But for some reason the amount of people who have said, ” Oh this year the music is so good!” are losing ground on the amount of people saying, “I’m not really feeling it yet.”

What happened?

It isn’t that all the great music we’ve been hearing suddenly became bad overnight (although some of them may have become a bit dated or overplayed). It’s that there really hasn’t been an out an out standout track.

There isn’t that powerful Soca song, that immediately takes you to the road on the way to the stage, far less on it just yet. In fact there’s hardly been a song which makes you think about the tidal wave- esque mosh-pit monstrousity the stadium becomes on Fantastic Friday. (Groovy is WELL covered though.)

The reason for this isn’t that the music is bad, it’s that as of yet, no one has really imposed their personality or character on any of their songs. No one has taken their song to that level. Yet.

Most of the power Soca tunes sounded forced and programmed as opposed to vibrant music full of personality. It seems almost as if in embracing the Island Pop trend, some Soca acts have ignored the soul of their music.

The closest thus far, has been Swappi. But he’s cursed with an identity recognition issue himself. (World Boss in a 4d?)

The irony of this is, most of the island pop music from last year; namely Kes’ ‘Where I’m From’ and ‘Wotless’ or even Machel’s ‘Bendover’ took me onto the road after hearing them through my speakers at home.

There’s still a month to go and we may yet get that pile driver that seizes the moment. But for now I guess and ‘Bucket’ of ‘Bacchanalist’ will have to do, until someone really links up a road mix to get flags pumping with rags in the middle.

These three were identified as fleeing bandits and shot dead in Chaguanas. Their three accomplices (who I won’t name because as far as I remember, they are not to be identified until they are charged and appear in court or are released) were arrested and remain in Police custody.

Following the incident, Police were quick to use the situation as a warning for other would be criminals, with a senior officer even declaring that criminals should think twice before coming to the Central Division.

Except for one thing, these men, at least according to relatives, may not be criminals at all.

I’ll now present both sides of the story:

From Police:

“At around 1:30am, police received reports of a robbery at Rich Gold bar in Chase Village. Police spotted two vehicles which matched the descriptions provided heading North along the Uriah Butler Highway and pursued. The men opened fire on the chasing officers and a gunfight began. One of the cars rammed repeatedly into an unmarked police vehicle. Both vehicles were immobilised and the men fled on foot into the bushes. Following assistance from Couva police and the K-9 unit, the men were caught in the bushes near Cemetery Street, Chaguanas. Honore, Borde and Eminess were killed in the shootout while the remaining three were taken into custody.”

From relatives:

“This morning (Saturday) I get the information that it had an incident in Chaguanas where they went to some club and gamble.
I not sure if that’s the correct information but like they had on gold chains and the fellas see they had money in their pocket and tried to rob them.There was some exchange, scrambling or whatever but the fellas get away and they head to come back down on the highway. The fellas in the bar, now like they call the police and let the police know that these (other) fellas just rob them. The police like they see the cars and without asking any questions shoot up the cars.”

Now for many it would seem to be the simple ‘my boys were innocent story’, particularly if Police can prove these guys had firearms and shot at them.

However there are a couple of things to consider here:

Relatives have explained that the cars belonged to the men and insurance documents can prove this, contrary to some police statements that the cars were stolen.

This may not be much to disprove their guilt, but most bandits in Trinidad don’t use their own cars to commit robberies. Also if the police cars were unmarked, which the police report confirmed, it’s possible the men would not have stopped after being hailed by police.

Secondly, relatives claim the money seized belonged the men. it’s very probable considering that this weekend was payday for fortnightly paid workers.

Thirdly, Rich Gold bar isn’t exactly a place most men would like their women to know they visited. So it’s also very likely they fled the club after the robbery (whether they were victims or not) just to not identified as being there.

Fourthly, as of yet I am yet to be informed of any charges being laid against the men. Is it that evidence is still be gathered against the men?

So to quote the relative one more time:

“I am asking for some kind of assistance in investigating exactly what it is really took place. That is all I’m asking for.”

2. Anything broadcast via Blackberry Messenger is absolutely 100% fact and should be heeded.

3. A 14 year old girl who goes on Youtube to jokingly say things I occasionally hear from grown men and women in the streets of Trinidad and Tobago is a menace to society and should be taken into custody.

4. The Government is very good at sending clear messages to the public. Nobody in Trinidad and Tobago is confused after they speak.

