Trini Revellers is the George Bailey Large Band of the Year for Carnival 2004. And mere minutes after the surprise announcement at the Clubhouse at Queen?s Park Savannah yesterday, bandleader David Cameron vowed to be ?a force to be reckoned with? in Carnival 2005...
News Source: Trinidad Guardian
The band?s portrayal, The Arabian Nights, got the judges? nod ahead of Masquerade?s River Dance and Legends? Freedom.
The results were announced by chief judge Teddy Villaruel, who admitted Trini Revellers was a surprise this year.
Earlier on, NCC chairman Kenny de Silva apologised for the late release of the results.
He said it was a difficult task, as only two of the five judging points ? the Savannah and downtown ? were mandatory.
Speaking from his Woodbrook mas camp yesterday, Cameron said they had always been confident about doing well this year.
?We felt this was our strongest presentation ever,? he said.
This was the band?s first time in the large band category.
If featured 1,400 masqueraders in 15 sections.
The band?s main designers were Geraldo Vieira Jr and Elvin Johnson.
Since its establishment in 1999, the band played in the medium category.
?Due to many requests from people, we decided to go large and we will remain in the large band category,? Cameron said.
He said the band went to the Savannah first because they liked to visit all the judging points, but added the parade went a bit slow this year.
Cameron suggested that the parade route should be extended for next season.
He said Government should grant bandleaders a tax break on costume materials to allow for greater participation.
Cameron said they were already working on next year?s presentation.
?We will be a force to be reckoned with in 2005. We will by all means try to retain this effort,? he said.
Earl Patterson of Masquerade said: ?I am a second-place winner in the Savannah all the time, but people kept saying it was either my band or Trini Revellers and I am happy that it?s them.
?They have been knocking on the doors for a while and there must been something that made them win.?
Legends? Ian McKenzie congratulated the winner.
?I expected Trini Revellers to win and I want to congratulate them. We have been there before and we know what it feels like to be a winner,? he said.
?No hard feelings in the Legends mas camp.?
McKenzie said from now on Legends will be about the masqueraders and putting on a show.
?We will still participate, but competition will not be our major objective,? he said.
