By now, one would have thought that this year’s carnival atmosphere would have been cooling off, right? Not so, because nearly a month after the two-day Parade of the Bands in Castries, Mabouya Valley Carnival, held over the weekend, was simmering in colour, excitement and the Dennery segment playlist.
On Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of revellers took to the streets in the community known best for its lush agriculture, rich culture, top-class sporting talents, warm hospitality and – let’s be honest – a carnival vibe that overshadows, er, many other similar celebrations elsewhere.
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This year, five bands from the Mabouya Valley basin participated in the two-day parade, namely Oleon Toxic, Jammin, Indulgence, Fantsay and Exotic. While the bands were not competing for titles, it was clear that revellers were going all out to prove that their bands had the competitive edge over each other.
The weeks of celebrations kicked off in July followed by the “Brainwash Paint and Powder Fete” featuring Grenadian soca artiste, Mr. Killa, on July 31. Last Friday, the weekend’s activities commenced with a J’Ouvert, followed by the two days of fete on the streets.
Event Coordinator, Kernisha Flavien, told The VOICE that this year’s event was an overall success and had become bigger and better. Now in its second year, she said organizers were thankful that the numbers of participating bands increased from three and that the festival was incident-free as it relates to violence.