5. Great journalism only occurs when the interviewee is made to look like an imbecile and or made to concede to the opinion of the journalist. Exposing facts and showing responsibility and or objectivity isn’t that important.

6. Trinidadians are so well informed, they can only agree with people who sound intellectual.

7. Ian Alleyne is Gandhi reincarnated, seriously.

8. Trinidadians can actually be disciplined, once their rights are taken away.

Two days of which I held back typing these words because I was looking for something.

Something to make sense of it all.

To understand.

Last night as I saw Dominic Kalipersad mercilessly corner the Attorney General on national television, I was silently rooting for Mr. Ramlogan.

Not because I ultimately support the actions of the government, but because I wanted to actually hear something from them that made sense.

That makes this worth it, something reassuring.

Didn’t find it.

On Sunday night, upon hearing the announcement, I tried to rationalise it.

Instead last night as Dominic Kalipersad and later Martin Daly continuously exposed the flaws and faux pas’ of the government’s actions, I could see status updates, statuses and comments which symbolised an anger and tension that I hope, for the country’s sake, doesn’t boil over.

Hoping that, in this blog, I could find something to write for the people, to guide them through  this not so limited, but very real State of Emergency.

I haven’t found it.

Instead I continuously see more mis-information being spread, to the point that half the country is not even sure what is going on, because facts are continuously being distorted.

So this distorted that even media houses have printed and posted information that has misguided the public.

Distorted mainly ignorant racially fueled or political motivated Blackberry Messenger broadcasts or irresponsible rumor mongering.

Instead of stable messages being sent out by our leaders I see more party politic posturing by both members of government and opposition figures.

All simply stirring a fire, when we need to be mindful. Our leaders for the moment seem to ignored practicality, we the people can not.

I can’t use what the government said, but I, still hoping, appeal to my countrymen to not mimic the leadership at this point.

For the next two weeks, a heck of a lot of good sense has to prevail for us to see any rewards from this.

This is an all or nothing situation. Like Martin Daly said, “It’s like an Ace, you either hang jack with it or you don’t. You can’t play another ace.”
Either it works and it’s great, or we fail.

And we fail.

It may be badly put together, but at this point as a nation we need to live up to our often forgotten watchwords somewhat because I rather not see the outcome should this thing backfire.

Show some discipline, hold the strain and see out these two weeks.

It means that, we don’t need to create more tension by being idiotic.

So please people, act like you have some sense.

Imagine Carnival without Kerwin Du Bois.

Would last season’s fetes be the same without “Ah Ting” and “Heaven in You”?

You’ll survive right?

What if Machel Montano’s “Illegal” and Kees’ “Wotless” left with him? Still think you’d have enjoyed yourself as much if the Toronto-based artiste/producer took his ball and went home?

Well while it’d take quite a damper to mitigate the high that Carnival brings but Du Bois has regularly been injecting a dose of additional vibes into the season. In more ways than you know.

Du Bois’ touch has given life to more than a few favourites in recent seasons; Blaxx’s “Tusty” “Breathless” and “Zombie”, Destra, Denise Belfon and Alison Hinds’ “Obsessive Winers” are just some of the hits penned and produced by a certain Canadian citizen named Du Bois.

“But you see people doesn’t know that sometimes,” said Du Bois at his apartment earlier this year.

Du Bois, like many other local producers, has struggled for people to recognize the man behind the music.

But he is accustomed to struggle.

A former Junior Calypso Monarch, he steadily rose through the Calypso ranks until his career hit a crossroad in 1998.

“When I had win Young Kings and Stars of Tomorrow in the same year, there was nothing for me after that, nobody was calling to do shows” recalled Du Bois. He looked to Soca, but success took its time.

Six years lapsed before an email interaction with Machel Montano saw him send a demo version of “Bubblenut.”

“It was a song that was suitable for him, he’s the kinda winer-man thing and if was anyone who could have showcase that for me, it would have been him,” recalled Du Bois.

The 2004/5 hit brought Du Bois his opening, the calls started coming in.

“People curiosity level start to grow, they start asking who do that?” said Du Bois, but again things slowed, until a song, first meant to be a party advertisement, caught fire.

“I telling you up front, I never had confidence in ‘Gyal Farm’,” remembers Du Bois of the 2008 hit. It even took a bit of faith from his collaborator, Shal Marshall, to keep the project alive, Du Bois admitted.

The result was a surprise hit for an artiste in 2008 and a resurgence we’ve welcomed ever since.

