Bush House, mount of stable jockey, Josephine Gordon, is expected to go one better and build on a promising debut in the Maiden Stakes over an extended ten furlongs of Wolverhampton tapeta today. Better types are now littering these set-weight races with the 2017 turf-flat season due to commence next month.

Appointment of Josephine has been a positive move by Newmarket trainer, Hugo Palmer, who employs ex-jockey, Michael Hills, as a senior work rider/advisor, who worked on the champion apprentice last year.

Hills rode more than 2000 winners, obviously has colossal world-wide experience, and was delighted by the progress of Gordon who listened and learned intently to the fifty-something coach.

Five weeks ago Bush House, an unconsidered 12/1 chance, ran way above expectations. After tracking leader, Pete So High, this Canford Cliffs gelding led inside the final furlongs only to be “dobbed” in the last stride by the more-experienced, Richard Hannon-trained 11/8 winner.

Others were nigh on four lengths and upwards in arrears at the end of a strongly-run race over course and distance. Blinkers are declared this time!

Twice-raced, Qatar-owned, War At Sea, will probably be favourite and there is sure to be money for once-raced Born To Reason but my time-handicap indicates a special nap, Bush House.

Rutherford hasn’t raced for 139 days but is massively-fancied to make it fourth time lucky in the five-runner Maiden Fillies’ stakes over seven furlongs.

Kevin Ryan’s charge is way superior to Blue Bahia and John Gosden’s runner, Lady Hester, is certainly no great shakes, doubtless having a third run to be handicapped.

Realistically, Rutherford is unopposable that these two selections make for a professional special each-way double with two places available in both events.

Plain sailing for Cue Card

Cue Card reeled in front-running course specialist Royal Regatta to win the Grade One Betfair Ascot Chase.

It was a ninth top level victory for Colin Tizzard’s remarkable chaser who is now set to take his chance in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup next month.

Richard Johnson set out to make all aboard Royal Regatta but Paddy Brennan always had the pair in his sights and asserted in the straight.

Royal Regatta couldn’t go with Cue Card thereafter and paid the price for his exertions as Shantou Flyer stayed on from miles back to claim second.

Sky Bet trimmed the winner to 6/1 from 7s for next month’s staying crown.

Tizzard, who is 10/1 with William Hill to saddle the first three home in the Gold Cup, said: “It’s nice to see his well-being, really.

“After the last race (second to stablemate Thistlecrack in the King George) he was a bit wrong and had a big, fat leg and we said he wasn’t right, but he has been perfect all the way through.

“He is 11 and you wonder ‘how many times can he keep doing this?’ but he is back again. Today he jumped beautifully and he destroyed them. It was everything you want to see and more. He added: “The plan is to run Cue Card, Thistlecrack and Native River in the Gold Cup, and possibly Theatre Guide as well.”

Having watched her star horse take a tumble in the Gold Cup 12 months ago when still full of running and in search of a £1million bonus, owner Jean Bishop is now hoping he can put the record straight in just under four weeks’ time.

Wolverhampton,

11.40 Bush House (nap-e.w)

2.25 Rutherford (e.w)

Lingfield,

1.35 Groundunderrepair.

Exactly three weeks since his appointment as new T&T senior men’s football coach Dennis “Tallest” Lawrence will take charge of his first training session with a squad of 27 locally-based players at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, from 10 am today, ahead of a World Cup warm-up encounter away to Suriname next month.

The match away to Suriname in Paramaribo on March 10 at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium is being used by former World Cup defender Lawrence as part of his team’s preparations for their next two Concacaf Final Round World Cup Qualifiers against Panama (March 24) and Mexico (March 28) at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

Following the match with Suriname which along with Haiti finished ahead of T&T in the Caribbean Football Union Gold Cup playoff qualifiers at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva last month, the local player will be joined by the foreign-based internationals around March 19-20 when it gets closer to the first match with Panama.

Speaking last week when he announced his team Lawrence, the former Wrexham stand-out and assistant coach at Everton to Spaniard Roberto Martinez explained some of his selections which included the return of Central FC’s Keron “Ball Pest” Cummings, who has fully recovered from a gun shot injury in 2015 and Hughtun Hector, the talented W Connection play-maker who lost his spot in the team under then coach, Stephen Hart.

San Juan Jabloteh striker Nathan Lewis was also credited with a place in the team for his standout performances in the T&T Pro League as well as lanky Police FC forward James Perry and St Ann’s Rangers’ Jamoul Francois. Lawrence pointed out that the squad chosen is what he will begin working with at the start, saying other players will have an opportunity when the need arises.

T&T’s Beach footballers men’s team will be aiming to make a winning start to the Concacaf Beach Soccer championship campaign when the team come up against Antigua/Barbuda at the Malcolm Beach Soccer Facility, Nassau, Bahamas at 5:30pm (6:30pm TT time) this evening.

The T&T team has been in Nassau since last week following a training camp in Barbados during which they pulled off convincing victories over the hosts and Guyana before drawing 3-3 with England.

Head Coach Benny Astorga believes his team in the best possible shape going into the qualifiers.

“We are in a very good shape right now. We’ve had an extensive period of intense, quality preparations largely due to the efforts of the Association which did its best to get us what we needed, and now we are just ready to get the ball rolling in the Bahamas,” Astorga told TTFA Media.

“The players have worked extremely hard, they have been disciplined and dedicated and now they are all just very eager and excited to take the sand and demonstrate their capabilities,” added the former US Beach Soccer national team member.

“We’ve played a lot of emphasis on correcting our mistakes and trying to make use of our goalscoring chances from the early and not have to wait until the latter stages of the game. We are hoping to take control and settle early,” he added.

T&T will look to the likes of prolific scorer Kevon Woodley,Shallun Bobb and Zane Coker who have all been among the goals in recent outings along with the Chad Appoo who has overseas experience, and former T&T senior team player Makan Hislop to help push them past the Antiguans.

In the 2013 qualifiers which were also played in Nassau, T&T recorded two wins and two losses, finishing seventh, and advanced to the quarter finals in 2015, completing four wins in six matches in El Salvador to finish fifth overall. The team’s rise continued in 2015 at the Lucayan Cup in Bahamas which they won, defeating Bahamas 5-3 and Mexico 5-4.

The duration for each game is thirty-six (36) minutes which is divided into three (3) 12-minute halves.

This year, rapso group 3Canal celebrates the 20th anniversary of the classic song Blue. In 1997, when the song was released, the group presented a J’Ouvert band—one of the largest ever seen in Port-of-Spain. The song’s success was a catapault for a fruitful music career for Wendell Manwarren, Roger Roberts and Stanton Kewley. Fellow founding member, John Isaacs, died in 2000.

Incredible journey

The last 20 years have been an incredible journey. Just the fact that Blue was such a hit, followed by the response to the J’Ouvert band—which of course was overwhelming—and the fact that we were able to make a music career that has taken many twists and turns.

One of the best achievements was being signed to a label for five years, being able to work with some of the top producers in the country and beyond. Then going on to innovate and create the 3Canal show and years later, setting up of the Big Black Box (3Canal’s headquarters on Murray Street, Woodbrook). These were three very clear highlights.

