Confession: I have been one of those following the launch of the various carnival bands. I admire the teams of entrepreneurs who partner with artists to not just add to our local festival, but also to take Brand Trinidad and Tobago to one of the estimated 200 or so carnivals across the world.

It fits under the Vision 2020 pillar of “facilitating business competitiveness,” as entrepreneurs are encouraged to do their part as the nation moves to diversify away from energy.

Furthermore, carnival, soca and the apparently lucrative event-management industry, which continues to grow, is something that is worthy of exploration.

So I started talking to other people about carnival...

Cultural activist Rubadiri Victor is particularly passionate. He said out of the trinity that is Laventille, Belmont and Port-of-Spain, has come another trinity of steel pan, mas and calypso.

He argues that outside of oil and gas, this is our biggest contribution to the world, which makes it our most “successful” alternative export.

Rubadiri continues by saying the people who produced this cultural expression have been marginalised as the upper-middle class is taking “control.”

Internationally, he says, T&T nationals no longer control the direction of the various carnivals as we once did.

If we are not careful, he warns, T&T will be marginalised from carnival as we have been marginalised (in his opinion) from the steel pan.

He points out that the largest pan factory is in Ohio. Rubadiri believes the “death” of carnival is a direct result of ineffective and even absent institutional support.

So now, we come to what I call the all-inclusive bands. To me, they bring to the table the same institutional support that Rubadiri called for.

In fact, they go further by listening to the market, both local and international, and producing a product for which customers are willing to pay.

Testimony to the feasibility of their business model is seen by their ability to export. I spoke with Crystal Aming from Island People, who also has designed for bands/carnivals in St Lucia; Washington, DC; and England.

She is adamant that T&T carnival is growing and being taken to more audiences than ever before.

In this way, we are exporting not just finished costumes, but designs—our intellectual capital, benefiting our local economy as well as promoting Brand Trinidad and Tobago.

Rubadiri, on the other hand, recounted a conversation he had with another “cultural activist” while watching bands passing by the Savannah.

They were chatting about the European carnivals that pre-dated the ones here in the new world, and wondering how could such a vibrant and powerful cultural expression virtually disappear from Europe?

They agreed that it was a result of it being hijacked by another social class—a class for which it is not a matter of the heart.

And that is happening in Trinidad carnival, which is driven by greed and where those young people from its cradle—Laventille, Belmont, Port-of-Spain—participate as security or service workers.

Rubadiri believes we are witnessing the death of costume tradition. For example, there is just one pierrot grenade left.

Nicole des Vignes from Elements disagrees. She praises the professionalism of some of today’s band management teams that have become extremely adept at responding to the consumers’ needs and wants.

She knows bands that watch their skimpiest sections sell out within days—much faster than those sections with more material and that are, therefore, more “traditional.”

In des Vignes' mind, it could be seen as democracy in action. These “new” bands give the customers what they want, and the consumers reward the bands that listen to their tastes with their hard-earned dollars.

Those bands that do not listen will not prosper.

But Rubadiri does see some hope. The Government is constructing three badly needed cultural academies in San Fernando, Wallerfield and on the Princes Building grounds around the Savannah.

Rubadiri also commended the Government for constructing 200 or so community centres across the country that would serve as incubators for cultural activity.

History will tell us whether this period helped or hurt carnival. Nevertheless, our festival does serve as a tourism magnet.

And with the continued support of the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Development Company and Ministry of Culture, it continues to grow, and its benefits are felt across the economy.

Food and beverage companies, accommodation providers, event managers, taxi drivers, tour guides, street vendors are among the many who earn a living from carnival activities.

This growing industry will continue to play a key role as we move towards Vision 2020.