by Keith Subero
....The tragedy is that pan, the soul of Carnival, continues to disappear from our mas. It is being reduced to bastard-sister status in Carnival. After the Panorama competition, only a few bands appear on the streets on Jouvert morning, and this is reduced further on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
One would have expected the NCC to attempt a revival of the traditional “Bomb” competitions and play-offs, at the former sites, eg Green Corner, and pioneer novel events to stimulate and promote the instrument and Carnival.
And this when Minister, Gadsby-Dolly specifically promised on February 21 last year, when she described Carnival 2018 as “reasonably enjoyable” — because of its infrastructure and process everything went “smoothly” that the NCC was determined “to make a much better effort” to plan and market Carnival 2019. One year later, except for the creation of North Park, there are no creative changes, only chairman Peters’ gripes; an announced investment in “Soca Monarch”; and his last-minute musings, about a proposed NCC business model, which would allow it to invest in profitable events like “Machel Monday”....
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