Spirit of collaboration

The spirit of collaboration has always been very strong with us.

From the beginning, working with Graham Wilson on Blue was very much a collaborative effort. We depended on his experience and his guidance to help us craft the sound —we came in with raw vibes.

We moved on to working with Carl Beaver Henderson who helped us to shape our sound in the earlies with Rituals, then the chance to work with Sheldon “Shel Shok” Benjamin to create stuff like Talk Yuh Talk and Good Morning.

Working with Andre Tanker on Ben Lion was a huge collaborative experience.

Over the years, working with SuperBlue has been very humbling, eye opening and enlightening.

It’s also been good working with other bands—and steelbands in particular. We had a nice relationship working with Skiffle, Exodus and Desperadoes.

We also worked with Mungal Patassar—we did two songs with him.

It’s been incredibly fruitful the opportunity to work with others.

John Isaacs

John passed in the Carnival of 2000. It was February 9. We were about to launch our band the next day or something like that. And the launch turned into a wake, an incredible wake. John’s passing has gone on to fire us up quite a bit because of his presence, what he stood for and the kind of guy he was.

He was a plain spoken, no-nonsense kind of guy. If we were on tour and the amenities weren’t suitable, John would be the first person to object. He would always insist that you treat yourself right... just a quality and a standard. We always maintain that.

The funny thing is that sonically, he still is very much a part of the sound. When our voice comes together, somehow there is still that element of John in the whole mix. He was inside the group but he maintained a position like an audience, so if a song appealed to him, it would appeal to an audience. That was a big value he brought to the group.

Innovative videos

We’ve been known for making some incredible videos and we’ve had good collaborators in that regard as well, Walt Lovelace being chief among them.

One of my favourite videos would be Mud Madness, because of the location and the way we were able to do that mud ritual. The response to that was very intriguing.

A lot of people still love Blue.

I’m very proud of our videos. I think that’s one of the ways in which we’ve stood apart over the years.

Keeping it fresh

We came out of the blue with a big hit and it was pressure to follow up, but not pressure we put on ourselves. Every year in the Carnival arena, you have to come hard—and of course, it’s not possible to do that every year, so staying relevant is always a challenge.

One of our saving graces is that we remain rooted to the J’Ouvert. J’Ouvert continues to attract fresh energy every time. Plus with the innovation of the show, we’re able to attract a lot of young people who are interested in being part of the show. It’s also a way of keeping in touch with current trends and current energy.

We work with younger artists to help develop and train them. And now with the Black Box, that is deepening even further the idea of mentorship and training.

Those are the things that help us to stay relevant.

J’Ouvert

Having done J’Ouvert for the last 23 years, we are just one of the many servants of the ritual that is J’Ouvert. Carnival itself is a big ritual. The recognition of it as a ritual is very strong and that’s what keeps us going and keeps us connected. Every year the J’Ouvert is the constant and that is what keeps us in the business still, because at the core of all the music-making, there is that J’Ouvert vibration. Every year we try to articulate some new perspective on the J’Ouvert and sing a praise song to the J’Ouvert so it is still fresh after all these years.

3Canal Show—Blue Forever, Forever Blue

Once the concept is there, we know we have to make a show. But what format the show will take, you’re never quite sure until you start exploring and doing it.

We have several approaches to doing a show. This year’s show reminds me of when we did Shine (2008) which was about transmitting positivity. It was a conscious decision to let light shine and challenge the darkness to make a statement and still engage people to make sure there is joy, make sure the depths and the heights are communicated.

I think we’re in for a nice ride this year. Blue Forever, Forever Blue promises to be something really special. One of the big additions is animation. The young animators and the crew at North Eleven led by Johann Medford have been doing a great job creating specific content for the screens as well as original artwork by Ayodha Ouditt, the nephew of Steve Ouditt—one of the founders of 3Canal when we started as a J’Ouvert band. It really is about succession and progression and continuity.

The Future

We want to be able to take our message, take our show and our vibe to the world. We look at the example of Calypso Rose and the success she’s having right now. We believe very firmly in the power of our expression. By our expression I mean T&T’s expression, not 3Canal’s expression solely.

We believe we have been blessed to be able to put this in some kind of a package and communicate it to the world. It’s just now to find the support on the ground here to make it happen. That is the real challenge.

If we want to talk about industry and creating industry and opportunity for people, the Big Black Box is also critical to the future in terms of a space where real training could happen, more events could happen of an alternative nature that are not just purely commercially motivated, where more people could create and develop.

• Continues on Page A26

• From Page A25

MORE INFO

WHAT: The 3Canal Show—Blue Forever, Forever Blue

WHEN: Carnival week for five nights—February 21-25

WHERE: Queen’s Hall, 1-3 St Ann’s Road, Port-of-Spain

TICKETS: $300 general, $350 reserved, from Queen’s Hall and the Big Black Box

MORE INFO: 622-1001; tickets 624-1284

The worst advice I ever received was to get a government job. And it came from my mother.

She was from the era when job security counted for all, and terms like “bored,’’ “empowerment,’’ and “self-fulfillment’’ had not been invented yet. Instead, she embroidered, “By the sweat of thine brow, thou shalt eat bread’’ on samplers and pillow cases.

A good day was one when the children were healthy (meaning no one was bleeding to death), the guavas were practically dropping off the tree into the jam pot bubbling away on the stove, and the sun was co-operating so the washing had time to dry on the clothesline in the backyard.

Understandably, she wished for a “goat foot a day,’’ which was “better than a cow head a year,’’ as she always remarked. Instead of dreams, she had nightmares—about running out of different ways to cook chicken.

But I had stopped obeying most of her instructions from the time I turned six. So instead of a pensionable job and regular hours, I opted for—gasp!—the reckless life of a writer, and defied expectations by graduating from an actual university.

The shock of having a contrarian daughter like me must have been terrible to her system, and there might have been a direct correlation between my refusal to follow parental advice, and the size of the veins that stood up in her neck when she did all that yelling.

One of life’s most important achievements is learning to reject bad advice—even if it comes from a parent. This life skill ranks a close second to being able to apply sultry eyeliner without looking as though a cat with inky paws walked over your face while you were sleeping.

Moms are great. We wouldn’t be here without them. They do a lot of wonderful things, including choosing you to be their offspring. But even they can seriously get it wrong, and it’s up to you to figure out when to stop listening.

Here is my magic list of some of the worst Mom advice ever inflicted, by even the most devoted Mothers of the Year. Avoid at all cost.

Worst Mom advice

1. Black will make you look thinner.

2. This won’t hurt. (A lie uttered by every parent in possession of a medicine bottle or hairbrush, as well as by tattoo artists, and the aesthetician before she applies hot wax to your tender body parts.)

3. Don’t worry. Nobody will really vote for Donald Trump.

4. Marry a nice boy from the same religion/ethnicity/neighbourhood—you will have something in common.

5. You are too thin.

6. Asking people for money as a wedding present is rude.

7. You don’t need glasses. Eat carrots.

8. Go to the dentist only when you are in pain.

9. Don’t waste money on expensive leather when lookalike vinyl would do just as well.

10. Clean your plate. Starving children in (pick a country you can’t pronounce) would kill for what you are throwing away.

