Bands move through the Sambadrome lined with powered speakers along the route. Rio’s carnival in Brazil is the largest in the world according to Guinness World Records

Beyond bikinis, beads and feathers - Meeting the challenge of technology in a modern Carnival

Tradition and habit are sometimes difficult to break. However...

There is absolutely no reason for trucks to play such a large role in Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, if any.

There are multiple ways to transmit audio content safely and dependably to powered speakers.  So why is the antiquated and physically dangerous practice of using large trucks to transport amplification and speakers to provide musical content in very close proximity to the Carnival participants, still in practice?

Maybe the NCC (National Carnival Commission) should simply consider placing an array of powered speakers systems along the carnival route with Bluetooth receptors or better. And allow the bands’ management or DJs to transmit their chosen music to the speakers as they move around the city from their smartphones or laptops with NCC-controlled and issued apps. A somewhat similar audio system is employed at the Sambadrome Parades in Rio, Brazil with an array of speakers along the parade route. Only, the Trinidad system would be a lot less complicated, as the Trinidad revelers do not generate any real contributing audio or musical content to their presentations as compared to the Samba schools who are actually singing and drumming. So concerns about audio cancelation will be at a minimum to non-existent.

One immediate benefit is the ability to control volume levels from a remote location.

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  •  we have to understand  that our carnival is about bottom line

     next year we will have   more trucks

     has anyone found out if the brasil revellers paint walls and  pee pee all over

     we cant compare our carnival- look at the size of brasil

     we keep hearing every year by the new  or old ncc- sweeping changes coming

      sounds like a road march

  • This idea has merit but it's doubtful whether the concept will gain momentum, especially since the music trucks will lose business and it may be argued that the decision as to the winner of the Road March may be affected.

  • and the bands should be transported with e-trucks !

  • What would we do with our steelbands?

    • Kelvin

      Take them off the trucks and have UWI students invent motorized floats to move them. In the age of robotics and self driving cars this is not a big deal. Better yet let the young people in the panyard come up with innovative ways to move the pan racks. The Panyard has always been about innovation.

      bugs

    • Well, the idea is to do away with steelbands on the road....forever. Ah mean on the trucks.

      • Mercer: You and me does get along real fine!!! But PAN ON THE ROAD is a DEAD ISSUE!!!

        And all dem BRAZIL HIGH-TECH THING!!!

        Well, I will give you A HINT: Go look at the DEMOGRAPHICS OF BRAZIL!!!

        • Brazil has the largest population of Black people in the world outside of Africa.

          bugs

    • GREAT QUESTION SIR ! I always thought that's what made our carnival stand out among the rest, maybe I was wrong. I can say without a doubt that if Brazil were the inventors of the steelpan it will be featured prominently in their parade. I can never imagine why we keep beating ourselves up like this !

      Love the forum but as a previous member mentioned ' ah cyar take all da blows boi' !

  • One thing I have come to resolve in my life is that EVERY COUNTRY is WHAT THAT COUNTRY IS. And I don't know if that first sentence makes sense to anybody else.

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