By L.K. Hewlett
St. Kitts Reporter
St. Kitts National Carnival will be launched tomorrow evening (Saturday) at Independence Square with what they have promised will be ‘an explosive start’.
Festivals Secretariat Executive Director and Carnival Committee member Allistair Williams spoke exclusively with The Observer saying that the 2007-2008 carnival will be launched with a bang. He indicated that the event would be reminiscent of a super concert.
“We are inviting the public to come to Independence Square on Saturday evening to witness the this launch. There will be live entertainment by some of the top names in St. Kitts including Calypso King Konris, King Socrates and the Grand Masters Band.
“We will also be showcasing this year’s national queen contestants,” he said. Other calypso icons, bands and regional artistes will also perform at the event which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.”
Williams said that there would be six young ladies vying for the coveted crown, and that to date, the grand prize was still at EC $10,000. The prize money for the national calypso competition, he said, had been increased from $10,000 to $12,000.
The festivals director said he was not certain at this point if any of the usual shows would not be on this year’s roster, but hinted at some additions being made to the schedule of carnival events.
“For the most part, the usual shows will remain on the lineup. Of course there are some new features that we are hoping to put forward this year like having a kids’ Christmas fair. Some of the activities planned are being organised by members of the private sector who are getting involved in carnival.
“We have several requests from persons to put on regional or international shows during the season. There will also be a carnival cook-out which is a big food fair focusing on a lot of the more traditional Christmas foods. St. Kitts top model will be featured again this year.”
Williams said the committee hoped to partner with bar owners on the Frigate Bay ‘Strip’ to do a celebratory event signalling the first Friday of 2008.
As the committee prepares for the year-end celebration, they are still inviting persons to register parade troupes; a process Williams said is going slowly so far. He said they were anticipating 8-10 mas troupes this year and said those costumes that were available would be showcased this Saturday and a power point presentation with some of the other costume designs would be made.
Williams is projecting another safe and fun carnival celebration in keeping with this year’s slogan It’s Gonna be Great – For St. Kitts National Carnival 2007-2008.
