This is going to be Fareid Carvalho's 22nd attempt to win the King of Carnival. But this year is different from all others. While Carvalho does want the title, entering the competition is about showing his support for the Government's A Taste of Carnival.
The highest he has placed in the competition is third.
The playwright, masquerader, actor and producer was shocked at the amount of negative comments and naysayers there were to the Taste of Carnival.
"Last year, we had no Carnival and I was grieving. Carnival is in my blood, it is in all of our blood...
"I am not politically affiliated at all, I don't even vote. However, I think being in this Government's position is very hard because it is, 'damn if you do and damn if you don't,'" he said in an interview at one of his camps at Alfredo Street, Woodbrook.
"Last year you had no Carnival, you had nothing, you were upset. Now that they are trying something – A Taste of Carnival – they are upset. So you can't really win."
To Carvalho, a half loaf is better than none.
[caption id="attachment_938800" align="alignnone" width="777"] Fareid Carvalho is entering the King of Carnival competition to show his support for the Government's A Taste of Carnival. - Photo by Sureash Cholai[/caption]
The Government announced this year that the country would host a Taste of Carnival which would showcase different elements of the annual festival; mas, pan and calypso.
While some people expressed the view that the Government should have waited until 2023, Carvalho said, given the ever-evolving nature of the virus, anything could happen and there could also not be a Carnival 2023.
"They are trying now, give them a chance. Added to which we can use this as a stepping-stone."
While the short timeline has proven challenging, it has also fuelled Carvalho's creativity.
"For me, as a creative, the pressure is working. Logistically it is a little challenging. Normally we have four months in advance to prepare an actual king costume.
"Yes, I am a little dismayed at the last-minute announcement but we can do it and we are doing it," he said.
To create his costume in the limited space of time, Carvalho has four teams at four different locations working 24/7 to construct the costume. He also has the different locations to ensure that he keeps within the covid19 guidelines and has his 30-member team physically distant. The team has also been using technology (video conferencing) to ensure that each is in sync with the other.
He was thankful to the Government, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell, and president of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Bands Association (TTCBA) Rosalind Gabriel for their collective effort in putting together a Taste of Carnival.
To him, the consequences of not hosting any kind of event is dire.
He said many other countries and carnival organisers are seeking to grab TT's Carnival spot.
"Other countries are trying to rain and grasp on to our parade."
He said during the week of TT's proposed Carnival, Miami plans
