“I’m
telling you things like airfare, accommodation -- if you don’t
have family to stay by -- costumes, parties ... just about everything
get so expensive.
“We have been talking among ourselves up here (New York) and
what we have realised is that more and more people who have their
hearts set on coming home are being turned off because of the cost
of Carnival today.”
The Carnival fever is definitely in the air as the majority of big
name bands already launched for C2K7, and across the world, Carnival
lovers are feeling it.
It’s the reason those concerned have began lashing out at
the promoters and bandleaders who have quietly increased their prices.
“Fete prices doubled in 2005/2006 and put a major dent in
patrons pockets,” she went on.
“When people come to Trinidad for Carnival they want to experience
all and have a ball.
She then asked, “but how can one do that if the prices increase
dramatically?”
The avid masquerader, who takes pride in promoting the greatest
show on earth, further slammed not only what she called “ridiculous
prices of costumes,” but also what she identified as “segregation
of classes and unaccommodating nature” by some of the leading
bands.
“Those practices that have been slowly creeping into some
of the more popular bands and have left a negative taste for many
locals and non locals,” she continued.
“The working-class people are not able to participate, they
have set a bar where only the elite are participants.
“They are even more annoyed that they face discrimination
as overseas players.
“Do you know if you are not living here, you can’t make
a downpayment. You are expected to pay the full cost at registration?”
She accused many of the “guilty” bandleaders of “not
caring about the art form, the history and beauty of our sacred
festival”.
“To them it is all about the money generating out of producing
a band.
“Once bandleaders’ main focus becomes fixated on the
revenue generated by bringing out a band, opposed to developing
and being part of the culture, it takes away from the festival and
the rustic charm, which for many years have drawn people to this
island.”
She fears that if the trend continues prospective masqueraders will
go elsewhere.
“Observe how the Bajans are always in Trinidad promoting Crop
Over and inviting people to come over,” she went on.
“If this overpricing in Carnival continues, many of us will
choose to go Barbados where it’s less expensive and you can
almost get the same experience if not better,” she warned.
The overseas players are begging for the intervention of National
Carnival Bandleaders’ Association (NCBA) and Tourism Development
Company (TDC).
“Many of us are very upset at the way 2007 is panning out,”
she ended. |
