SAN FERNANDO launched its Carnival 2024 on Sunday evening, with a street parade from Coffee Street to Skinner Park.
There the stage was set for the presentation of all components of Carnival, from calypso and soca to mas and pan.
As he launched the event, San Fernando mayor Robert Parris signalled that Carnival is more than wine and jam.
He told the audience at Skinner Park where booths were set up for registration, that Carnival is a business and should be viewed and treated as such.
“Our national festival, Carnival, is a big part of our economy, and if done correctly, can stimulate the SME (small, medium-sized enterprises) sector."
Parris said he has seen the benefits from the month-long activity celebrating the 35th anniversary of San Fernando becoming a city, and he intends to continue this momentum straight into Carnival 2024 and beyond.
“We see the vendors making money, hotels making money, taxi drivers making money, people on Cross Crossing (vending strip) making money.
“It is more than meets the eyes. If we continue to have pride in ourselves as San Fernandians, we can show the world how it is done.”
He again noted that owing to the changing dynamics, San Fernando can no longer be considered the country's industrial capital. But Parris said its vast cultural resources are one of four pillars on which the city wants to build, to realise its vision to be known as the cultural capital of Trinidad and Tobago.
“I believe through arts and culture, we can stimulate interest in the young minds to develop the city.”
The four pillars are tourism, culture, arts and sports. Parris said through these events the city can partner with the SMEs to stimulate the economy.
Convenor of Carnival Dawad Phillip said, “We are all excited, pumped up, energised and confident and eagerly looking forward to Carnival 2024, in a different kind of vision and a different kind of direction.
“We are trying to bring Carnival into the orbit of tourism, arts and culture.”
Some bandleaders took the opportunity to tease the audience with snippets of their 2024 presentations, among them Ivan Kalicharan and Lionel Jaggessar and Associates.
The management of these two bands, among the oldest in San Fernando, has now been transferred to their children Ayanna Kalicharan and Lionel Jagessar Jr and his brother Larry Kuru.
For 2024, Kalicharan will present Ramajay, and the Jagessar brothers will present Watch the Sun Rise.
Junior explained the word "sun" is really a play on the rise of the two sons of the masman, who died last year.
This is the first year the Jagessar brothers will be bringing out a band without their father.
Kalicharan has reduced the sections from eight to five – three all-inclusive sections – and the price of costumes, which range from $1,500 upwards in the non-inclusive and $6,000 or less in the all-inclusive segment.
Ayanna Kalicharan said last year a lot of people wanted to play mas but did not have the money for it. As the season is earlier next year, and for the continuity of the band and
