Festival has room for more community bands

Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, Steven Blackett has suggested the above. Acknowledging that there are still a few community bands participating in the festivities, the Minister has noted that they have their place and he wouldn’t mind seeing more community bands at Kadooment and other jump-up events.

 

 “Community bands play their part of and course they reflect what is happening at the community level, but when you see the costumes that are being displayed, even with the bands at Kadooment and even at Foreday Morning, sometimes they depict what is happening at the community level and sometimes they do not,” he commented.

 

“I believe community bands, they have their place. There are some community bands still, Roseanne Lewis for instance, she is one person who is always reflective of what is happening at the community level. Some of the other band promoters have moved way from depicting such, but there’s always a place for them, for community participation.” 

 

Meanwhile, Blackett said that in relation to the Crop Over Festival, he has a soft spot for the Pic-O-De-Crop competition. However, he expressed surprise that the Government has not been getting a greater tongue lashing by way of the social commentaries released to date. He expressed his hope that this is a reflection of what the “broader society is saying”, with regards to Government’s performance.

 

 “I still live for the Crop Over period and what my thoughts are on the calypsos and the quality of them this year, I still think that  they have maintained a reasonably high standard, especially in the Pic-O-De-Crop competition,” he further remarked.

 

“I am not so much into the sweet soca and the other categories…but I pay special attention to the Pic-O-De Crop competition. I missed the semi-finals, but I will certainly, God spare my life, be at the finals. I think the competition overall this year has been of a reasonably high standard and I am looking forward to the overall presentations at the finals at the Kensington Oval, next Friday night,” Blackett said. (RSM)