11. Children hold a marriage together.

12. Rub a little brandy on baby’s teething gums.

13. A few lashes with a belt never killed anyone.

14. Be nice to everyone you meet.

15. If you are wearing a skirt, you should always wear stockings.

16. Take a purge.

17. Drink more milk if you want to be big and strong.

18. You will turn your son gay if you treat him like a girl.

19. Have some more macaroni pie.

20. Mothers always know best.

Advise with caution at wrenchelsa@hotmail.com

The T&T trio of pacer Shannon Gabriel, and batsmen Jason Mohammed and Evin Lewis are in the squad which will be led by fast bowler Jason Holder.

Left-hander Kieran Powell returns to the Caribbean side following a two-year break.

However, there are no T&T players in the WICB President’s Eleven.

West Indies take on England from March 3-9, with the first two games scheduled for the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium here and the third set for Kensington Oval in Barbados.

The Panel also announced the West Indies Cricket Board’s President’s XI 12-man squad to face England in a 50-over match.

The 15-man squad will have a camp in the build-up to the three-match rubber against the visitors. The squad will arrive in Antigua later this week and will work under the guidance of new Head Coach Stuart Law.

SQUAD — Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope, Jonathan Carter, Rovman Powell, Shane Dowrich, Carlos Brathwaite, Shannon Gabriel, Miguel Cummins, Devendra Bishoo, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis.

WICB President’s XI Squad – Jahmar Hamilton (Captain), Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Rahkeem Cornwall, Montcin Hodge, Kyle Hope, Damion Jacobs, Reynard Leveridge, Kyle Mayers, Andre McCarthy, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach.

Schedule of Matches

Saturday, February 25: Vice Chancellor’s XI vs England – Warner Park

Monday, February 27: WICB President’s XI vs England – Warner Park

Friday, March 3: 2nd ODI – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground Stadium

Sunday, March 5: 2nd ODI – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground Stadium

Thursday, March 9: 3rd ODI – Kensington Oval

Serena Mackenzie’s solid performance on the weekend saw her emerge the first flight champion in the Nestle Svelty/ Dolce Gusto Ladies Open Golf tournament at the St Andrew’s Golf Course in Moka, Maraval.

The local golfer shot rounds of 79 and 76 to finish with an overall score of 155 to cop the title ahead of second placed Ye Ji Lee with 160, shooting rounds of 76 and 84 and Karina Matabadal with 170 (86/84) in the two-day competition.

Mackenzie took full advantage of the absence of Ysabelle Lawrence, who won the title in 2015 and 2016. Lawrence was unable to defend her title this year due to academic responsibilities abroad. Last year, Mackenzie and Matabadal were both tied for second place. The two were eventually only separated by Matabadal’s better second day score.

Marlyn Jackson took the nett prize in the 1st flight again as she did last year.

The 29th edition of the annual Open saw some 70 women participating with 17 overseas players from territories including Antigua, Barbados, Curacao, and Suriname.

Sherry-Anne Fortune, who just missed on the winning the second flight last year losing to Renee Ayoung in a sudden death playoff, redeemed herself by shooting rounds of 93 and 85 to finish with an overall score of 178. Caroline Yhap was second with a score of 184. Brenda Clarke and Jacqueline Niles took the first and second place with scores of 146 and 143 respectively in that flight’s nett competition.

Paige Hurd was the pick of the third flight field.

The tournament served as a national team qualifier for selection in international competition later this year.

First FLIGHT: Gross

1 Serena Mackenzie (79/76) - 155

2 Ye Ji Lee (76/84) - 160

3 Karina Matabadal (86/84) - 170

Net:

1 Marlyn Jackson (80/70) - 150

2 Zoe Correia (75/77) - 152

3 Amoy Chang Fong (79/74) - 153

Day Prizes: Day 1

Gross: Ye Ji Lee - 76

Net: Michelle de Silva - 73

Day 2 Gross:

Serena Mackenzie - 76

Net: Marlyn Jackson- 70

Second Flight Gross

1 Sherry-Anne Fortune (93/85) - 178

2 Caroline Yhap (90/94) - 184

3 Samantha Juteram (98/88) - 186

4 Angela Hodgkinson (91/95) - 186

Net

1 Brenda Clarke (73/69) - 142

2 Jacqueline Niles ( 69/74) - 143

3 Synthia Nelson (70/78) - 148

4 Lilian Hermelijn (75/75) - 150

Day Prizes

Day one

Gross: Synthia Nelson - 89

Nett: Jacqueline Niles - 69

Day two

Gross: Sherry-Anne Fortune - 85

Nett: Brenda Clarke - 69

Third Flight

1 Paige Hurd (41/39) - 80

2 Marika Caesar (37/39) - 76

3 Geertje van Kessel (36/39) - 75

4 Hanka Wolterstoft (30/39) - 69

5 Magerith van der Jagt (30/39) - 69

6 Gwen Bailey (35/33) - 68

7 Symoniez Clouston (36/29) - 65

8 Michelle Berry (29/35) - 64

Day Prizes

Day 1

1 Paige Hurd - 41

2 Petra Beems - 39

Day 2

1 Marika Caesar - 39

2 Paige Hurd - 39

Embattled West Indies batsman Darren Bravo was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) yesterday at the Indian Premier League 2017 auction in India but the left hander will now have to get clearance from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to play.

Bravo was picked up for US$74,00 (TT$500,000) for the 2017 IPL but the batsman is currently under suspension from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for his alleged offensive tweet against the WICB president Dave Cameron. He was sent home from the tour of Zimbabwe and since then has not been allowed to play for the Caribbean side or in regional cricket.

Bravo, 28, did not sign a retainer with the WICB but as an active player he still needs to apply to the WICB for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) in order to play in the IPL. Even if Bravo decides to take the route of retiring from international cricket, he still needs an NOC from the WICB for two years after his date of resignation.

Another T&T player who has been on suspension Nicolas Pooran was granted an NOC to play in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) despite being on suspension in November last year. Bravo recently held discussions with the WICB but nothing came out and his current situation is one of stalemate. WICB president Dave Cameron at his recent town hall meeting in Trinidad said the ball is in Bravo’s court, as far as ending the matter.

A source close to the WICB said that at this point it is difficult to see Bravo getting the NOC unless he makes good with his home board the WICB. Bravo has been allowed to take part in T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) competitions but the local board can’t grant him an NOC because the WICB is the recognised agent according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in this case.

KKR is owned by the same interests who recently purchased Trinbago Knight Riders that campaign in the Caribbean Premier League franchise for whom Bravo currently campaigns.

Bravo was joined by rising West Indies star Rovman Powell who was also snapped up by KKR for US$44, 000, and compatriot Nicholas Pooran who signed with Mumbai Indians for US $44, 000 (TT$300,000).

Meanwhile, former West Indies captain Darren Sammy fetched TT$300,000 from the Kings XI Punjab. They were among the 27 international players who were sold on the opening day.

