While the capital city is usually accustomed to seeing thousands of spectators coming to witness J’Ouvert, that was not the case this time around in downtown Port-of-Spain, as the crowd yesterday could only be described as sparse.
As a result, Port-of-Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne promised the city corporation would spend more energy on marketing the festivities to ensure crowds return to the venue.
Before the start of the revelry at 4 am, there was a heavy police presence which saw the number of law enforcement officers outnumbering members of the public.
Half an hour before the official start of J’Ouvert, the TTPS and Defence Force placed a checkpoint near the Light House in downtown Port-of- Spain, where they were stopping revellers entering the city and performing searches.
J’Ouvert began with traditional masqueraders coming to the venue, where they performed to a very small crowd on the pavement and less than ten people seated in the Lord Kitchener Stand.
When the question of dwindling spectators for another year was posed to Mayor Alleyne, he said, “You would notice that we made some changes to the layout of the stage this year. Previously, the judges were at a separate stage a little lower down the street and the spectators were in the stands, so we’ve brought the spectators and the judges back together and that’s one of the things we’re working on to continue to improve the product we’re offering here in downtown.”
He continued, “It’s some very good mas, so we just need to put some more effort behind some of the marketing for the product. Once we’ve completed some of the reforms, we’re engaged in.”
He said young people needed to be encouraged to take an interest in mas.
“I think we need to expose them more and on Sunday, you would have seen the Cub Scout troops come out for Kiddies Carnival, you would have seen some schools come out as well,” Alleyne said.
But the ole mas yesterday had something for everyone—comical, humorous, and creative.
Richard Montano, who portrayed Dee Pee Pee Not Charging D CoP, won J’Ouvert King this year.
He told reporters that he has been looking forward to the crown for over 60 years, as he has been playing ole mas since he was 12. He placed second on four occasions.
“But I am so happy to win this J’Ouvert, I travelled a long way to play this mas ... from Florida and I’ve been following the media with the problem with the Commissioner of Police and the DPP and I said I can equate this mas to have an impact on the news and I hope it is displayed properly, I enjoyed it and I’m having a very good Carnival, so my trip down here was worth it,” Montano said.
The Queen of J’Ouvert was Laverne Smith, who portrayed Not in the Doubles Comess but Ah Want Ah Job at Double Palm.
Smith said the inspiration to portray this was due to the controversy with Jamaican dancehall artiste Beenie Man talking bad about T&T’s doubles.
“I didn’t want to go back to doubles, doubles, doubles, so I just shifted it to doubles and double palm. That was the inspiration right there. You don’t come and bad talk about our street food, no Beenie, no.”
She was asked what could be done to bring more young people to watch and even participate in the King and Queen of J’Ouvert competitions.
She recommended going to schools and conducting programmes to encourage young people to get involved.