Senior Reporter
joshua.seemungal@guardian.co.tt
The Socadrome vibrated with music and hundreds of jumping feet yesterday, as masqueraders in an ecstatic trance revelled in freedom.
Mega bands Spirit, Harts, Tribe and Bliss were among the bands to cross the stage to the delight of their masqueraders.
Many of the masqueraders lauded Carnival 2025 as the greatest ever.
“It was wonderful. I haven’t been on the Socadrome stage for a long while and this time, it was really, really nice,” a Spirit masquerader who only gave her name as Aida said.
“I played every year for the past 20 years because I love everything about mas. I love everything about Carnival. I love the culture. I am Carnival. I am culture.”
“Trinidad Carnival is the best in the world, hands down. It was more than worth the money. A priceless experience,” a masquerader in his mid-50s said while crossing the stage with Harts’ Gemstone Dreams.
Beauty and creativity was on full display at the Socadrome—words often associated with former Miss Universe Wendy Fitzwilliam.
She described her experience as fantastic, offering particular praise for the musicians.
“This year the music is amazing. It’s been a long season, so normally, by now, if it’s this long, you get a little tired of the music, but every day I learn a new song and it’s fantastic,” she said.
Fitzwilliam said while T&T’s Carnival has made significant progress in exporting mas to the world, there is some reason to be wary.
“We are getting there...We are experimenting now, doing interesting things, that is segregating the population more than bringing us together. What makes Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival special, what has always been, is that it levels the society. Everyone can participate in everything,” she said.
“... Now, if you don’t belong to this posse or that posse (it’s a problem) and we have to stop that because that makes us Rio. And that makes us other carnivals. And what makes us special is us, the people.”
Fitzwilliam wasn’t the only beauty queen crossing the stage.
T&T’s Miss World representative Ann-Marie Nanton, who led her Bliss section, said her experience was incredible.
“I definitely think Carnival is a platform to unite people. I think one of the things I love about Carnival is that there are so many aspects about it that you could enjoy. Of course, not everybody wants to come and put on pretty mas, some people are here for the steelpan, some people are here for traditional mas or for the stick fighting. There are so many different aspects of Carnival to enjoy and it brings all people together,” she said.
Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell, who danced as he crossed with Bliss, said the festivities released all the stress he had accumulated over the last two years.
He said it was the best Carnival he’s experienced since assuming the position as Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, saying the country is moving closer to realising its full potential during the celebrations.
“I think so (we are getting closer). I think with the Epic Carnival Cruise and more export initiatives, I think people are seeing us truly as the home of Carnival and Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago as the greatest show on earth,” he said.
Hart’s head of administration/customer experience Nigel Celeste lauded the role that soca music and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service played this year.
“I think the response is tremendous this year because the music is great. I think music plays a key part and although we are in a State of Emergency, people are feeling safer because you are seeing and feeling the police presence,” he said.
However, when asked whether Carnival has reached its full potential yet, he said there is still a lot of room for growth.
“I think we have only just touched the surface. I think we are going to revolutionise the way Carnival is seen to the world, and even as Caribbean people—how we portray Carnival to the world,” Celeste said.