The socadrome is the only new promising, sensible thing to happen in Carnival for years, says veteran children’s mas designer Rosalind Gabriel. Gabriel, whose children’s band will be parading through the socadrome at the Jean Pierre Complex next Tuesday, will not be competing at any National Carnival Bandleaders Association (NCBA) competitions this Carnival, including junior and senior parade of the bands.
Last Carnival, Gabriel’s band was disqualified from competition after leaving the route which was created by the NCBA and heading to Downtown Carnival judging points. NCBA president David Lopez had changed the route to exclude Downtown Carnival last year, a decision he recently announced would be repeated next week.
“I’ve had enough. We will not be in competition. We plan to have a good time and we are registered with the NCC to use the route, so after socadrome, we will head to the Downtown judging point and if we have time we will head to the Savannah,” Gabriel said. She added her masqueraders were happy with the decision. She told the T&T Guardian her involvement in the socadrome this Carnival gave her an opportunity to be free of shackles.
The shackles she referred to were that of the NCBA, who she said continuously interfered with the traditional routes of the festival. Gabriel will parade the socadrome stage with her presentation, Play One for Cito, a tribute to the late wirebender Cito Velasquez. Gabriel, who has been involved in Carnival for over 30 years and is known for her prize-winning children’s Carnival bands, said she was excited to be taking part in the socadrome.
She added: “We were supposed to appear in 2014 after appearing the three competition venues. “But because there was a six-hour jam on Charlotte Street, I never made it to the socadrome. I was bitterly disappointed. “The socadrome is the only new promising, sensible thing to happen in Carnival for years. The people who thought about it are young, bright people. “They didn’t wait for a handout. They did it to try and relieve the congestion. It’s new and fresh.”
Gabriel, who has been opposed to what she believes are attempts by the NCBA to interfere with the traditional roots of Carnival, described her involvement in the socadrome as “being free of the shackles of the NCBA.” Gabriel's 2015 presentation is scheduled to appear at approximately 8 am on Carnival Tuesday.
New at socadrome
In a release, spokesman for the socadrome, Danielle Hunte said yesterday spectators would now enjoy mas, steel and soca in one venue on Carnival Tuesday. The socadrome will return to the Jean Pierre Complex and entrance will be free before 9 am. Entry after 9 am is free for children accompanied by a paying adult while adult entry will be $10.
This year's Socadrome show will also feature performances by traditional Carnival characters, Kes, Roy Cape All Stars and some of T&T Carnival’s large mas bands, such as Bliss, Tribe and Yuma. It will only be open to masqueraders on Carnival Tuesday.
No parking will be allowed at the stadium.