By Prior Beharry
PROMOTER Randy Glasgow said it’s good for the economy to have more than one big Carnival event on the same night.
He was referring to the controversy of where Jamaican dancehall artist Vybes Kartel was scheduled to perform on Fantastic Friday for Carnival 2025.
That night, the Friday before Carnival Monday and Tuesday, usually hosts the Soca Monarch competition, which has been absent after 2020 when Iwer George won with Stage Gone Bad.
Earlier this year National Carnival Commission Winston “Gypsy” Peters said there was going to be a Soca Monarch competition in 2025.
The announcement of Kartel’s performance has been met with opposition in some quarters with people saying that Carnival should only promote Soca and calypso music.
Artist Yakeny Boy staged a hunger strike protesting against the inclusion of Kartel in 2025 Carnival.
In a statement on Wednesday, Glasgow said, “If A Soca Monarch Finals moved away from Fantastic Friday because of fear it would not succeed because of event with Vybes Kartel on same night, permanent damage will be done re: the viability of the Soca genre.
“Firstly and very importantly, Soca Monarch is the birthplace of the genre, have to stay clear of another event is not advisable as indicated earlier.”
He added, “Hey Yankey, while your call is a noble one, take note that T&T Carnival is a gigantic festival with over 400 plus shows every season.
“In this regard, it’s a good thing for the country’s economy if a few big events are happening on the same date.
“Trinidad and Tobago is the birthplace of Soca, so with an expertly marketed and promoted Soca Monarch Finals, there are no reasons for us to run scarred by another event with Vybes Kartel on the playbill.
“We run the risk of Trinidad being labelled a cultural bully if your advice is taken seriously and as a consequence hurting T&T Tourism and Carnival products in many ways.”