Discarded two-time Twenty20 World Cup-winning captain Darren Sammy will make a return to the IPL after missing out last season, and will turn out for Kings XI Punjab on a contract worth US$44 000.

The quartet were the only new players from the Caribbean to secure contracts in the IPL, the most popular T20 tournament on the international schedule.

Bravo, like Powell and Pooran, will be getting his first taste of the IPL.

After Bravo was offered and subsequently turned down a Grade C retainer contract, Cameron told regional television sports network, SportsMax, that the T&T player had no longer merited a Grade A contract because of his declining form.

Since the tweet Bravo did not feature for T&T Red Force in the just concluded Regional Super50 and according to WICB rules, will be ineligible for selection for the Windies one-day side.

Like Bravo, Pooran takes up his IPL contract amidst controversy at home. He was slapped with a suspension by the WICB after belatedly opting out of his Professional Cricket League contract in favour of played in the Bangladesh Premier League last year.

The attacking 21-year-old left-hander has played three Twenty20 Internationals for West Indies but the suspension has left his career up in the air.

He joins the experienced Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons already on the books at Mumbai.

Powell’s selection comes as no surprise as his big-hitting ability, coupled with his all-round talents, had already caught the attention of those in the international arena.

He has played only four ODIs in a fledgling career but his exploits in the West Indies domestic league —including an astonishing 95 for his native Jamaica Scorpion in the semi-final of the Regional Super50 last week—was testament to his powers. Powell, 23, will play alongside Bravo and off-spinner Sunil Narine who is a KKR retained player.

The auction also saw Barbados-born England all-rounder Chris Jordan picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for US$74 000.

West Indies Test and one-day captain Jason Holder, along with Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Evin Lewis and Shane Dowrich all went unpurchased.

The IPL runs from April 5 to May 21.

National football coach Dennis Lawrence held his first training session with his squad of players at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar Arima, yesterday, ahead of the two Fifa World Cup Qualifiers on March 24-25 against Panama and Mexico at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

Only defenders Julius James and Radanfah Abu Bakr were missing from an otherwise full turn-out of players and staff members. The session lasted an hour and 10 minutes and according to Lawrence, they will train everyday this week until Saturday, where they will break for the Carnival festivities and return on Ash Wednesday.

He noted that both Abu Bakr and James are both out of the country, having made arrangements to be abroad long before the training session was called.

He said both players and coaches were excited to begin training yesterday, which they used basically to acquaint themselves with each other, as well as formalise how they will function going forward. Before yesterday’s session, members of the staff-that included assistant coaches Ross Russell (goalkeeper coach), Stern John (assistant coach) and Stuart Charles-Fevrier ,were briefed on what was expected of them.

Lawrence, a former national stand-out defender is not expecting any challenges due to the Carnival season, promising he will keep his players focussed by doing his job on a daily basis. “I cannot put a string on them and tell them don’t go parties, as they are all grown men, they are all professionals, so they know exactly what I expect of them, so I expect them to carried it out,” Lawrence said.

The T&T team is second from bottom on the six-team standing and are in need of victories in their coming two matches next month, following losses to Costa Rica 2-0 and Honduras 3-1 last year.

They are scheduled to face Suriname in an International Friendly encounter on March 10 at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname. The match has been arranged specifically for the local based players. Lawrence pointed out that while he faces a difficult task of taking the country to the World Cup, he believes it is not an impossible one and promised to ensure the team is properly prepared to give a good account of themselves on match days and hopefully get the required results.

Sol Campbell, the team’s other assistant coach is expected to join them on March 10.

T&T’s Kalifa McCollin starred on debut for Celtic Dragons, shooting with 94 per cent accuracy but her team was on the losing end of a hard-fought match against Team Bath in the Vitality Netball Super League at Sports Wales National Centre, Wales on Saturday.

McCollin, the goal-attack, netted a brilliant 31 goals from 33 attempts in the Dragons’ 51-41 defeat. For her effort though, the goal-attack was awarded Player of the Match in a match viewed by some 560 spectators.

The Dragons all fired up, eager and ready to get the season going especially as they are in front of their Green Army fans and used McCollin on the starting team for along with goal-keeper (GK) Kelly Morgan, goal-defence (GD) Lois Rideout, wing-defence (WD) Suzy Drane, centre(C) Kyra Jones, wing-attack (WA) Bethan Dyke and goal-shooter (GS) Eleanor Roberts.

Team Bath starting team GK Ebony Beckford Chambers, GD Layla Guscoth, WD Vangelee Williams, C Mia Ritchie, WA Rachel Shaw, GA Laura Rudland and GS Chelsea Lewis.

First quarter starts with a quick goal shot by McCollin for the Celtic Dragons. The match continued to go goal for goal with the Dragons applying pressure with some quick plays, taking the lead 11 -9. At the end of the first quarter the Celtic Dragons led 11 goals to 10.

There were no changes to either team for the second quarter. However, a penalty awarded to Team Bath in their attacking circle saw Bath take the lead 13-12. Bath defence continued to apply pressure on the Dragons attack throughout the second quarter as a result of this Bath went in at half time with a nine-goal ( 26-17) lead.

The Dragons made changes for the third quarter, moving Lydia Hichens to GS, Stacey Peeters to C, Kelly Morgan to GD and Leila Thomas to GK. After seven minutes of play the Dragons reduce the deficit to seven goals. Changes made to the Dragons defence saw Rideout retake the court at GD, this new partnership in the Dragons defence worked hard making intercepts but Bath fought back also making intercepts and the game continued to be a battle with both teams fighting hard in the third quarter. The third session ended 38-30 in favour of Team Bath.

In the last quarter, there were no changes to the Dragons as they took the court. Dragons managed to pull back the scores again reducing the deficit to seven goals.

Bath continued to apply pressure right to the end of the last quarter but it was McCollin who has the last word scoring a penalty goal on the last whistle but it was her team, going away with the ten-point.

Noel’s Stars beaten

Surrey Storm, the defending champions defeated Afeisha Noel’s Severn Stars 58-40 also on Saturday at Surrey Sports Park. Stars are one of three new clubs in the ten-team league along with Wasps Netball and Sirens.

Stars applied the pressure in the mid court but the arms up defence of every player on court didn’t make their life easy. The defensive circle was alive with activity with all sorts of skills being showcased, one shocking skill came from Stars shooter Noel who performed a perfect split right in the middle of the circle and got back up again like nothing had happened!

Some loopy and long balls that just needed to be tweaked slightly sometimes gave Stars possession but Storm kept their nerve to hold the lead to one (11-10) at the end of the first quarter.

In the second session, every Stars possession was pressured and soon the multiple errors made by Stars attack saw Storm win the second quarter 20 goals to nine and end the half 30-20 to Storm.

Noel opened as the goal-shooter and scored her lone try as her team led by one (11-10) goal at the end of the first quarter. She also had one rebound.

Third quarter saw Stars make some changes and the unit challenged Storm but they still trailed 43-33 entering the final period.

Stars never gave up but had to settle for the 18-goal loss.

