Newly appointed National Carnival Commission (NCC) Chairman Lorraine Pouchet yesterday announced the approved route for the parade of the bands and the return of the Socadrome for Carnival 2015. The commission has also approved the traditional routes for the senior and junior parade of the bands, taking Carnival for juniors back to downtown Port-of-Spain.
The new route is flexible and allows alternative parades, which means bands can choose to either bypass the Piccadilly Street judging points or the big stage at Queen’s Park Savannah. “It is up to the bands and what they choose to do. Carnival is about the people and it is up to them,” said Pouchet. She was speaking at the launch of the parade routes at the VIP room of the Queen’s Park Savannah.
“We sought to take into account as many public voices as we could because we understand what is at stake if this decision does not take into account and bring together all interested stakeholders,” Pouchet said. Pouchet said the entire route would be manned by the T&T Police Service (TTPS). She could not say whether the Socadrome, at the Jean Pierre Complex, would be opened to more bands this year.
Last year it was managed by five of the major mas bands including Tribe, Bliss, Yuma and Harts. The few changes made to mas on Monday and Tuesday include a new rule that requires all bands to register with the NCC in addition to registration with the National Carnival Bandleaders Association (NCBA).
“The reason I have emphasised this is we are under strict instructions from the Ministry of National Security and the T&T Police Service, as the TTPS must be aware of all persons or organisations using the routes.” Yesterday, the T&T Carnival Bandleaders Association (TTCBA), in a press release, thanked the NCC for maintaining the traditional routes and expressed its desire to continue working with the organisation.
In recent years, the TTCBA has threatened protest and a boycott of the parade route after disagreeing with several proposed changes to the route, including a reversal of the procession across the Savannah stage from west to east.
Socadrome
Bands will proceed west along Queen’s Park West from Victoria Avenue, south along Cipriani Boulevard, west along Tragarete Road to the Roxy Roundabout, south on Damian Street, south along Taylor Street, west on Ariapita Avenue onto Maraval Parkway. Bands will enter the Hasely Crawford Stadium through the ‘Castro Gate’ going anti-clockwise around the Hasely Crawford Stadium into the Jean Pierre Complex.
Having exited the stage, bands will proceed onto Fitzblackman Drive, north along Hamilton Holder Street, then east onto Ariapita Avenue, rejoining the parade route.