Du Bois is grateful for his trials but urges artistes and writers to work with each to give the people behind the music their due.

“Is a hand in hand thing which starts with the artistes. The artistes must acknowledge who responsible for making these things possible…Producers need to put themselves out there too, they need to push themselves, put their names out there market themselves” said Du Bois.

Du Bois has stated that since the middle of the last Carnival season he had already been thinking of new ideas for 2012.

We look forward to hearing it.

We salute you Kerwin Du Bois.

Keep doing your thing man

My curiosity towards this topic had been peaked in the past few days, particularly due to the reaction of some to a particular red woman in a piece of fiction I have worked on.

Some have stated because she represents the “reds” every man wants, they dislike the character. Ok then.

The flames were further fanned when on Monday, without tact I add, the Express suggested the deceased Vonetta Reyes-Haynes may have looked for affection via the internet.

Not surprisingly the conversations among men threw out the line ” A pretty red girl like that need to go on the net?”.

So I thought:does the much held belief of so many dark-skinned women I know hold true?

Does the red woman really have it easier in finding a mate?

Well seeing as I’m no longer paid to do any kind of in-depth journalism, I did a simple survey using my blackberry contacts and asking women around my office what they thought.

I made an extra effort to get the views of women who would be considered red, even if they themselves do not believe themselves that fair (as the goal posts are regularly moved as to who is red) as I have regularly got the opinions of dark-skinned women on the matter.

And not surprisingly, at least not to me, the reaction while mixed tilted towards no, they didn’t have it easier.

Now I’m sure I’ll be accused of match fixing by some one but I have a theory about this.

I believe dark-skinned women, much like black people in general, place too much emphasis on the power the lighter complexion supposedly has or imposes upon them.

It is almost second nature for us to say, “he or she only get through because they’re red.”

Yet how many of us know ebony beauties who have silently picked up new boyfriend after new boyfriend while your “stunning” red girl on the other end has suffered to get her ex-boyfriend to call her back?

I know a few red girls, who despite having many admirers, haven’t exactly been wined and dined very often by male suitors. I know that isn’t always down to their ‘prioritising’ careers.

While arguing with a dark toned beauty who can fall into the silently moving on class stated above, she regularly pointed out that the red women is the apex of beauty to the Caribbean male and as such black women like herself struggle to find companionship.

Really? I’ve been to more weddings with a dark toned bride than I’ve seen a red woman in a veil. The margin is actually in double figures.

What I agree with is, the complexion is showcased in the media as the desired beauty. But is it the reality?

Isn't she lovely?

Not since Colleen Holder have we seen a newscaster who is even close to the complexion of CNN’s Isha Sesay.

C's Desha Rambhajan has quite a following

At the main television stations in the country, all of the female

She's a lovely scene

newscasters have a similar hue. But as much as I have heard many a man state how they covet Desha Rambhajan, I’m sure I can get just as many to say Synergy TV’s Keisha Marie Charles is perhaps the best looking television personality at present.

Advertising similarly uses lighter skin tones to market products, but does it really influence what type of women men chase

Notably most dark-skinned girls who argued the disparity, remember my opening phrase but seemingly ignore there’s also a saying, “The only good red thing is a dollar.”

How many remember the out cry there was when Heidi Rostant was selected as our representative in 2000. A large portion of the public she was too light to represent Trinidad and Tobago?

Was Wendy Fitzwilliam or any other dark-skinned beauty ever so ostracised?

So are the reds really that far ahead? Or is it that women haven’t really been paying attention to the Trinidadian man’s true preference?

For the past month or so I have tried to understand the actions of three very prominent men in Trinidad and Tobago:

The Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.

The Mayor of Port of Spain Louis Lee Sing.

And Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne.

These men and their exploits bewilder me, particularly when I see the response they get from the wider public.

Be it praise and or criticism these men gain, I struggle to understand their motivation or real inclination.

The Attorney General

Anand Ramlogan, to his credit, hasn’t altered much the approach that saw his status rise as a human right’s lawyer. Yet is his brash approach required in his current position?

Does his no holds barred approach help or hinder the Partnership?

Or is he deliberately rocking the boat?

I was trying to figure this out after he trained his guns upon Brian Copeland and his development team when raising questions about the invention patent of the G-Pan and the Percussive Harmonic Instrument (PHI).

