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Downtown Carnival 2007 Prize-giving
LEFT: His Worship, the Mayor of Port of Spain, Mr. Murchison Brown
and Brian Mac Farlane
TriniSoca.com Reporters
Event Date: April 19, 2007
Posted: May 19, 2007
The Port of Spain Downtown Carnival Committee's Prize-Distribution function was held in the City Hall Auditorium, Knox Street, Port of Spain on Thursday 19th April, 2007.
The hall was moderately filled with would-be recipients of auspicious awards, people who came to collect awards on behalf of absent awardees, and other specially invited guests. The distribution of prizes by the Mayor of the City of Port of Spain, Alderman Murchison Brown, was done very rapidly to accommodate the large number of prizes to be distributed.
Mrs. Lorraine Alexander, the first to speak on the grand occasion said that Carnival 2007 was a landmark celebration for the city of Port of Spain because it was the first time in Trinidad and Tobago's history that Port of Spain celebrated Carnival without the beloved Savannah stage. This, she said, allowed for the creation of other important opportunities that turned out to be quite successful.
The Mayor of the City of Port of Spain, Alderman Murchison Brown, who spoke briefly before the prize-distribution began, intimated that this year's parade was fast-paced and without lulls. He also mentioned that there was good sponsorship for Downtown Carnival this year and that he hopes that this would be continued for the upcoming Carnivals. He also complimented the various bands, the masqueraders and their leaders, who participated in Kiddies Carnival on Saturday and in Monday and Tuesday mas, for their swift action during the Carnival.
Despite his initial praises, he also spoke about certain aspects of Carnival that needed improvement. One such concern was the confusion of some bands registering as one type in one area and then as another type in another area; for example, a band may have registered in one area as a large band and then as a medium band in another area, which caused some confusion in terms of the judging. He warned that organizers should be careful about this in the future because it would no longer be tolerated.
President of the National Carnival Committee, Mr. Keston Nancoo also addressed the gathering and said that it was a joy to be standing in front of the audience that evening. He said that he had been convinced, despite the worry by some that Carnival would not happen successfully, that it would have and he thanked all involved for making Carnival 2007 a reality. He ended by stating that work for Carnival 2008 had already begun and promised that it would be even better than 2007.
Secretary of the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA), Mr. Renwick Brown, addressed the crowd next and commented that the Downtown Carnival competition is one of the oldest and best competitions in Trinidad and Tobago. The NCBA, he said, is proud of the standard it has maintained throughout the years despite the challenges.
Other speakers included Mr. Donald Little, representative of NCBF who said that all the members of his organization enjoyed participating in Downtown Carnival; Mr. Toussaint, Chairman of Regional Carnival who said that he was proud of the Regional Carnival Committee and the successful changes that had been made for Carnival for 2007; and Mr. Winston Best, who reminded the audience that the birthplace of Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is in East Port of Spain and that it offers the best place to parade.
Following the brief speeches, the programme moved quickly into the distribution of prizes. Some of the big winners of the evening included: Machel Montano; "Digicel: Expect More Get More"; Rosalind Gabriel's "Many Faces, One Nation" and the Codrington Pan Family. Other winners included Brian McFarlane's "India: The Story of Boysie"; Anthony Jackman and Associates' "People of the Dancing Sky" and Laventille Rhythm Section.
The evening ended quickly, almost everyone with a prize in hand and others with so many prizes that they needed assistance to carry them.
Downtown Carnival 2007 Prize Giving in pictures:
www.trinisoca.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=70196
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