The Route

This year, the organizers of Carnival have decided – in collusion with band leaders, we are told – that bands will congregate at the Choc roundabout (near Caribbean Cinemas) and proceed south down the Gros Islet/John Compton Highway to Castries, where they will be allowed to jump along Jeremie, Chisel, Micoud and Bridge Streets.
When we refer to “the organizers”, we have to admit that it is still unclear to us whether that body comprises only the staff of the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) or whether other consultative bodies or individuals are involved … and if so, who they are (of course, once the decision is taken, the police would necessarily have to be brought into the loop) – but at risk of sounding overly critical, we wish to take a look at this new development in our country’s Carnival celebrations.
At time of writing this editorial piece, information regarding the arrangements was still sketchy at best and we can only hope that those in charge have a firm grip on all the aspects of the organization of the event.
We ask for example, whether the bulk of the revellers are going to be left to their own devices when it comes to getting to the start-off point … we ask because there is an undercurrent of talk that many participants are expressing the opinion that they “are not going to go all the way up there, but will meet their bands along the way”.
In a related way, we wonder whether the viewing public will go up the highway and line the sides of the road in order to view the bands … or will the revellers simply jump the route, virtually without spectators, until they get close to the city?

Where will the bands be judged – and if on the highway, will the public be around to see their presentations? In the past, the pleasure of sitting at a venue, with friends or family and taking in the various presentations put on by the bands – even though it meant paying a small entrance fee for the privilege (which went to help defray some of the expenses of the organizers anyway) – was the most-looked-forward-to part of the extravaganza for a large section of the population.
Carnival has always been an interactive experience, the approval and joy of the spectators lining the various routes communicating with the revellers and inspiring them to extend themselves to the limit. We hope that some of that interaction will continue to exist somehow, along the lengthy session that will ensue with the bands coming down the highway?
With the number of local bands, plus the more-than-half-a-dozen foreign participants, how many hours will it take before the final bands make it to Castries … and will there still be daylight when they do?
We hope that all the above concerns have been taken into consideration by the Powers That Be, in the interest of making our greatest traditional cultural event as enjoyable for all as it has always been.