Now being a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, I couldn’t quite agree that Brian Copeland, who as far as I know is also a tax paying citizen, was ripping off his fellow man, or in this case Trinidadian, by having a patent.

The technicalities surrounding his funding and position at UWI may point otherwise, but my limited legal knowledge leads me to believe not much wrong was done.

And it’s not like the country isn’t already in a patent dispute over the pan with some American based developer.

But I digress.

The whole case initially reminded me of the not so missing piano in the Diplomatic Centre.

But then I thought again, why did Ramlogan raise this? Was it, much like the piano attempt, another attempt to discredit the PNM regime which preceded the PP?

Was he just raising dust to distract while Sasha Mohammed quietly resigned?

Or did he really have the nation in mind?

My confusion was only compounded by the Express lead story today, where he is looking into a possible conflict of interest involving a recently downsized but overwhelming popular ( and internationally reputed) minister.

The move could just raise more questions about corruption around the Government that feeds him.

Or it could be the call out that team Kamla and company need to finally sling a Jack.

So what’s the play Anand?

Louis Lee Sing’s motives have, to the most part, seemed a bit more clear.

The Mayor

Because he generally articulates them.

His tenure has been generally hated by the ‘We like it so” or praised by the “we wanted this changed eons ago” as he has lobbied for improvements to the capital. Some I have even lauded on this very blog.

But throughout there’s been a hint of political mischievousness about his movements.

In many cases he is the strongest ebb of the PNM resistance. The prickliest thorn that remains in the Post Apocalyptic, sorry, Manning era.

And he isn’t the only one who noticed.

Parliamentarians of the Partnership have regularly come forward to critique or undermine his actions, with varying success. It wasn’t so long ago that he was blamed for the recent upsurge of murders in the city.

But lack of backing from the government hasn’t hindered him much, has it?

It didn’t stop him from preventing people from parking in King George the Fifth Park for the India’s visit to the Queen’s Park Oval.

Also didn’t stop Red Run from taking place there days later either.

So upon hearing the issue regarding the IMAX theatre. I had to wonder if his concern was really that the area was intended for city use, particularly if it took so long into the auditorium’s construction for him to raise issue.

So what’s the plot twist Louis?

The Crime Watchman

And then there’s Ian Alleyne.

If ever there were a success story. This is one.

Months after getting fired from WINtv for reasons that probably aren’t political, at all, Ian Alleyne has one of, if not the hottest, local television show.

It wasn’t that long ago that Petty Crime Watch was better known than the actual Crime Watch.

Yet without actually changing anything about his package upon moving to a new network, Trinidadians barely stop short of calling Alleyne the new Gandhi.

They even tried to assassinate him!

But what does Trinidad’s hip yet not so new, ‘flutag’ judging, crime exposing television personality exactly achieve with his broadcasts?

Are we safer? Is crime down? Does the government pay attention?

I couldn’t see it back when the show wasn’t as popular.

Maybe his wider audience can fill me in.

So just as Redjet got clearance to fly to Trinidad and Jamaica, people from the airline’s Caribbean base, Barbados are a tad upset.

Is it because they suddenly see a set of Trinidadians and Jamaicans coming to their island to loot and plunder?

Nope, it’s because one Trinidadian, named Machel Montano, arguably the biggest (or at least currently the most relevant) Soca act in the world is a headline act for a show in their Crop Over festival.

Maybe Bmobile should be more upset about this???

They don't like it in colour so they definitely don't like it in black and white..Hard luck HD

Their argument by the people of little England is a local entertainer should be used   to promote their festival. It was also largely the argument used by this irate Antiguan. It matters not if the event garners interest, buzz or is a success. Or that other local acts do feature, prominently at that, in these shows.

And I agreed, because if it were Trinidad, we would be up in arms if some international act came and outshined our local luminaries during our celebrated season.

Because it’s not like I wasn’t upset that Vybz Kartel was heavily marketed  for Licensing Fete.

Or Sean Paul was for Temperature a couple years ago.

But then I thought, I wasn’t that mad.

Especially when let’s say the mid-1990s, when “the Bajan Invasion” was in the height of it’s pomp, that names like Edwin Yearwood and Allison Hinds or bands like Krosfyah and Square One were even bigger draws to Carnival fetes in Trinidad.

Wasn’t particularly mad at Rupee either.

Dare I say, they headlined quite a few shows didn’t they?

Did Trinidadians get incensed when the International Soca Monarch became Beenie Man’s mini concert after the judging ended?

