Point Fortin is a municipality literally bursting with energy. A rich sector of Trinidad's south western peninsula, blessed with oil and natural gas industries, port and beach facilities, and a wealth of talent in the exposition of our cultures, especially so for the areas of arts and entertainment. The annual Point Fortin Borough Day celebration epitomises their capabilities, and solidifies their contribution to the growth and development of T&T's Carnival, outside of the traditional pre Lenten festivities in the country's capital. Their event planning spells innovativeness, and risk taking. Those responsible for staging this gala event, have raised the bar from a one day steelpan and calypso jamboree, to three weeks of activities that include a mix of multicultural, glitz and glam, and fringe experiences such as, short street parades, a pageant, arts and craft market, dance, drumming, tassa, jazz, and a Tobago Heritage special.
The actual Borough Day-Pan on the Move-which initially was a late afternoon into the night street parade affair, now runs from late Friday night to midnight on Saturday, no sleep, and carries a J'Ouvert, and a segment which showcases traditional and Tuesday mas. This escalation, and the movement away from the typical annual steelband event, is a sure sign of progress. Interestingly though, the size and scope of the festival does not detract from the underlying theme and genesis of Borough Day, which clearly is a focus on the street traditions of steelpan and calypso, and for that, these planners should be very highly respected. The 2K11 edition was built around tributes to the late Mighty Duke and SuperBlue, both Point Fortin bred national icons, driven by a reaffirming and inspirational slogan-Pan Glorious Pan.
The theme for the junior pan activity was Pan for Blue, and for the traditional steel bands, Pan on the Parkway. Obviously, the planners referred to above, continue to, and from inception have been, "doing something for pan." As a matter of fact, they may be sitting on the rocket science formula re: propulsion of the National Panorama to the next level The Pan on the Move competition continues to attract the top steelbands in the land. This year, it featured the national Panorama winners, they were on the road, but as a guest appearance, Starlift, a welcomed return to Point after a long absence, struggling for form bpTT Renegades, all the big guns from the 2011 finals, plus a spread of reputable bands from the south/central region and beyond. Notable absentee, PCS Silver Stars. Competing bands were mandated to play a specified selection at each of the three judging points-a bomb tune-being one of Duke's many hits, your 2011 Panorama tune, and a test piece-the Point Fortin Borough song from Bernice Rennie. Pan music fuh so.
The Pan on the Move format demands the putting together of a well thought out and executed repertoire, and the bands did deliver, especially RBTT Redemption Sound Setters, they played with zest, and had some scintillating rhythms going. The J'Ouvert stayed within its recent trend, which reflects a tsunami of scantily clad-sweet and sexy-Trini women, gyrating to hot and groovy soca music, slight mud, but, way too many DJ trucks, and by extension, too much noise. The resulting effect is intolerable noise, no flowing revelry, a traffic jam of bands partying at a standstill, costumed players straying about, or resting in the shade, similar to the onerous wait to cross a judging point or the Savannah stage in Port-of-Spain on a Carnival Tuesday. Hopefully the planners are seeing this, and would insist that the bands use smaller trucks, consistent with the amount of player, and/or, they can inject pan round d neck and rhythm sections, which was a norm in the first 4 - 5 am J'Ouvert presentations.
The all inclusive band concept, and the preferred choice of electronic road music, has squeezed the pulsating sounds of iron and steel out of the J'Ouvert. Notwithstanding this and other issues, in varying ways, the festival is boss.The security is tight; there is a very high police presence...eye in the sky, helicopters, the works. The sanitation is of a commendable standard, groups of cleaners, water storage tanks, taps with running water, bins and portable rest rooms. Ideally, and within easy reach, are several local cuisine food courts, and of course bars and ices. If because of your affiliations or associates, and you are so inclined, you can spend some quality time at the many corporate soirees, hosted by the energy companies, the banks, and both sides of the political divide. These constant and positive additions and improvements to the festival, have significantly increased the Point Fortin community's local tourism, and have given Trinis resident in the first world, UK, USA, Canada etc; the option to choose between the PoS Carnival in the first quarter of the annual Carnival calendar, and this fast growing countryside and the beach version. Oh by the way, this year- rain fell, but it did not wash out mas in May.