Dimanche Gras Results & More – Trinidad & Tobago Carnival 2011

This year, Trinidad & Tobago's annual Dimanche Gras ("fat Sunday") show – including the King & Queen of Carnival and Calypso Monarch competitions – was perhaps one of the longest and least well organised in recent years.

For those Carnival jumbies like myself, who resolve to see every major Trinidad & Tobago Carnival competition from beginning to end either in person or on TV (starting circa 6:30pm and hanging tough 'til up to 6am the next morning), it demands the question of how they can be better put together. It also begs the annual question of how the calypso competition in particular, featuring very T&T-specific (and often disparaging) social and political commentary, might ever be something we can (or should?) market as part of our tourism product. Is Dimanche Gras something that can attract international tourists or audiences? Should we even want it to? What would the impact of packaging it differently have on the artform itself, which is a fundamental part of Trinidad's culture?

How we cover Carnival (incuding how much we charge media personnel to cover the event, and whether there should be "exclusive" media licences) is also a pressing question. Like the Soca Monarch coverage on CNC3 on Friday night, the broadcast coverage by the state-owned CNMG or C-TV came up short. Though the picture quality was crisp and clear, the evening's proceedings were often interrupted by ads, or commentators talking over parts of the performance. A CNMG camera crane also snagged the top of the first Queen of Carnival costume, bringing it crashing down. Meanwhile, the fledgling high-quality, virtually ad-free internet stream at carnivaltv.net captured the viewers that abandoned the C-TV/ctntworld.com coverage.

(As a side note, I wrote on C-TV's Facebook page indicating what several viewers had been expressing on social media networks. When I went back a few hours later to see if they had acknowledged or replied, they had deleted the comment.)

Nevertheless, despite the glitches, stunning costumes and a few sterling calypsos made the long evening worthwhile.

King of Carnival 2011: Wade Madray portrays the
mammoth "Pacific Tsunami" from the Carnival band,
Legacy. Photo: NCC
(National Carnival Commission of Trinidad & Tobago)

King of Carnival costume competition

1. Pacific Tsunami – Wade Madray – Legacy
2. Battle of the Marabuntas – Owen Hinds Jr
3. Bozo: D Legend Lives On – Curtis Eustace
4. Bedazzled – Marlon Rampersad 
5. Wakinyan: Quest Of The Feather Seeker – Lionel Jagessar Jr
6. Pan On Fire – Roland St George
7. In The Beginning Good And Evil – Gerard Weekes
8. The Jewel Spider – Glenn Dave Lakhan
9. Mr Carnival: The Return Of The Fire Man – Fareid Carvalho
10. Mukasa: The God Of Water – Leroy Prieto

Queen of Carnival costume competition

1. D Jeweled Chandelier – Peola Marchand – We People International
2. Splendor of Lights – Gloria Dalsingh
3. Island Queen – Kay Mason
4. Serpent Sorceress – Roxanne Omalo
5. D Ruby Brooch – Gayle Marcano 
6. Forest Blossom – Cherryann Valere
7. Diamonds Are Forever – Patricia Bailey
8. Botanica: A Floral Extravaganza – Jenna Marie Andre
9. Chia The Goddess – Avernell Johnson
10. In The End, Dance And Rejoice – Sevell Nicholls

Calypso Monarch competition

1. Karene Asche – "Be Careful What You Ask For" and "Uncle Jack"
2. Michael Osuna (Sugar Aloes)
3. Hollis Liverpool (Chalkdust)
4. Devon Seales
5. Dexter Parsons (Stinger)
6. Kurt Allen
7. Brian London
8. Tamika Darius
9. Kizzie Ruiz
10. Joanne Rowley (Tigress)
11. Weston Rawlins (Cro Cro)
12. Rodney Le Blanc (Benjai)