TRIBE and Bliss bandleader Dean Ackin said there was mostly positive feedback from masqueraders regarding the Socadrome and new route which allowed them to achieve the goal of a continuous flow of mas.
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| CARNIVAL BLISS: Two masqueraders from the band Bliss have fun on Carnival Tuesday at the Socadrome in Jean Pierre Complex. Band leader Dean Akin yesterday gave the thumbs up regarding the smooth running of the bands at the Socadrome. Author: RATTAN JADOO |
“For the most part it has been positive, there are the few who are nostalgic for the (Queen’s Park) Savannah but even they have admitted to enjoying the tangible benefits of this new arrangement,” Akin told the Newsday.
“Overall I think the change was largely accepted by our masqueraders simply because they had a great time at the venue,” he added. Tribe and Bliss were two of six bands that were scheduled to utilise the new Socadrome stage, an initiative of the participating bands, at the Jean Pierre Complex, National Stadium on Carnival Tuesday.
The other bands were Yuma, Harts and Rosalind Gabriel’s adult band but Yuma was the only other band that participated. The non-competing bands were given a specific route to follow as agreed to with the police, though not all of them complied.
Ackin reported that the new route, “ran very smoothly” and they were able to get to the Socadrome venue ahead of schedule and the flow of the participating bands was “very efficient”.
“ The route allowed us to achieve our goal of continuous mas on the move which is preferred by all of our masqueraders,” he added.
“Overall I think the change was largely accepted by our masqueraders simply because they had a great time at the venue,” he added. Tribe and Bliss were two of six bands that were scheduled to utilise the new Socadrome stage, an initiative of the participating bands, at the Jean Pierre Complex, National Stadium on Carnival Tuesday.
The other bands were Yuma, Harts and Rosalind Gabriel’s adult band but Yuma was the only other band that participated. The non-competing bands were given a specific route to follow as agreed to with the police, though not all of them complied.
Ackin reported that the new route, “ran very smoothly” and they were able to get to the Socadrome venue ahead of schedule and the flow of the participating bands was “very efficient”.
“ The route allowed us to achieve our goal of continuous mas on the move which is preferred by all of our masqueraders,” he added.
He described the Socadrome as a great, secure venue and recalled that the stadium staff were extremely professional and courteous. He also noted that it allowed their masqueraders continued access to the drinks and music trucks, which is compromised en route to the Savannah when their drinks trucks must leave the band for a couple of hours and their music trucks are unable to play music in front of the hospital for up to three hours in some cases. “The flow in and out of the venue was smooth and our masqueraders seemed to enjoy the new stage with the same joy and abandon of the Savannah stage,” he said. On the lack of spectators at the Socadrome Ackin noted that this has been occurring at the Savannah for the last few years and it appeared that spectators preferred to line the roads to get closer to the mas itself. He also dismissed statements that the Socadrome was linked to a lack of spectators and bands in Downtown Port-of-Spain.
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