It’s official. Carnival 2010 has lurched off the starting blocks, but if the showing at Saturday’s opening parade to mark the beginning of the Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival is any indication, one can safely assume that this year’s Carnival will fall short of the standard set by previous celebrations that the country has been observing since 1957.
The late start of the Scotiabank Opening Parade, though, was quite in keeping with the staging of parades past and a huge effort was made to incorporate the usual pomp and ceremony. But the general consensus was that the absence in terms of the numbers of floats representing businesses spoke volumes and brought home the realisation that this year, patrons will in fact be experiencing a scaled down version of Carnival.
Since last year, the country had been bracing for the effects of the economic downturn on the annual celebration, but no doubt about it, this year, the chickens have come home to roost as the Carnival 2010 budget has been slashed, and just two days before the official launch, the Carnival Development Committee (CDC) had only received about half of the amount allocated by government.
Worthy of mention, too, is that the CDC reportedly has not fully met its obligations to its creditors for the 2009 Carnival bill.
Also, in the weeks and months leading up to the staging, the usual amount of controversial issues between the CDC and stakeholder associations governing calypso and steelband were evident, with the big bang being the committee’s announcement that it was unable to provide any subsidy to those bodies.
To that end, the CDC dropped the King and Queen of Calypso Show squarely into the lap of the Calypso Association, only to have that body declare that it did not have the wherewithal to execute the show. In the end, calypso fans are left dealing with the fact that some giants like Queen Ivena and Panman are not in contention for this year’s monarchy, and so have been dealt a double whammy, it seems.
To date, the official printed copy of the calendar of events that lists the date and time of each show has been missing in action, such action including the dropping of previously announced shows like the Junior Party Monarch and Caribbean Melting Pot.
The non-appearance of the usual Carnival Magazine could also be an indication of stringent times calling for the adoption of some serious cost-cutting measures.
To compound the situation and to further bring home the point that Antigua & Barbuda is not untouched by the hard times that have left businesses and economies all over the world reeling, 2010 will go down in Carnival history as the first year that the CDC has not been able to secure sponsorship for all, save one, of seven named Queen of Carnival contestants.
Private corporations, seemingly, just could not weave any magic to obtain the funds, which some estimate could amount to more than $25,000, to collectively sponsor the majority of the Queen of Carnival hopefuls.
But the show must go on. So, mere days before the staging of one of the most popular Carnival shows, who has to come to the rescue by announcing it will be picking up the tab? The already cash-strapped Carnival Development Committee.
Additionally, there have been questions from some quarters about the Queen of Carnival show being staged rather early in the lineup of the Carnival calendar (Monday), suggesting that the quality of the show might be compromised, given that with so little time after the announcement of the CDC sponsorship, organisers now have to scramble to get the contestants in shipshape to deliver and to further leave patrons satisfied.
However, we wonder about the overall effect on the attendance of the various shows to be held at Antigua Recreation Grounds, since absence of sponsorship from businesses could very well translate into absence of a support base for each contestant, which would normally have been generated by affiliates and staff of the particular business/sponsor.
It remains to be seen how much the hard guava crop is reflected in the level of turnout for favourites like Party Monarch, Teen Splash, Panorama, or Calypso Monarch. Will there be reduced numbers for J’Ouvert and Parade of Troupes and Groups for Carnival Monday and Tuesday?
One thing is for sure, and that is, people will be participating as they continue the tradition of taking to the streets to celebrate their emancipation.
As residents and visitors join together to engage in the fun and gaiety of the season, we wish each and everyone a safe and enjoyable Carnival.
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