Personally speaking, I was only slightly peeved that I couldn’t get many people to hang out with me on February 18 2010 because Beyonce just happened upon the Queen’s Park Savannah two days after Carnival.

It was just a week ago I read about the failure of the Federation again. Internal problems stemmed from jealousy. A jealousy that stemmed from the smaller territories, who felt the larger territories with economic power and resources would simply impose upon them.

The returning feeling from the larger territories was that the smaller territories were burdens that dragged them down.

Sounds like crabs in a barrel syndrome doesn’t it?

So who cares about the Caribbean Single Market and Economy?

CARICOM just has meetings for style right?

Machel Montano doesn’t sing Caribbean music.

He is just a Trinidadian.

They are Barbadian.

And we are still divided.

However, I believe he may be the last name on the West Indies Cricket Board’s hit list in their quest to regain control over the players in the region.

Just a week ago I finally watched “Fire in Babylon”. A fine documentary I might add, but it exposed something that I hadn’t recognised before; just how long the WICB (then known as the Cricket Board of Control) have been utilising dictatorial means to control their talented assets.

Much like the IPL and other 2020 tournaments are to today’s climate, so was World Series Cricket in the late 1970s. The WICB banned their players, which included Viv Richards and Michael Holding for partaking in the tournament held by Kerry Packer.

Public pressure eventually forced them to relent and the West Indies team, ironically inspired to achieve greater fitness because of the tournament, went on to dominate World Cricket for the next two decades.

The scenario is not quite the same with the IPL and Chris Gayle, but I have seen history repeating itself, particularly with the board’s actions towards it’s star players.

This time they’ve used methods to turn the public against their stars by questioning their commitment and pinning poor results on them.

My theory was further watered by Garth Wattley’s analysis of Ramnaresh Sarwan’s form slump and eventual axing from the test squad for the game starting today.

The board has found a very sly way to under-cut and eventually remove all the players who could possibly oppose or disrupt their authority.

Let me explain.

The WICB has successfully used the short memories or in this case the scarred memories of the West Indian fans to push forward their own agenda. Silently deflecting their very massive interference on the development or resurgence of the West Indies cricket team.

I’ll build this case starting with Sarwan.

The criticism of Sarwan’s recent form has been compounded by comments made by coach Otis Gibson (who has been a useful foil to the WICB) stating the senior players had let the team down and we have continuously lost.

Some have fed into this half truth and began to side with Gibson, believing that rebuilding was the way to go.

But the truth is, we’ve been rebuilding for some time and actually, prior to Gibson’s arrival, were actually making progress.

Following Brian Lara’s abrupt retirement in 2007 (who may have been the first name on the hit list) the West Indies team continued their poor international record. But there were signs of improvement.

Few may remember, but later that year, the West Indies, under the captaincy of Chris Gayle won a test match in South Africa for the first time.

In fact, they held their own in that series until Gayle became injured midway through the second test.

Suddenly the West Indies weren’t simply being whitewashed whenever we went to Australia and South Africa.

We even won a test series, albeit fortuitously against a good England team in 2009. We were semi-finalists in the World T20.

The team had a consistent and generally productive core that looked like this: Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin and Jerome Taylor.

Some might add Suleman Benn if they wish.

Notice anything significant about this list of players in today’s affairs.

*Marlon Samuels threatened to form a vital cog of that core before his ban in 2008. Brendan Nash served as Samuels replacement in essence.

Around this time, Sarwan blossomed into arguably our most consistent batsman not named Chanderpaul. His average, which hovered in the high 30s for most his career finally crept into the 40s where it remains. He was in the form of his life.

But then came the dispute of 2009.

Remember that?

When the board let a second string team, which included an eager to represent Darren Sammy (more on this later), tarnish the West Indies’ reputation further by losing to Bangladesh at home.

That team lingered around till late 2009, with the Reifer led West Indies team even going to the ICC Trophy tourney and just doing a notch above stinking up the place.

The losses didn’t go against the board though, it went against the name of West Indies Cricket.

International media compiling losing streaks and attributed them to West Indies team. Not the WICB select squad.

The players returned to a team known for losing once again. Momentum had to be rebuilt.

Sarwan’s good form continued, but an injury allowed the WICB a chance to conduct their plan against him.

They with-held a retainer contract, citing “his poor fitness” as a reason.

Huh?

Just like that, your star batsman can’t get a contract?

