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on the streets of TT
She made it clear that the yet-to-be-demolished Grand Stand at the Queen’s Park Savannah, the traditional Mecca of Carnival, will not be a venue for any events this season. Instead, the Jean Pierre Complex will be home to the major Mas and calypso productions, including Dimanche Gras. “Mas will return to the streets with judging points for Carnival 2007 in downtown Port-of-Spain, Adam Smith Square, Piccadilly on the Greens and Queen’s Park South, in the vicinity of the Princes Building Grounds. Victoria Square will no longer be a judging point but the facility will provide seating as well as shelter and other amenities for viewing patrons,” the Minister said. There are also major changes of venue for Panorama. Preliminary judging will take place at panyards. The semifinal will take place at the southwestern end of the Savannah with bands going along Victoria Avenue, into the Savannah in the vicinity of the Paddock and exiting on Dundonald Street. The National Panorama Finals will be held at Skinner Park, San Fernando. Calypso Fiesta will continue to be held in San Fernando at Skinner Park while the finals of the National Calypso Monarch competition will, as usual, be part of Dimanche Gras at the Jean Pierre Complex. According to Yuille-Williams, the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott), which is in charge of construction of the National Carnival and Entertainment Centre which will replace the Grand Stand, will start demolition of the Grand Stand before Carnival. The structure was originally slated for demolition one month after Carnival 2006. The Carnival 2007 season gets into full gear on January 6 with the first major all-inclusive fetes and climaxes with the two-day Parade of Bands at competition venues throughout TT on February 19 and 20. ==========================================
Despite the uncertainty, most Mas bands have already launched their 2007 presentations. They include: 2
Ha’ Quai - A Sailor’s Tale ==========================================
A few steelbands have already started practice sessions, many of them opting for songs from the Pan Gone Soca CD with compositions from Edwin Pouchet, Alvin Daniell, Mark Loquan, Ray Holman, Winsford Devine, Mark Loquan, Brian “Bean” Griffith, Steve “Diamond” Nanton, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and Kurt Edwards, as well as Don Clarke, Chris Morris, David “Booker” Martin, Amrit Samaroo and Miguel Reyes. Vocals on these pan songs have been provided by Destra, Designer, Crazy, Skatie, Denyse Plummer, Derrick Seales, Candy Hoyte and Lil Bits. Witco Desperadoes, which has won the National Panorama title ten times, has once again linked up ace musician Robert Greenidge. The band’s 2006 arranger, Eddie Quarles, is working with Birdsong for the upcoming season. For pan lovers the major events to follow are: JANUARY
25 - FEBRUARY 1 FEBRUARY 4 - Panorama semifinal, Queen’s Park Savannah. FEBRUARY 17 - National Panorama Final (Large and Medium Conventional Bands), Skinner Park, San Fernando. ==========================================
There is already Carnival music on the shelves of record stores from Gypsy, Blackie, Anslem Douglas, Rootsman and Iwer George. Other artistes who have opted to do their releases on radio include Machel Montano, Crazy, Blazer, Terry Seales Lil Bits, H20 Phlo, Destra, Denise Belfon, Bunji Garlin, Maximus Dan, Fireball, Shurwayne Winchester and Patrice Roberts. The major calypso competitions on the 2007 Calendar of Events are: FEBRUARY 10 - Calypso Fiesta, National Calypso Monarch Semifinal, Skinner Park, San Fernando. FEBRUARY 14 - Extempo Final, Jean Pierre Complex, Port-of-Spain. FEBRUARY 16 - National Soca Monarch Finals. FEBRUARY 18 - National Calypso Monarch Final, Jean Pierre Complex, Port-of-Spain. >> We Entertainment :: D'Carnival Corner :: Carnival News Room |
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Sunday,
December 31 2006 -- ON DECEMBER 18, Culture and Gender Affairs Minister Joan
Yuille-Williams finally broke her silence on the official venues for Carnival
2007 after months of uncertainty and confusion.
2007
MAS PRESENTATIONS
PANORAMA
2007
SOCA/CALYPSO