kaibarratt

My carnival week started late with Beach House Premium All-inclusive at Seville golf course. Beach House was a nice reminder of the all-inclusive experience – food, drinks, and music. Just a good time. My suggestion to the promoters would be to make parking easier, especially when the venue is unfamiliar to most patrons. 

I also attended two Kairi people events. Empower was held on Carnival Friday. It was one of their new events, so the crowd was small. However, drinks and food were plentiful. For $450, this was a good option. It ended around 10pm, and luckily, I was at OneHome later that night.

Breakfast Is has been one of my must-go events, and this year, we were hoping to see Bunji. However, we did not see Bunji; the food lines were ridiculously long, but the drinks were flowing. Unfortunately, the change of venue didn’t allow for the end of fete road chip, but the water truck vibes at the end were memorable. For $700, this remains a good choice for a Sunday morning breakfast fete.

In a carnival defined by high prices, I am happy that Kairi people has maintained a standard of affordability and good energy.

After attending a few fetes, I was definitely ready for the road with The Lost Tribe.

Registration and collection were non-issues. As a past masquerader, I got an email back in September that allowed me to register easily. 

I don’t know if it was the anxiety of returning to the road, but I felt the band took too long to announce collection details, but when they did, that anxiety quickly transformed into excitement. In 2019, I was highly disappointed at the long wait to collect, so it was refreshing that collection logistics had been sorted out this year. Bands have to keep in mind that at this point in the season when people are feteing, collection has to be a quick and easy process. In other words, we doh have time fuh dat. But let me tell you, Lost Tribe’s curbside pickup was the real winner this year, which was a breeze and an excellent idea, especially for those trying to beat the POS traffic. As mentioned in my 2018 Lost Tribe review, the customer service was on point for Lost Tribe and has not faltered since.

My costume Wish was designed by Naas Mohammed. I was drawn to this costume because it was one of the few that had a cover-up option. The costume fit well, and I liked that you could drape it to suit your preference. But, the sequins were not well attached and left a trail everywhere; I suspect my father will spend the rest of the year removing blue sequins from the car and the house. 

Some advice here- Designers need to create costumes that are not only pretty but practical (i.e., we should not need a video to explain how to put on a million parts of a costume). The costumes should also fit all body types, not just the models at the band launch.

At the band launch, I noticed Lost Tribe had more swimsuit-type designs and less modest options. I think this had to do with the band combining the Tribe appeal of not having too much cloth and an artistic aesthetic. However, in some cases, the swimsuits didn’t fit well as they were smaller than expected. As a result, there was more spillage than an oil spill in the Gulf. Poor detailing happens when there is reliance on cheap mass production. It seems bands didn’t consider the supply chain issues that proved to be a problem at other carnival destinations last year. 

For me, the road experience was just the right speed. Lost Tribe is not the band for more pace. Tribe, Rogue, or YUMA would have been a better choice for those who wished for the “rave” experience, as one wuk up backup dancer put it. Even so, the band slowed down when it got to St. James. I thought they were giving another band time to clear the Socadrome, but that wasn’t it, as the band didn’t go to the stadium and ended Tuesday on Ariapita Ave. And then it was off to the las lap. (But I still don’t understand why we didn’t get the afternoon snacks at this point rather than at the las lap. Yuh girl was starving as I hadn’t eaten since lunch.)

Food at the lunch stop was an easy process. I always appreciate a simple meal, so Royal Castle (WITH PEPPER SAUCE!) and the fish and rice were my choices for both days. At the stop, the picnic style was nice but could have included some chairs for those who did not get a blanket. The bars were also closed, with only beers and soft drinks available. 

As a Johnnie drinker, I was satisfied with the bar on the road. And in between my Johnnie and coconut water, the Lucozade and water were flowing. However, I missed the snow-cone cart, but a special shout out to the lovely lady at the Prosecco cart who didn’t hold back.  

The music, like at the fetes I had attended, was a disappointment (Truck #2 was a vibe tho). Why did the DJs hate the 2023 songs? The artistes didn’t deserve such disrespect after producing amazing songs. For instance, 2023 had so many road and stage songs that were up to the mark. I had no problem with the older songs, but hearing only five 2023 tunes on the road was unnecessary. I already spoke about these DJs in a previous post.

Overall, my return to Carnival was what I want I wanted it to without high expectations. I stuck to low-key events and played with a band I was used to. I played mas with longtime and new friends and enjoyed every minute. 

But what we got in 2023 was the usual commercial Carnival in terms of fetes and bbf mas. The big fetes and bands gave us high-priced events, played out boring costumes, and nothing more. The academic in me wants data that will tell a whole story about the fetes more than what the media has presented.

But what I can say without data is that the calypsos were bland and unmemorable (I loved Chuck Gordon’s Math not Mathsing and Maria Bhola’s People Man). Same as the Kings and Queens with a few exceptions (Kyle Matas’ Creatio Ex Nihlo – The Eternal Source of Light Divine). The Soca Monarch competition was not missed. The regional carnivals, for the most part, were also a huge disappointment. Regional carnivals were clearly the outside children whose parents defaulted on child support payments and were left out in the cold. (The San Fernando City Corporation outlined their lack of funds and the complete disregard by the NCC to the Newsday .)

NCC did not put on the mother of carnivals but the usual same ole same ole. At the same time, the only source of funding for smaller Carnival events must be from somewhere other than the government. Therefore, the sustainability of our art forms is in question, and funding issues need to be addressed by stakeholders. But all was not lost as the steelbands stole the show, from pan crawl to semis to finals and even the junior panorama proved that from nothing, something magical was born and passed on to a new generation, keeping that magic alive.

For me, a return to Carnival would have been a return to community, a return to what makes Trinidad Carnival, The Trinidad Carnival, beyond the bbf and the big fetes. I wanted to see the J’ouvert that we fought down Michael B Jordan for or a focus and support for the aspects that make this Carnival the “greatest show on earth”, whether real or imagined. Someone said to me that Carnival doesn’t need to come back as the spirit had never left. But I did see the spirit, a spirit that was beaten and broken because we had taken her for granted and sacrificed her for commercial motivations, social media clout, and ego. We have been mistreating that spirit, and needed to show her remorse and proof that we respect her despite and in spite.