaluation of the Tobago fest and there are going to be changes," he asserted. "Because I don’t think that there is anybody, whether it is the executive council, the assistant secretaries, the organisers themselves, the members of the Tobago Heritage Festival Committee who are part of the process, I don’t think there is anybody who is comfortable with all aspects of the Tobago Fest and it has to be re-evaluated! There is no question about that," stressed London.

He made the remarks at the post-executive council meeting press briefing hours before the launch of the event on Thursday. Meanwhile, police were forced to shut down Tobago Fest J’ouvert celebrations on Saturday morning when violence — fighting, bottle-pelting, etc — broke out amidst the festivities.