The ’pride of Laventille’ will now be based in Belmont as they prepare for next year’s Panorama competition, the band’s assistant manager, Kelvin ’Warlord’ Holder, said.
Despers will conduct Panorama rehearsals at the National Insurance Board’s (NIB) car park located at the corner of Cadiz Road and Queen’s Park East for the second time for next year’s Panorama. The panside made the bold move because of dwindling support and player safety, Holder told the Express at the NIB car park yesterday.
Officials of the steelband were at the car park to officially start their Carnival preparations for next year. It was a move that proved successful during this year’s Panorama, Holder said.
’Because of the crime situation, you know, our supporters and panmen are reluctant to come out on the hill, so we decided to come down and meet them. By leaving there and coming down here the people feel more secure,’ Holder said.
’We started on the hills but our support started to dry up because of crime, so we decided to come down here and everything just build back up and that is one of the main reasons why we have to come off the hill. Ah tell yuh people are concerned. As soon as you reach in the panyard you are safe but to come in and get out that is where the problem is,’ Holder said.
But not everyone agrees with the move.
’The people from the hill, the people who live on the hill itself, they don’t like the idea of coming off the hill because Despers is a proud band, the people of Laventille are a proud people but we have no other choice. For the betterment of the band we had to do this,’ Holder said.
