The Tribal Spirit will not be broken!
Dear Masqueraders,
TRIBE sincerely thanks you for your continued patronage of the band for Carnival 2012. Remember TRIBE is your band and every decision made is in the best interest of you - Our Masquerader!
The TRIBE team expresses its sincerest apologies to you, our masqueraders, who may have felt your Carnival experience was compromised with the band being prevented by the Officials from crossing the Savannah stage. The Savannah stage incident was unintentional and certainly regrettable. Rest assured TRIBE will be working with all the major stakeholders to ensure that this will never occur in the future.
Our masqueraders are our first and foremost important stakeholder and despite incomplete and inaccurate reports, we wish to advise you of the facts surrounding the band not crossing the Savannah stage before we respond to any other stakeholder.
THE FACTS
On Carnival Tuesday morning the band left its start point en route to the official route when it encountered several other bands, which were now assembling on the official route (Abercrombie St.). Assembling on the Official Route is a violation of the rules outlined by the NCBA. Due to the fact that the official route was blocked by such bands that were not even moving but now assembling, the TRIBE Road Management team took a decision to make a detour (to Frederick St.) in order to keep the band flowing and to move the tail of the band out of the way of other bands. This action resulted in the officials choosing to penalise TRIBE for not sticking to the official route despite the fact that several other bands who also flouted the rules were allowed to access the Stage. However, TRIBE does acknowledge and take responsibility for deviating for the official route.
Later on in the day, the TRIBE team was informed of the reversal of the decision preventing the band from entering the Savannah, but the Road Management team could not at that point take the band back to the Savannah for what would have been a lengthy wait.
Please be assured that TRIBE made every effort to gain entry to the Savannah Stage for our masqueraders within a time frame that would have been safe and minimised the wait. Enduring a 4 hr wait with all the 'unsafe' incidents that usually take place during this period was not an option for our masqueraders.
RAT RACE & CARNIVAL BAND GRIDLOCK
This is a time for change, a time to improve and re-structure the management of our Trinidad Carnival. This incident highlights a major problem that Parade and Road Management teams struggle with every year - the fact that there is a "rat race" to the Savannah Stage every Carnival Tuesday morning, with several bands flouting the rules and assembling on the Official Parade Route creating a Carnival Band Gridlock! The problem is growing with the increased number of new bands, all trying to start as close to the Stage as possible. This massive convergence of bands in and around the Stage is a most serious concern for the Parade management and a huge disadvantage to those bands that start at their designated Start point (TRIBE Started on Stanmore Ave.).
TRIBE's Management wishes to assure you that we will continue to work towards creating the Ultimate Carnival Experience for you - the Ultimate Masquerader. We also wish to thank you for rallying with us despite the disappointment of not crossing the stage and transforming it into one of the greatest street parties throughout the streets of Port-of-Spain!
The TRIBE team thanks our wonderful masqueraders and the many members of the media (foreign and local) who left the Savannah stage to come to capture the Spirit of TRIBE on the road, a Spirit that will never be broken!
TRIBE
Still...The Ultimate Carnival Experience!
