Hmmmmm!

What a great day at the 2018 Panorama Semis! the Queens Park Savannah was revving on Sunday afternoon. Wonderful people, friends, slightly overcast, brilliant pan music, food and beverages aplenty. This year the rules were changed again for the millionth time. Last year we had all categories, small, medium and large playing on the same day. A nightmare ensued with the last large band playing to an empty facility and leaving the stage at 1.30 on Monday morning. This year it was reduced to just the medium and large bands, still a 10hr production. For me I go, enjoy have a great lime and when we are ready to depart we depart. I am not supporting a marathon event. It is the reason why you do not see the crowd changing, it is the same old geezers every year, I must say though very happy and contented geezers. If the organisers do not reassess the format then, like Calypso, the King and Queen of the Bands and the Parade of the Bands, the Panorama will suffer the same fate.
Speaking of Calypso we attended the Spectacular show at NAPA on Saturday night. The show went into overtime with the major performers having to literally keep looking at their watches because the stage management did a lousy job. The show had to end by 11.30 and the last two performances had to be finished within 15 minutes. Why is this necessary? Surely the producers can have effective stage management to keep things on schedule. Again younger people are not prepared to sit for 3 hours listening to anything, it does not work like that anymore. More is not better!
When we arrived the usher asked how many in our party the reply, 10, then 'do any of the persons  have difficulty in negotiating stairs?' If you want to know why the tents have lost their crowd it is because the only people left enjoying the remnants of the art form are now considered elderly persons.
It is dying because no one sees it fit to change the tune! People complain about the mas dying, maybe it is not dying it is evolving like everything else. The story is always about 'in my day' I agree things were different but everything is different now but the essence of Carnival and Pan is still there. People having a great time and throughly enjoying themselves. Maybe PanTrinbago needs to evolve!

The situation with the politics on the Rock is not good. I have never seen the politics this bad. The Government is in shambles, not taking responsibility for anything and the Opposition is comatose. Like the Carnival, are we seeing something happening before our very eyes? The political party structure has failed, the majority of electors have recognised this, could this then be the beginning of a new movement of independent candidates. Independents have not been successful in the recent past, excepting the bye election of Chaguanas West in July, 2013. Is it that the electorate is now coming of age and is serious about determining who is the person to serve as their MP? I would like to think so and look forward to the day when we have a group of Independents who really will vote on conscience, for country and not toeing the party line.
This would be a major change in our politics, we would have finally come of age. Way to go Rock!
Hmmmmm!

I make it a point of not getting personal on the Blog. I make an exception today and want to join my life partner and our entire family in expressing our full support for one of our 'readers and sharers' who is about to go through a series of tests for something we all hope is either not there or is treatable. Good luck my friend, there are a lot more rides to be had!

So we have 2 weeks to Carnival Monday and the best part of Carnival, Jouvert! 'In my day' we would not sleep the Sunday night, liming, drinking waiting for 4.00am. We would play an 'ole mas' sometimes making a political statement. It was typically 'blue', with a theme. We had our own box cart type drinks cart which we dragged around town. I am now relegated to playing with a steelband, once with a flying high sponsor now a band full of energy. Again, the average age in the band is above my own age but say what, the best Jouvert! Is it not strange that one minute the high flying sponsor, a State owned company, cancelled their sponsorship of one band claiming funding problems, decides immediately to sponsor another steelband? Of course the favourite band of the PMOTT will always have a sponsor.
I have 2 weeks to prepare, ensure that my life partner has not thrown out any of my traditional garb, stained jeans, jersey and sneakers.

It is times like this, the happy times during the Christmas and Carnival season that I really feel for my country. Yes, there are many other times during the year but especially now where you see the smiles, and people are in a different mood, a happy mood. Then comes the lent and the fast!

Good night people of the Rock, and good luck!