In the next round of matches, Stars are away to Lightning on Saturday from 7 am (TT time) while Sirens host Celtic Dragons at 9 am (TT time).

Social commentary carried off the top prizes in this year’s TSTT Employee Calypso Competition, held recently at the Nelson Exchange Carpark, while fun-filled melodies describing the company’s race to outpace its competitors added to the evening’s excitement.

CSR in the Microbusiness Department, Jezreel Jones, took the 2017 TSTT Calypso Monarch title and four other prizes for his dynamic composition Trouble Shoot. Wearing a bulletproof vest and supported by props in the form of two young men shooting at each other with toy guns, Jones personified Trouble.

“The song is a form of word play. When I started working with TSTT I was familiar with the term ‘troubleshoot’—a handset for a customer. The idea was to make T&T better by troubleshooting it.”

Jones, who has been working at TSTT for about three years, also won the prizes for Best Lyrics, Best Self-Composed Song, Best Melody, and Best Newcomer.

“I was in total, complete shock…I did not expect to win, I did not expect to get so many prizes,” Jones said. He said he has already made plans to begin work on a new song for next year’s competition. “I see it as an obligation to defend my title.”

He praised the competition as “an excellent initiative”.

“It adds to the culture of calypso. The preparation and the judges were professional,” said Jones, who has been performing in competitions since he was 11 years old.

TSTT’s VP Marketing, Camille Campbell, who presented Jones with his prize for Best Melody, said, “I am happy for Mr Jones that he swept the prizes on his first try in our competition.”

Jezreel’s challenge trophy for Best Self-composed was sponsored by The Telephone Workers Credit Union, while his prize for Best Newcomer was provided by Maraj And Sons Jewellers.

The event, which is produced and executed by the Employee Engagement and Communication Section, has been in existence for over 35 years, providing employees the opportunity to showcase talents.

Engineer in Field Operations – North West, Lemour Joseph, took the prize for Best TSTT Composition with her rendition Rebranding Party. She also placed fourth overall. “I was bearing our rebranding process in mind and I felt the company needed a boost, a showpiece to carry them forward,” Joseph said. “So I decided to write something showing our new venture.”

Like Joseph, several of the other female competitors chose to focus on TSTT’s initiatives, with some using props that made obvious references to TSTT’s competitors in a race with the company.

Last year’s winner, Carlton Louison, placed second this year with his song God Ain’t No Trini At All. Explaining his composition, Louison said, “We like to say God is a Trini, but seeing how we as a society behaved over the past decade …we have not lived up to God’s standards.”

He said his plan for next year is simply “to get back the title.” He is also hoping to make it to the finals of the Dimanche Gras, in which he is competing this year.

Crystal Toussaint took third place with her composition Two-Faced which dealt with child abuse cases locally.

If you walk into a party and you see people dancing but you hear no music, don’t worry, they have not all gone insane. The music is very much alive in the headsets you see them wearing.

It’s very new to T&T but silent parties also called silent discos or raves are very popular in European countries and in parts of America. They have also been around for quite some time, in fact dating back to the 1960s when it was displayed in the 1969 Finnish science-fiction film Ruusujen Aika (A Time of Roses), where characters wear headsets during a party.

In the early 1990s the concept was also used by eco-activists at outdoor social engagements to minimise noise pollution and disturbance to the local wildlife.

In T&T, Turn It down Events (Tide) launched its series of silent events in January, beginning with a silent carnival fete which took place at Aria Lounge on Ariapita Avenue. Organisers said the event was well attended—which was a bit surprising, as the concept is so new to the T&T party scene.

Now with confidence going fort Tide will host its (and T&T’s) first all-inclusive silent J’Ouvert band, aptly titled: Silence is Golden.

At the St Joseph-based mas camp, revelers will collect their gear from the brain children behind the concept, brothers Curtis and Burt Marcellin, sons of veteran musician Mano Marcellin. The costume includes the brand Lit Headsets which will come with three channels of soca to choose from, a logo printed t-shirt and glow jewelry. (Participants will also enjoy a premium bar, breakfast, and tight security—cost: TT$600).

The Marcellin brothers told the T&T Guardian last week Friday it gave the people of St Joseph a taste of what is to be expected when it launched the initiative through the streets of St Joseph, creating much excitement for players and intrigue for onlookers.

“Since our introduction of the Silent Concept mid-2016, the response at all functions has been incredible, not just locally but regionally. Everyone has a blast at these parties. We regularly host them at our VIP rooftop venue at King Street, in our home town, but we have also done several parties at the more popular clubs around the country including Aria and Haze,” said the Marcellins.

But parties are not the only application for their systems, as they have also done events for corporate gatherings and presentations as well as for competitions and conferences. Their systems are also utilised by gyms, sporting events and cruises.

Describing the technology used as par excellence, the Marcellins said, “Our system allows up to three deejays to perform at the same time, giving us much more flexibility on the roll-out of the event (three deejays mean three genres of music, three eras of music, etc).”

They explained each deejay performs via a transmitter, each of which is assigned a unique channel. These transmitters beam wirelessly to the headsets. Headsets are worn by patrons which has a channel selection button allowing users to switch to any deejay of their choice.

Each channel is assigned to a different LED glow on the headset, which in itself creates a scene with headphones lit in green, blue and red radiating throughout the dance hall. The deejays wear similar headphones making it easy to identify which deejay the patron is listening to.

“We believe this is the future of parties and we are just happy to be the ones to offer the service to people who are just looking for something different and a fulfilling experience.”

MORE INFO

Visit Facebook and Instagram: @vipsilent_tt @turnitdownevents

Instagram: #vipsilentjouvert, #turnitdownevents

 Copyright is a legal conceit de­signed to manage the exploita­tion of intellectual property. It posits, in its simplest form, that a unique creation can be sold for differ­ent uses, at different prices, according to the value that its creator sets on each exploitation of the property.

Because it is rarely a single thing sold at a single price, complications can sometimes set in when buyers, used to finding a prod­uct at a set price and haggling around that value, must deal with a product that can have different costs depending on how and where it is to be used.

If we are to ground the abstract notion of copyright in something with tangible famil­iarity, consider it as a loaf of sliced bread.

The creator of the loaf might sell the entire loaf or choose to licence it out as a range of slices, choosing to offer each option at different prices based on what the end user hoped to do with the bread.

The analogy collapses here, though, be­cause once bread is gone, it’s gone. Cop­yright has a much longer life, and most licenses are limited in duration and use, which means that the bread never really leaves the creator’s hands, it’s just leased.

The most critical aspect of copyright for any creator is the buyout, the full transfer of rights to another person, making them, legally, the creator of the work, vesting them with the power to resell and exploit the property.

The ongoing corruption of the core prin­ciples of copyright in Carnival is confusing, annoying and expensive.

There are many rights embedded in every event of the festive season. From the unique designs that give character to a fete, to the music that provides the sound bed of Car­nival’s building excitement, there is much that can be considered unique.

But misunderstandings abound in the ap­plication of copyright principles to Carnival and I haven’t been immune to them. Dur­ing a radio discussion on i95FM, copyright lawyer Carla Parris corrected my impres­sion that people in a public place have a right to their likeness in Trinidad and Tobago.

