By Prior Beharry
PROMOTERS of a Chutney show are accusing Southex Chief Executive Officer George P Singh of crashing their event that is carded for Saturday at the newly refurbished Skinner Park in San Fernando.
They are taking issue that Chutneyland 2023 – Reunite is scheduled to take place 24 hours after the Chutney Soca Monarch on Carnival Friday.
Singh’s show is usually held two weeks before Carnival weekend.
Contacted for comment on Monday, Singh said that he was doing Chutney Soca Monarch, for the past 27 years and has been established as one of the biggest shows of the Carnival season.
He admitted that his show was originally scheduled for February 4, but the refurbished Skinner Park was only commissioned by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and handed over to the San Fernando City Corporation on February 6.
Singh added, “So it would have been impossible for us to do the 4th.”
A release by the National Chutney Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago (NCFTT) stated, “The Chutney industry is once again facing the challenge of hosting a major competition on Carnival Saturday at Skinner Park. We have been working to ensure that the art forms are developed properly and have to deal with a person whose intent is to destroy the art form.”
While the release did not mention Singh by name, it stated, “This person single handely continues to blatantly steal what others have created in his selfishness and arrogance.”
It stated, “The history of his blatant staging of his show was always two weeks before Carnival, now because of his deep links within the administration and his contacts he has decided to use his influence and get the date before the Intellectual Chutney Monarch at Skinner park and the successful track record of a well established ChutneyLand event crashed by giving his event free saying the government is doing so as a gift to crash artists of an intellectual level in the artform. Is the government supporting the demise of intelligent and creative writers, performers and dancers?”
Singh said the allegations were nothing new as he has been running the Chutney Soca Monarch since 1996.
The release stated that the NCFTT created the Churney Soca Monarch in 1994 and established the Traditional Chutney Category.
At the end of the release were the names of social activist Wendell Eversly, Randy Glasgow, of Glasgow Promotions, and Secretary of the NCFTT Agnes Raghoobarsingh with their phone numbers attached.
AZP News contacted NCFTT president Dr Vijai Ramlal Rai who confirmed the release and said since the Chutney Soca Monarch started it was always held two weeks before Carnival.
He accused Singh of having a connection with Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi and the People’s National Movement (PNM) administration. He said this was the reason why the Chutney Soca Monarch was being held on Carnival Friday.
But Singh said the San Fernando City Corporation along with the National Carnival Commission (NCC) gave him the option of February 17 since it was impossible to have it before Calypso Fiesta that took place on Saturday.
He said the event has been free to the public and he doesn’t have to explain that to anyone.
“If I lose $5 million that is my business. How I do my business, that is my business. If Randy Glasgow wants to do an event and make it free to the public give him my number and let him call me.”
He said having free admission was not a deliberate attempt to crash their show since Chutney Soca Monarch final has been free to the public since 2015.
And about his ties with the PNM?
Singh responded, “What connection with the government. My show is an established show for 27 years. Are you telling me that for 27 years, I had a connection with the government?
“I have been running show since 1996 when some people were in diapers.”
AZP News contacted Glasgow who said he has not seen the release, but the NCFTT may have put his name on it since he was the promoter of Chutneyland. He said his show will go on.
Dr Rai said Eversly as a social activist has taken up their cause. A call to Eversly’s phone when unanswered.
There are a few artistes who will be performing at both shows.
Singh has said that the beginning of his show will honour the late singer and radio announcer Anil Bheem whose funeral took place last week Thursday.
