Mas and pan goes to Point Fortin
Expect lots of action on the first weekend of May when the annual Point Fortin Borough Day Festival is held. As usual, the two-week festival will be a cornucopia of all that is good in T&T as far as indigenous art forms are concerned, inclusive of pan, mas, folk, culinary, arts and craft, mas, kaiso, calypso and chutney soca.
The much anticipated May 5 Pan on D Move parade of steelbands will traverse its traditional route and some of the nation’s top steelbands are expected to be on the street.
Among them will be 2018 National Panorama (Large) champion bpTT Renegades, runners-up CAL Skiffle and Desperadoes, Massy Trinidad All Stars, Exodus, Invaders, First Citizen Supernovas, Shell Invaders, Phase II Pan Groove, medium band Panorama champion Pan Elders, Single Pan winner Angostura Newtown Playboys Steel Symphony and others.
Expected to be lead of the parade as usual will homegrown Point Fortin Single Pan band Jah Roots. But, before the pan parade, from 4 am on Saturday Mas and pan goes to Point Fortin morning, the very popular Point Fortin J’Ouvert will be held and returning to the southern borough is the Fete Rat de J’Ouvert Band.
Celebrating its eighth year of existence, the band will be portraying Smack Dat.
Its fun and sensual theme is indicative of the band’s portrayal hence section names include Mesmerize, Playmate and Bite Me which is also available in Plus Sizes. The Fete Rat de J’Ouvert Band is fully all inclusive and all masqueraders enjoy and receive a premium goodie bag with their costume, and on the road will be provided with a fully-stocked premium bar, breakfast, cutters, security personnel and a 20- foot music truck during the six-hour parade.
DreadFest in Woodbrook
Reggae artistes from around the world are expected to arrive in Trinidad to perform at the April 21 DreadFest event.
DreadFest is a Reggae festival exhibiting a unique assortment of reggae infused art, craft, food, fashion, literature and music and it will be held in Woodbrook at Izinga’s Place, 23 Fitt Street.
Among the foreigners billed to perform, and the places of origin are Wapapah II and Princess Kazayah (Chicago); King Mas (Boston); and, Iyata Safari (NY). They will be joined by local songsters Lion King, Solid Rock, System Rebel, King Tafari, Buzzrock, Jah Mender and others.
DreadFest is expected to commence during the day and will also include local craftsmen, fashion designers and other small business owners, promoting and selling their products and food items, with a backdrop of musical selections from the Dread Radio cast.
There will also be live reasoning sessions on health and wellness among a few other prevalent topics.
Epic leap for Silver Harps steelband
Point Fortin Silver Harps Steel Orchestra was the proud recipient of an EPIC grant of $33,750 from the Digicel Foundation.
The funds were used to refurbish the panyard by changing the galvanise for the roof, upgrading of bathrooms and electrical work, installing fans and resurfacing the floor.
This space which is located on Salazar Trace, is the centre of community activity and home to 50 pannists many of whom are youth between the ages of seven-25 years.
In receiving the funds, a proud Ronnie Williams, assistant manager of the Point Fortin orchestra, was high in praise for the Foundation for the donation.
Said Williams: “The panyard is not just a place to play pan” he stated, “it is a place where we focus all our efforts on youth development in the community.
“Teaching them how to play, read and arrange music, discipline, team work, camaraderie and critical thinking skills and anything we can to enforce positive change.”
Silver Harps’ motto Difficult does not mean Impossible has helped the orchestra to sustain its activities over the years. Part of this year’s vision is to get enough financial support to enter the Panorama competition’s Medium Band and Junior Panorama categories for Carnival 2019.
Trustee Curtis Yearwood also added: “The panyard is active throughout the year and not just for Carnival.
“In fact,the group will be headliners at the launch of Point Fortin Borough Day on April 28 and will be featured in Republic Bank’s Pan on the Parkway”for the popular city event.
Silver Harps Steel Orchestra is committed to enhancing and preserving the culture of T&T by promoting the national instrument.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Spice Mas Grenada 2018
is scheduled to take place in August.