That’s under discussion in Government legal discussions, but is not a protection under law. I’m not sure that I’d be comfortable offering up an image of an identifiable person for commercial use, but there’s a clear difference between politeness and legality.

Carnival costumes are also not protected under traditional intellectual property law but under the locally unique provision for Works of Mas. At this discus­sion about copyright in Carnival (http:// ow.ly/yeJO3097Yjy), Richard Aching ex­plained that most Carnival costumes are most properly registered as industrial de­signs. As of July 2014, according to Aching, exactly two costumes were registered and there’s a window of 12 months for effective registration of such designs.

So given all this, what exactly are the NCC and the stakeholder bodies of Carnival charging photographers and videographers hefty sums of money for?

The NCC offers the figleaf of demanding a fee for access to the stage of the events it convenes, though that fee has never of­fered more than a small, readily jostled and cordoned off space with no amenities (the NCC warns that the expensive pass doesn’t entitle its bearer to a chair) that most of the people there have stormed.

The National Carnival Bandleaders As­sociation (NCBA), Pan Trinbago and Trin­bago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) charge a copyright fee for re­cording their events on either still photographs or video that delivers no actual rights to anyone who pays it.

Add to that the untidy facts that not one stake­holder in any of those organisations has ever re­ceived a payment represent­ing the tiniest trickle down of any of these copyright payments and the dubious legality of three organi­sations which are not registered copyright collection agencies collecting funds pre­tending to be license fees, and you have the makings of a decades-long scam preying on individuals who participate in Carnival as documenters of the event.

This debacle has, over the last two dec­ades, created a chilling effect on the cover­age of Carnival and affected the character of the festival itself. Carnival coverage has become focused on its most exploitable el­ements, sexy bodies in colourful costumes wining to hot soca, because they offer the best return on these now entrenched and soaring advance fees.

Coverage of more traditional elements has drifted to the fringes, with only stick­fighting dramatically beating its way back to the forefront of the national conscious­ness in recent years, largely as a result of two stunning documentaries that skipped commercial return for creative opportunity.

This absurd situation has persisted for so long that it has become a tradition of Car­nival all its own, and it’s time it was both challenged and stopped.

A country that was serious about defin­ing, protecting and exploiting the annual explosion of intellectual property that is Carnival would long ago have created sys­tems to streamline the registration of its unique elements and designed accessible licensing regimes for media professionals and documentarians, both local and inter­national, to use when they turn their work to commercial purpose.

The application of the principles of cop­yright to Carnival by its elected stakeholder representatives is careless, predatory and counterproductive.

The existing system was created as a toll for media organisations—which should have been challenged when it was proposed—and it is now a punishing tax for everyone with a camera or microphone.

It does not reward the actual creators of Carnival. It narrows the scope of independ­ent inquiry into and documentation of the festival unnecessarily. And most compel­lingly, it is a copyright fee which grants no usable rights whatsoever.

The Speech Language Audiology Association of Trinidad and Tobago (SLAATT) wishes to advise the public to use hearing protection over the Carnival period. Music sound levels are such that exposure will cause typically, a gradual hearing loss and or tinnitus (ringing in the ears) as a result of damage to the delicate nerve endings in the inner ear.

In addition, the sound levels of today’s music are higher than in previous years due to advances in stereo equipment. There is no medical cure fore these damaged nerve endings which can lead to permanent ringing and or hearing loss.

Disposable ear plugs are available at many local pharmacies. Please read the instructions for insertion carefully. For proper insertion pull up and back on the ear before inserting the plug into the ear canal. Cotton, toilet paper etc, are not suitable forms of hearing protection as these items are not dense enough to decrease sound to a safe level.

Enjoy your Carnival safely.

Natasa Bratt,

Doctor of Audiology

St James

I was listening recently to the excellent plans from some of the more well-known all-inclusive fetes in T&T. Really impressive, good food, good music, “sober stations”, exit food stations. Never mind the high prices... after all, its Carnival, no recession here.

Given the condition of our state organisations, maybe the organisers of these fetes should be put in charge of Govt projects, say for example, Maracas Bay, CDA, the Port etc. If they could bring their skills to these maligned agencies, maybe, just maybe, success could well be near.

And what about our hard-pressed police service? They have promised yet again another crime-free Carnival. Fantastic, but what about the other days, are they not as important? What about a crime-free Easter?

This Carnival seems to bring out the best in us. All our young and talented pan players, so much practice, so little pay, yet no strike, no work to rule. Oh, for the love of we culture. But for our country, well that’s a different story. So, bring out the Carnival, 365 days a year, maybe we could transform our T&T.

Dave Sadaphal,

Santa Cruz

On Monday, February 13, someone light-heartedly asked, “Were there any murders last night?” It was the day after the almost 17-hour Panorama semi-finals competition at the Queen’s Park Savannah, and a reference to the assertion that violent crime drops during Carnival activities.

There seemed to have been none on record for the Sunday before and, as suspected, the conversation turned to the virtues of festivity on people’s conduct. The person was trying to make the point about how festivities distract people, even temporarily, from anger and vicious behaviour.

There is some merit to the discussion. Research has concluded that socialising can alleviate mental illness, especially depressive disorders. In 2012, the University College of Dublin, Ireland did a study of 100 mental health participants who were “already receiving conventional treatments for mental health problems” and were given support to improve their socialising.

Many of the participants started out not having any contact with friends or neighbours and avoiding social interactions in group forums and 35 per cent were living alone. For nine months the participants were monitored while attending social activities such as “going to a movie, going to a concert or play, going to a gallery or museum, going for a coffee, going out to eat, and enjoying a conversation.”

“By the end of the study, all of the participants reported feeling better about themselves, having more confidence to socialise in their community, and experiencing fewer symptoms of depression,” said Dr Ann Sheridan, University College Dublin, the lead author of the study report.

Ireland’s Kathleen Lynch TD, Minister for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People said:

“This study shows that conventional treatments can be supplemented by social support from family, friends and the community in the battle against mental health problems in Ireland.”

The study findings show that taking part in normal social activities “outside of the constraints of the mental health system and the home environment, like meeting for a coffee or engaging in conversation, helps people with mental health difficulties to feel less isolated, less stigmatised, and less anxious.”

Psychology Today makes some recommendations on ways to boost your social engagement as follows:

• Use Skype or Facetime to catch up with family and friends from a distance.

• Walk through your neighbourhood and make a point of stopping to say hello to people you meet.

• Babysit your grandkids or help them with homework.

• Sign up for a class at your local recreation centre, library, or university.

• Attend religious services at your church, synagogue, or temple.

• Sing in a choir or play music in a group.

• Volunteer at your favourite charity organisation.

• Visit a museum with a friend and chat about what you see.

• Participate in a neighbourhood or community group.

• Play a group sport like lawn bowling, golf, or croquet.

• Have a friend or family member over for coffee or tea.

• Play cards or board games with others.

