Make a Stage!

If there was any hope of the spanking new, ultra modern Carnival Centre being completed within the next year or two it was all dashed to pieces by the Minister of Culture’s revelation that “Mas on the Move” will continue for a number of years as the Centre will not be completed in the foreseeable feature. Seeing as absolutely no work has yet begun in the Savannah I expected this news, however I think it is quite smug of the Government to boast that Carnival 2007 “Mas on the Move” was a success when we were at a standstill for three hours on Carnival Tuesday. In addition several Ministers including Hazel Manning, Jerry Narace, Howard Chin Lee and not to mention the President and his wife all played with Tribe so I am bewildered as to if THEY were not affected by our long wait to cross the downtown judging area. Maybe they met the band on South Quay or spent some time lounging in their private resting bus, because there is no way they could have met the band at Stanmore Avenue and inched forward to South Quay and call that a “success” in Mas on the Move!

In retrospect to circumvent that wait if I were the organizers of TRIBE I would have taken a move like HARTS once I knew Island People was ahead of us and after the band came down Tragarete Road, turn across Park Street (or one of the streets that could be navigated) and head up Charlotte Street to the Savannah, putting the band ahead of Island People. It made absolutely no sense to put TRIBE immediately following Island People when both bands take over an hour to cross the judging point! This is something the NCC and NCBA have to look into if they want to have a success at Mas on the Move in 2008 and 2009! Send the big bands to different judging points to avoid the congestion.

Another issue I have had for a long time is that the cameras and television coverage focuses only on the Savannah. Why not set up live coverage at each of the judging points? That way viewers at home can get to see all the bands, if there is a lull at the Savannah (which happened this year) switch to downtown coverage. Even without the “lull” viewers at home could be treated to what is taking place at Adam Smith Square, Downtown or Piccadilly because as we know several bands, including TRIBE did not make it to the Savannah on Tuesday.

I have no idea why the Government is so opposed to giving masqueraders a stage. I mean am I the only one who can look at the Savannah and see a wide expanse of land where a stage can be constructed in some other area? Surely if Machel could hold his Alternative Concert on the Western End of the Savannah and Panorama facilities this year were constructed ground up in another vicinity other than where the “old” Grand Stand is, given the time we have before Carnival 2008 it is quite feasible to simply move the stage and stands to another part of the Savannah. The issue is not with wanting to hold on to the past and not welcoming change, sure, we all welcome the new Carnival Centre that is proposed but in the interim and especially after seeing the results of Mas on the Move, why not give masqueraders that one element that was missing this year; a stage. I guess that would mean some official having to admit that Carnival 2007 was NOT the “best ever” as is being touted by the propaganda and bull shit regime!

Finally, if I were a Bandleader I would really lobby to get my OWN stage for my masqueraders to cross. Yes it seems like a “farfetched” idea and one that the NCC or NCBA might frown upon, but think about it; Harts and Island People both used the Oval for their masqueraders to have a “party” why then not use a venue as such and build a stage making your own route and taking your masqueraders across that stage? I mean friends, family, tourists and other persons could be charged a nominal fee to enter the area, be it in the Oval or some private park/grounds where bleachers are set up, and masqueraders have a stage to cross. Then we could go on the streets, enjoy Mas on the Move and return to that stage to cross as many times as we like! What would be even better is if a few bands could come together to put this plan in action so that spectators would have the chance to see more than one band crossing their own “private” stage.

Of course to make it appealing to the spectators the venue could be transformed into a big lime with drinks and food on sale, entertainment and even large screens set up so that footage of bands crossing from official judging areas could be broadcasted while they wait. I know for sure my mom and all her friends would pay to see me cross the stage because as soon as TRIBE crossed downtown she went home! And I know lots of people who waited only to see their friends and family cross the stage and then left. So I am copyrighting my brilliant idea since I think it could work beautifully! When I played with Harts we made out own route every year, with the focus being on the masqueraders having a good time instead of competition. My first taste of “waiting” to cross the stage was with Poison and to me that was a waste of time, having to spend hours at a standstill, literally playing mas all day stuck on Charlotte Street. Thankfully the wait, for me, on Tuesday was not as bad as Poison days, and after we crossed downtown TRIBE took the initiative to veto the Savannah and keep moving (until they blocked once again by Island People), the best part of the day being the jump up in St. James!

So I hope all the powers that be stop patting themselves on the back trying to fool the general public that this Carnival was not without problems, go back to the drawing board with Mas on the Move and revamp the concept for Carnival 2008!