It was a masterstroke really, unlike Gayle, Bravo and Taylor. Sarwan doesn’t have an IPL contract safety net. So the WICB had found a way to attack Sarwan’s psyche, he hasn’t been the same player since.

You can’t blame him for batting like he’s got a scope light trained to hit him right between the eyes. Because he does.

Think I’m off target?

Look at the other names in that core.

Dwayne Bravo is a superior version to the current West Indies captain. He used to be the vice captain. Yet he’s barred from playing T20 internationals because he didn’t play in the regional tournament, left the ODI series because he needed a break and he’s not featured in any of the India test matches. Coincidence?

Jerome Taylor hasn’t been considered, at all, despite playing in the regional tournament and showing fitness in the IPL. The case might be there for lack of form, but there’s hardly been a mention of his name.

Denesh Ramdin was dropped from the team because of his lack of form with the bat. Since his last game with the West Indies. Carlton Baugh, Devon Thomas, Andre Fletcher and even Lendl Simmons have kept wicket for the West Indies. . Despite doing very well with the bat regionally, Ramdin remains exiled. Mind you, Ramdin is so capable as a batsman he’s opened the batting for the West Indies in Test cricket. Baugh’s average is what now?

Chris Gayle. Do I need to say any more?

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the last man standing. Possibly because he’s the hardest one to dismiss, literally. the short memories of WI fans would not work with Chanderpaul because he’s done so much in his long career. But it’s not like they haven’t tried. Chanderpaul hasn’t played a single ODI since the World Cup.

They love to label these players as cancers to the teams development. As obstacle’s to developing a winning mentality. But these players have won games for the West Indies.

Sarwan and Chanderpaul both scored 100s in the West Indies’ record chase of 418 against Australia in 2003.

Sarwan was player of the tournament in the ICC Trophy in 2004. We won that tournament by the way.

Gayle was player of the tournament in the 2006 edition of that tournament. We lost in the final.

Jerome Taylor took a hattrick against Australia to lead us to victory against the Aussies in that tournament. He also has a test century.

Bravo’s dynamism and Ramdin’s lower order stability has both won and saved games for the WI.

But these players are bad for the team?

No they’re bad for the WICB. They are too wise. They know better, they’re respected enough to have been offered international contracts that show just how full of it the WICB really is.

The WICB need a young unheralded team, untouched by Dinanath Ramnarine, not scouted by IPL franchises, players to whom they can easiest dictate. Sarwan and company aren’t that.

They aren’t Darren Sammy, and bless his heart I don’t think he’s a bad person (or cricketer for that matter), they aren’t starry eyed about playing for the West Indies to the point they are willing to accept the master’s whip.

Sammy is the perfect captain for the WICB, because he’ so easy to control. He loves WI cricket and he’s more than glad to play for the WI. It is the pinnacle for him. Barring a dramatic rise in his output, nobody’s going to come calling for Sammy to play in the IPL or the Big Bash.

And as he showed in 2009, he isn’t down for the cause of WIPA.

Still think I’m paranoid?

But the reality is, the blame lies with Trinidadians.

The event organisers (internationally based) stated they didn’t anticipate such a massive turn out.
I believe them.
Even if AS Bryden warned them about Chaguaramas, it’s unlikely they’d have sufficiently convinced the international group about the “never-see-come-see, can’t find enough excuses to have a drink mentality of Trinidadians.” and ill effects of their ignorant behaviour.

Also in the real world great public interest in an event is a public relations’ dream, not a nightmare. Bear in mind, traffic issue aside, the event was successfully held.
The international organisers very likely never experienced traffic coming from the early incarnations of Machel Montano’s Alternative Concept or Insomnia.

Or St. Peter’s Day traffic.

But the people of Trinidad and Tobago have. That’s why the smart Trinidadian stayed away on Sunday. Or the even smarter Trinidadian who really wanted to be there packed coolers and left late Saturday night or Sunday morning and resigned themselves to getting home late.

How come they saw this coming and the others didn’t?

The only people really allowed to be annoyed are the residents of Carenage and Glencoe who actually had things to do on Sunday and became victims of traffic, caused by ignorant Trinidadians who “apparently didn’t know any better.”

Many criticised the choice of venue, but where logistically in Trinidad would a novel event such as this, which was held for free, not attract chaotic traffic problems?

Maybe Moruga, where people would be too concerned with the long drive or getting afflicted by demonic mass hysteria to go.

But the “lime” might still be worth it.