(Trinidad Guardian) The Government has allocated TT$125 million for Carnival 2012. Chief executive officer of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) Clarence Moe has said the figure represented the same cost as that of 2010.
And when compared to last year, Moe said “just a little more was paid” for that period. According to Moe, the funds represented income to manage the organisation and the rest will be allocated to two other main components. “It’s about TT$125 million to run Carnival this year but we have to be careful about that. “Because part of that is some administrative expenses and the rest is between two main components which will include the provision of infrastructure and the provision of prize monies to different groups,” Moe explained.
A break down of how the TT$125 million would be spent included:
• Personal emoluments TT$ 4.7 million
• Infrastructure including building stages throughout the country, sound TT $45.7 million
• Monies to Carnival bodies regarding prizes, assistance to groups and bands amounted to TT$44 million.
“Those are the major components and one would realise that over 90 per cent of the budget goes towards those three elements. “There have been no increases and in fact the figure of this year’s provision, by and large, is the same as it was in 2010. I don’t want to say whether it is sufficient or insufficient but all I can say is it is the same figure,” Moe said. He said last year’s figure was a little more as it catered for the construction of the grand stand. Asked if he was satisfied with this year’s figure, Moe said “in a sense” he understood the economic climate of the country. “I do understand but there may be some elements we have to revisit and I have already begun discussions with the minister and the permanent secretary to see if we can rethink some of the areas. “I know what the country is in right now, we can’t just make quantum leaps. Carnival is something we should try to maintain and enhance as the years to go. “But I’m mindful of the budget and I’m mindful of the particular position that we are in,” Moe said.
“Beads and bikini” just a phase
Critics challenge that T&T Carnival has lost its true essence and many believe that the culture has been transformed into “nakedness” with only “beads and bikini” on display. Moe, however, disagrees. “I remember when we used to have still mas and we moved into a particular new era. I remember when we used to be very historical in our approach to Carnival and what that led to was a kind of creative topical which led to a new trust,” Moe recalled. Carnival today, he said, was a phase of entertainment where people wanted to be free and where enjoyment was on the streets. “We are going through a phase of entertainment where the masqueraders don’t really need to feel encumbered. “In many years gone by two things you had to have were a standard and a headpiece in every band regardless of where they played. “They feel encumbered and I’m not commenting on the costumes. We have moved into a particular kind of era where enjoyment is on the street and I don’t want to say ‘free up’ to mean people doing what they want…but rather they don’t want a standard in their hands, with beads…they throw that off,” Moe concluded.
Local pan tuners being lost
NCC’s chairman Patrick Arnold lamented that more local tuners were seeking greener pastures abroad resulting in a gaping hole in the steelband industry. “Our people went out there and trained these people and they caught on. Today we have to purchase things from them like the hydraulic hammers to sink the pans.” “Where is the industry? Where is the chroming plant? We sat back too much. We have a junior Panorama but where are they at Carnival time?” Arnold questioned. He cited that in metropolitan countries such as England the steelbands from various schools normally accompanied junior mas bands. “And not only that, they play calypso from Trinidad but we have allowed the DJs to accompany school mas,” Arnold added.
Need for consultation
After 2012 Carnival has ended, plans are already on stream to meet with various stakeholders to discuss the cultural aspect of the season, Arnold added. “I don’t think we have changed and you need to make changes especially when there is competition with the world. “You can’t sit back and just do the same thing. We keep saying we are the mother of Carnival but it looks like we are following Brazil and those other places. When you look at Carnival now most bands are the same,” he said. The NCC boss also urged the need to establish a local Carnival industry which would seek to encourage bandleaders to use local materials rather than import costumes. “We should be also be benefit from that by being the producers of costumes and even with the steelband.”
