Excitement is bubbling in Ivan Kalicharan's San Fernando mas camp following word that outgoing President George Maxwell Richards will be playing mas with the band on Carnival Monday.It will be the first time a sitting President has played mas on the streets of the southern city.
Richards, who is set to demit office next month after serving two terms, and his wife, Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards, are no strangers to mas but they usually play with bands in Port-of-Spain.The reason why Richards decided to play in San Fernando is unknown but mas queen Wendy Kalicharan thinks she knows.
"He knows San Fernando has good mas," said Kalicharan, whose band has won the Carnival Band of the Year title in San Fernando 18 times and consecutively for the past six years.Optimistic about capturing the title again this year with Rise of the Olympians, Kalicharan said she had received confirmation that the President would be playing with them on Monday."We feel very privileged about that. He will be coming with quite a number of people," she added.
Asked whether she invited Richards to play with them, Kalicharan said: "I had dialogue. I really cannot tell you but he did not ask. It just happened. It's a long process."Saying it was the first time in her 30 years playing mas that a sitting President would be playing mas in South, she said:
"We feel privileged and honoured that he is coming to San Fernando and playing with us. It is a good thing for San Fernando because the President is coming to play mas in the second city, instead of the capital."
She boasted the band had sold out three weeks ago and the President could not have been the reason since it was not public knowledge he was playing with them. She could not say in which section he and his contingent would be playing.Beaming with pride, San Fernando mayor Navi Muradali said the city was honoured to have Richards and his wife play mas in South.
"It certainly shows that Sando mas is indeed alive and attracting many persons to our city," he added.Assuring that all efforts had been made to ensure safety and quality for Carnival, he said: "I hope that we set a new standard for mas in San Fernando."
