Shas­tri Boodan

Car­ni­val cel­e­bra­tions in Ch­agua­nas got off to an en­er­getic start. The launch took place on Sat­ur­day on the Ch­agua­nas Main Road with a cadre of lo­cal artists en­ter­tain­ing the crowd gath­ered in front of the Ch­agua­nas Mar­ket.

Chutney soca artiste Nel Ramdass had the crowd dancing away.

Chair­man of the Car­ni­val Com­mit­tee Re­nee Bai­ley said this year’s cel­e­bra­tions should cost around $500,000 with fund­ing com­ing from the Na­tion­al Car­ni­val Com­mis­sion and Cor­po­rate Spon­sors in­clud­ing Dig­i­cel, Aboud and Sons, The Fam­i­ly Med­i­cine Cen­ter and Chucky Cheese.

Bai­ley said all up­com­ing events would take place at Ram­saran Street. She said Ch­agua­nas lost pop­u­lar mas man Phillip Jor­dan who passed last year. Bai­ley said Jor­dan was one of the pi­o­neers in Jou­vert Cel­e­bra­tions and his band was al­ways pop­u­lar.

She said the Car­ni­val Com­mit­tee has de­cid­ed to name the Jou­vert Band of the Year award af­ter Jor­dan to ho­n­our his im­mense con­tri­bu­tion.

A masquerader shows off her costume at the launch of Chaguanas Carnival 2023.

Nishard M asked the crowd for ten sec­onds of si­lence for singer Anil Bheem who died on Sat­ur­day morn­ing, then he paid trib­ute to him with a med­ley of his Bol­ly­wood songs.

Bai­ley said the Ch­agua­nas Bor­ough Cor­po­ra­tion has di­vid­ed equal­ly the sum $40,000 among 4 steel­pan or­ches­tras in the Bor­ough. She said this mon­ey would go to­wards as­sist­ing the bands in mo­bi­liz­ing and sup­port.

Chutney Soca Monarch Finalists Climaxx, left, and Shazina Shazzie Ramusmair at the launch of Chaguanas Carnival 2023.

The up­com­ing events are;

· Ju­nior and Se­nior Ca­lyp­so Fi­nals- Sat­ur­day 18 Feb­ru­ary 4 pm

· Ju­nior Pa­rade of the bands- Sun­day 19 Feb­ru­ary at 2 pm

· Jou­vert- Mon­day 20 Feb­ru­ary at 5 am

· Pan Fi­es­ta- Mon­day 20 Feb­ru­ary at 5 pm

· Pa­rade of the bands- Tues­day 21 Feb­ru­ary at 10 am