YOUNG King Mical Teja's runaway hit DNA faced stiff competition from Bunji Garlin's Carnival Contract, as the race for the coveted Road March crown tightened between the two performers.
From South Quay to Queen's Park Savannah, the nation's capital was transformed into a sea of feathers, beads, crystals and vibrant colours during the two-day Reign of the Merry Monarch.
[caption id="attachment_1063699" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A masquerader from Tribe enjoys herself at the Soca Drome at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Carnival Tuesday. - Photo by Faith Ayoung[/caption]
From the start of the season, right up to when he was crowned Young King, Teja's DNA was anointed by many as the road march song. But soca veteran Bunji would have none of it.
As the dawn broke on Carnival Tuesday, Garlin's Carnival Contract was the clear song of choice at South Quay.
A National Carnival Commission (NCC) judge at South Quay, who asked to remain anonymous, said that on Monday, most of the bands crossed to Garlin's Carnival Contract, and this was the same on Tuesday.
[caption id="attachment_1063700" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Air could not pass between these two Carnival lovers on stae at the Soca Drome, Hasely Crawford Stadium on Tuesday. - Photo by Jeff K. Mayers[/caption]
“Mical Teja's song is beautiful eh, but most of the bands want that power type of soca and they went with Bunji's Carnival Contract,” the judge said. At other judging points, both songs were the stand out choice among bands.
A vendor at South Quay who identified herself only as June told Newsday that Carnival sales this year were slow.
“This year people are not coming out, and it's really hard for us out here. Everything is up by the savannah, J’Ouvert morning, nobody passed this way,” she complained.
[caption id="attachment_1063701" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A masquerader with the band Southern Mas Associates which portayed Oklahoma Pride at King's Wharf, San Fernando on Tuesday. - Photo by Lincoln Holder[/caption]
June said the NCC should revise the routes it chose for Carnival and find creative ways to encourage the public to visit other areas of the Capital and not just the Savannah.
“Maybe it's the amount of crime before Carnival that made people not want to come to Port of Spain, but it has been really safe. Everywhere you turn is police and I haven’t heard of anybody getting robbed.”
Asked for her road march pick, June said, “All I hearing is Bunji's Carnival Contract, but then right after, they would play Mical's DNA. So I don’t know who would win, but personally, I like Teja.”
[caption id="attachment_1063702" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A costume from Kinetic Mas' Yokoso during downtown Carnival at South Quay in Port of Spain on Tuesday. Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
On Charlotte Street, an elderly woman, surrounded by a group of people, was lying on the pavement. The unidentified woman said she came to watch bands pass and began feeling light-headed.
“It is the heat. I just need some air and water. Ju