• Exercise with a friend by walking, swimming, or going to the gym together. (Courtesy www.psychologytoday)

Here are my tips for the next week of hundreds of Carnival activities and for creating opportunities to socialise:

• Find a party or plan one. Keep it simple; make it Dutch.

• Dress how you wish and go where you haven’t been for a while. I am thinking Carnival in Rio Claro. I played J’Ouvert once and really enjoyed my time. In fact, it was a far better experience than I ever expected. Bands are easier to join than other mas portrayals and cheaper, too.

• Join one of the exercise groups or call up a friend and join in with the Carnival keep-fit scene.

• Host a Dimanche Gras party in your living room or front yard.

• Go to at least one fete or Carnival show; there are so many from which to choose.

Whatever you do, however, please do not let down your guard too low in the matter of your personal safety. Walk in pairs or groups, arrange group transportation for after the event, and pay attention to accessing your home and street at night. You won’t want to have your fun ruined by some marauder – and they are living and active!

There’s an undeniable joie de vivre in T&T for Carnival and I am hoping we each can grab some of the good vibes and boost our mental well being. I have been stocking up on the festivity after a 10-year hiatus but taking it in small doses, since I find next-day recovery is tough. I am less tolerant of late-night trysts, and regaining energy is slower in the bigger numbers (years) of my life.

For all my friends and acquaintances, especially those who live with the burden of depression, I wish for you a dose of the season’s spiritedness. It’s good for the mind and soul. It could be just a tad bit tough on my body, but you can use one of the Carnival Days for recuperating, especially if you are expected at work Ash Wednesday.

Happy Carnival all.

Caroline C Ravello is a strategic communications and media practitioner with over 30 years of proficiency. She holds an MA in Mass Communications and is a candidate for the MSc in Public Health (MPH) from The UWI. Write to: mindful.tt@gmail.com

Hyatt Regency Trinidad in a release said it is welcoming all fete-lovers to its seventh annual luxury Lime fete, to take place this Wednesday (February 22) at the hotel from 4 pm to 1 am.

Each year, some of the best soca artistes take to the waterfront stage to provide entertainment at this all-inclusive event. The decor will be white with a touch of lime, and the food promises to be fabulous: master chefs from Hyatt Regency Trinidad will be cooking.

The event promises superlative dining and dancing, with Platinum and Diamond level tickets. Upon arrival, all party-goers will be treated to new signature cocktails, including Lime Frenzy and Liquid Lime. Diamond level guests will feast on delicacies from sushi and oysters to lobster and striploin steak. Platinum level guests will enjoy their own feast of slow-roasted meats grilled on seasoned coals and smoked woods, authentic Indian cuisine, decadent desserts and vegetarian dishes, in addition to local authentic island fare and more.

A wide selection of premium drinks including champagne and cocktails will also be available, say the fete organisers.

Entertainment this year includes: Machel Montano, Kes The Band, The Ultimate Rejects featuring MX Prime, David Rudder, Roy Cape All Stars, Skinny Fabulous, Voice, Angela Hunte, K.I., Olatunji, Chutney Soca Kings Ravi B and Omardath. Continuing tradition, Lime fete looks forward to seeing “white with a touch of Lime” outfits and fireworks by FireOne.

As part of the Hyatt Thrive programme, Hyatt Regency Trinidad will donate proceeds from Lime to the Christ-Child Convalescent Home through United Way T&T. The hotel has been a donor partner of United Way T&T since 2009.

Last year, the proceeds benefited The Heroes Foundation. Other past recipients include ALTA (Adult Literacy Tutors Association), The Heroes Foundation, Rainbow Rescue Home for Boys and Amica House for Girls.

T&T Guardian’s Entertainment Ed­itor Peter Ray Blood has covered T&T Carnival for the past 37 years. He has also covered 25 editions of Barbados’ Crop Over Festival, as well as carnivals in New York, Miami, To­ronto, Jamaica and Grenada. In this, the conclusion of his two-part series about Carnival memories, Blood, also an ardent mas player, explores calyp­soes, mas and fetes of years gone by.

 Calypso memories:

Bahia Girl and Bun Dem

Of my many calypso memo­ries, one that stands out is one Dimanche Gras when calypsonian Crazy insisted that he should swing off the roof of the Grand Stand in the Savannah, by rope, with a monkey on his back as part of his presentation for the calypso monarch finals. It took much persuasion from the fire services officials to convince the Crazy how deadly this stunt would be.

In the calypso arena, competition is fierce, with some bards prepared to stop at nothing in an effort to win a title—even resorting to obeah and necromancy. There are tales of ca­lypsonians actually spending time in the cemetery at night to summon the spirits of the dearly departed to glean a victory. In one popular tent, a calypsonian was overheard complain­ing loudly backstage about a colleague putting cemetery dirt in his shoes.

Many calypsonians are supersti­tious and some refuse to even shake hands on the night of a competition, lest some negative karma is trans­ferred to them.

On a humorous note: in 1993, having sent a massive Skinner Park audience into a frenzy with his hit song Bacchanal Time, Blue Boy—now known as SuperBlue—in his exuberance, saw his dentures fall out of his mouth. Without breaking stride, he scooped up the delinquent object and returned it to his mouth without missing a note.

Two of my memorable years of ca­lypso competition were the Calypso Monarch finals of 1986 and 1987. In 1986, composer/singer David Rud­der created history by beating the seasoned bards on Dimanche Gras singing The Hammer and Bahia Girl. Not only did he win the coveted title but he also copped that year’s Young Kings title, the Road March with Bahia Girl and The Hammer was the tune of choice of the National Panorama champion Trinidad All Stars.

The following year, Rudder was dramatically dethroned by Black Sta­lin singing Bun Dem and Mr Panmak­er. It was Stalin’s third lien on the title.

Road March pageantry is replete with memorable wins, among them being SuperBlue’s 1980 victory with Soca Baptist, Tambu’s hattrick of 1988-1990, Machel Montano in 1997 with Big Truck and Jumbie in 2007, the 2000 tie between Super­Blue and Iwer George, JW & Blaze’s Palance in 2010, SuperBlue’s Fantastic Friday (2013) and Montano’s Like ah Boss (2015).

Longtime party days:

Fetes for $3 and $15

As a young man, I can recall the fetes for $3 at Teachers’ Training College and Guardian Sports Club on Wrightson Road, as well as the $10 and $15 fetes at venues like Winsure Club (Pt Cumana, Cosmos Club (Ed­ward Street), Carnival Village (now the yellow band maxi hub), Harvards (St James), Paragon Club (Cocorite)and Belmont Community Centre. Un­fortunately Paragon Sports & Cultural will not be holding its annual fete this year, opting instead to throw its ener­gies behind a jazz production in July.

The week before the days of Carni­val was “fete week,” with fetes being held nightly. Among the more popular were Anyhowers, Tears, Custom Boys, Ice Picks, Soca Village, Brass Festival and Harvards.

There was a time when steelbands ruled the roost as far as Carnival fete music was concerned. I remember one night when Harmonites and Starlift blew away a few of the then estab­lished and popular music bands at a fete in PSA. These bands, as well as Ebonites, Tripolians and Tokyo, were some of the steelbands in demand on the fete circuit.

