In previous years, vehicular traffic through the village was virtually impossible, as people flooded the streets to take in the masterful “brush-back” dance of the wedding street procession.

There was an easy flow of traffic through the village during the wedding celebrations, as the crowd was noticeably smaller this year.

Some cultural activists suggest that rampant politicisation of communities by the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) administration and big sponsorship money as the main reasons for the falling away from the festival.

They claim that since the PNM took over the administration of the island from the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) regime about five years ago, the prevailing attitude has been, “it’s we time now,” among the leadership of the ruling party.

“Many cultural activists in the village communities across the island were sidelined if they were perceived to be closely associated with the NAR administration,” said one source.

“The PNM also moved swiftly to ensure their people took over the control of the village councils,” the source added.

“This kind of discriminating politics is really destroying the culture,” the source said.

Yet another cultural insider advanced the theory that with the heavy injection of sponsorship money from corporate business into the festival, there have been increasing demands for appearance and performance fees for groups and individuals who participate in the festival.

“You have to understand that the corporate business sector now sees the festival as an important vehicle to spread their branding messages.

“Major sponsors like TSTT, First Citizens Bank, Royal Bank, Republic Bank, Angostura, Unit Trust, Colonial Life, have all pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into the festival.

“People in the villages are now asking to be paid well for their participation in the festival activities.

“It takes a lot of hours of practice and preparations and many are no longer willing to give that up for nothing,” explained the insider.

The insider revealed that there is a lot of friction over money among the groups and organisations connected to the festival and as a result some turn away.

Taking time off to speak to TnT Mirror exclusively on the issue last week Saturday during the Moriah wedding event was the MP for Tobago east Eudine Job-Davis.

She admitted her concern for the dramatic decline in attendance for the wedding in her home village of Moriah.

“I am not sure as to the reason behind this fall off,” she said hesitantly. “I know this year the festival was heavily publicised in the national media, so it’s kind of surprising and disappointing to see this kind of response.

“I think that what this is telling us is that there is an urgent need to revisit the entire festival and do the research that is necessary for changing the product of the festival,” she said.

Questioned as to whether, in her capacity as a Junior Minister of Culture in the government, she would move to initiate the consultation process towards this end Job-Davis was quick to point out that she was speaking in her capacity as MP for the area.

Job-Davis also stres-sed that she was always ready and willing to provide her skills to advance the cause of her people.

“There are some in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), who guard over their turf very jealously to the exclusion of the MP for Tobago east,” she added.

Meanwhile, there is talk that the THA has taken a decision to “scratch” the Tobago Festival event from this year’s cultural calendar.

Mirror was tipped about this from an insider, who revealed that they were informed by an official that there would be no Tobago Fest this year. Tobago Fest was conceived as a Trinidad-style Carnival event about seven years ago for the low September/October tourist season on the island.

It was felt that the event would prove to be attractive to Trinidad visitors, who would come to the Sister Isle to play mas in their costumes.

Many have contended, however, that the event never was able to realise its objective. There is an allocation of $1 million in the THA budget for the Tobago Fest.