High Mas: The great days of

Minshall art and steelband mas

Memories of mas are so many that it is difficult to select a favourite one or a couple. Coming immediately to mind, however, is that of my long re­lationship with Peter Minshall and his creations.

One of my most enjoyable years was 1980, the year Minshall produced Danse Macabre and I played a blue devil in Noble Douglas’ section. Any mas with paint, oil or mud is the most liberating experience anyone can have on a Carnival day.

 I also preserve lasting memories of Minshall’s Papillon (1982), The River (1983) and Paradise Lost (1977), the latter a band he designed for the late Stephen Lee Heung. It was one of Min­shall’s best ever designs in mas.

The ugly side of mas that year was that of rival kings blocking Minshall’s king, Peter Samuel, portraying Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, from parading at the Savannah. He was allowed to perform the costume one week after carnival, at Pan Trinbago’s Champs in Concert, and the costume and its wearer were given a standing ovation by a packed Grand and North Stand.

As a matter of fact, I would proba­bly need an entire book to speak about my memorable Minshall experiences as they are so many. Some of these include his designs portrayed by many-times King of Carnival Peter Samuel, the Humming Bird portrayed by his sister Sherry Ann Guy in 1974, his queen art for Alyson Brown (ie Tan Tan), and his individual designs like Madame Hiroshima from 1994’s Callaloo.  

Neither can I forget the portray­als by the late master wire bend­er Cito Velasquez—his 1959 band Fruits and Flowers being indelibly etched. In terms of portrayals, I also hold on to memories of the breathtaking portrayals by Al­fred Strasser, Edgar Whiley, Al­bert Moore, Colin Edghill, Errol Payne, Hilton Cox, Tony Alleng, Tedder Eustace, Joan Greene, Joan Massiah, Janet Rollock and Rose­mary Stone.

One of my most unforgettable Carnival costumes was Rajkumar Boyie, portrayed just ten years ago by Jhawan Thomas, king of Brian MacFarlane’s prize-winning In­dia. Unfortunately, the costume, portrayed on stilts, and depicting Boyie atop a jewelled elephant, collapsed on stage. Thomas also participated on stilts in this year’s King of Carnival as The Flying Dutchman but failed to make Tuesday night’s final.

Like Minshall’s Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, Saga Boy, Tan Tan, Sacred and Profane and Man Crab, Boyie was one of the most original costumes I have seen presented in the King of Carnival competition.

Apart from my Minshall ex­periences, my mas-playing days included duty in bands produced by Y de Lima Blue Diamonds, Star­lift, Pandemonium, the late Wayne Berkeley, Poison, Tribe, Brian Mac Farlane, Fantasia, Legacy and Ron­nie & Caro. I also enjoyed playing mas in New York, Miami, Jamaica and Barbados.

I cherish my first year of play­ing with Berkeley when he invited me to portray the individual The North Wind in the presentation Hero Myth. It was a beautiful sil­ver and black creation. Sending my memory much further back, I re­call the epic and iconic portrayals by the late George Bailey, Harold Saldenah, Stephen Lee Heung, Stephen Derek, Raoul Garib and Victor Rique, as well as colourful mas by steelbands like Despera­does, Starlift, Trinidad All Stars, Renegades and the fancy see bees of Dem Fortunates. A few of the mas bands used to be mammoth and I remember the presentations of Burrokeets, Oaksville and Tico Skinner.

On Carnival Tuesday 1968, there was a near-tragic incident on Independence Square when the truck carrying the musicians of Cassanova fell through the stage at that competition venue. Awaiting the arrival of a wrecker, the mu­sicians took it all in good stride as they struck up the opening bars of Kitchener’s Wrecker, much to the amusement of masqueraders.

Back in the day, a lot of mas was actually made by the masquerad­er, with Samaroo’s on Observatory Street being the main shopping centre of Carnival paraphenalia for costumery. If you played “big mas” you were furnished with a card in the mas camp, on that card, your deposit—most times in the princely sum of $20—and installments were recorded, until you had paid off for your costume.

Firstly, let me wish everyone a great day of Horseracing on this Carnival Wednesday racing programme.

The Arima Race Club has finally appointed a new Chief Executive Officer in the shape of retired Captain Anthony Wight. Captain Wight has been involved in horse racing for decades and no doubt is well aware of the many challenges that currently confront the industry. If he was not aware, it was made pellucidly clear at Last Wednesday’s Jetsam Awards when both the Arima Race Club (ARC) President Linford Carrabon and the Minister of Trade Paula Gopee Scoon identified the numerous issues facing the sport, prime of which is the reduced funding available from almost all sources.

This is going to place an even greater emphasis on management and imagination and we eagerly look forward to the new ideas to be placed on the table.

One avenue already being pursued by the Club is a reduction in the stakes money paid to owners, even as they reduce the number of race days. While the reduction in purses is likely inevitable due to the reduced income, the wisdom behind reducing prize money for the major races and classics will continue to be called into question.

For the sport to survive, it needs both punters and horses, which means that it also needs owners. Historically, the ARC has sacrificed quality for quantity and this appears to continue to be the case when you look at the draft racing programmes.

The longstanding argument is that we have more horses in the lower rating bands than the higher bands, but this begs the question of the chicken and the egg – which came first? Once we continue to pay pittance and have fewer races for the higher quality animals, owners will be discouraged from investing in new stock and so we will have fewer and fewer genuinely quality horses.

One avenue that needs to be pursued is the engagement of social media to extend the reach of the sport. We need to move to the situation in which the sport is readily available to all interested parties on whatever channel they prefer to use. We must start with expanding the television networks on which the racing channel is available. This is not social media, but it should be an easy first step. It should be available – and free to each of the major providers – Flow, Blink, Digicel and Massy.

Next, we must make it available online and streaming. Technology is thev ARC future and it needs to direct any available funding to expanding this channel which will extend its reach outside of the borders of the race track and T&T. We would not be unique in this regard.

Another avenue that needs to be pursued is getting the betting public more involved in the decision making. This should start by making it easy for the betting public to submit their suggestions to the Club for improvements and its an avenue to look at new and fresh ideas.

The Club’s ability to implement the public’s suggestions will go a long way towards encouraging greater participation and presence. The reality is that the public has not lost its appetite for betting, there are so many options available at the moment that local horse racing has to keep up and must not be seen as failing to become attractive, but must be seen as competing for its fair share of the purchasing public audience.

Trinbagonians are betting on everything from the Superbowl to the Premier League to how long it will take before President Trump is impeached. Racing needs to restore its share of that market. Reaching out to the public to understand what they want and then giving it to them must be seen as very important to the future of the ARC.

Racing will survive but it needs all stakeholders to not just be engaged but to feel that their engagement will make a difference. This really depends on how inclusive the management of the ARC becomes. We all look forward to the future with optimism and wish Captain Wight and his team all the blessings and support to achieve that.

Horseracing is critical in the lives of many and we should not forget that.

I heard a businessman once said, “If you are not prepare to lead or follow, then get out of the consumers way.”