Popular south Carnival band Kallicharan Carnival has dropped its profit margins this year in order to maintain a high number of masqueraders on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
Aaron Kallicharan, band manager, said due to the economic downturn it has been challenging. He said since last year, they have seen a "dive" in business but would continue to bring satisfaction to south revellers.
Kallicharan and David Cameron of Trini Revellers said they noted some minor changes in mas production this year in light of the economic recession. However, they said Carnival has its loyalty.
In an interview with the Sunday Guardian, Kallicharan said one of the main challenges was understanding that while Port-of-Spain was the mecca of Carnival, it also had to be kept alive for southerners.
He said: "Challenges will always be that we target the market in San Fernando or the southern half of the Trinidad in order to keep the Carnival alive."
Meanwhile, Tribe has sold out. Tribe band leader, Dean Ackin, via an e-mail exchange in response to whether there were any significant declines in the number of revellers this year, said: "No. Tribe is sold out."
He said costume prices ranged between $3,000 to $4,000 and while foreign exchange was a bit challenging, it was manageable.
Ackin said although the season was short and there was less time for preparations, Tribe was not sacrificing its "high quality service" to masqueraders.
He said: "Tribe masqueraders are looking forward to the Socadrome stage."
Regarding production of the mas, Kallicharan said there were no challenges in that area since there was a team in the mas camp to ensure smooth operations.
"We have been preparing as early as October last year," Kallicharan said.
This year, they have catered for seven sections with the theme Call to Duty, which depicts bravery.
Kallicharan said their costume prices continue to remain lower than those in Port-of-Spain. He said the recession affected them but on a miniscule level since "our target audience is different."
"The prices of our costumes are already low. The support is still there," he said.
While corporate sponsorship had declined significantly, there were minor cutbacks in the amount of revellers playing mas. He said whereas in the past a company would have sponsored ten cases of product, it may now give five.
Kallicharan said: "We have to make the Carnival a win-win for everyone." He said the band has not compromised its quality despite cutbacks.
"We have dropped our profit margins to sell the costumes at the prices we do in order to get the same number of people to play mas. If you increase the price, you will end up with less people playing and you have to remember that people are in fact watching their pockets."
He said Kallicharan Carnival had dropped their prices by up to $150.
"We have kept the standards but cut back on our profits to keep the band alive and get a decent number of revellers this year."
Trini Revellers–'zilch'
for promoting Carnival
David Cameron of Trini Revellers, which has been in existence for 17 years, told the Sunday Guardian it was a good signal that the National Carnival Commission (NCC) had "taken over" the Carnival this year, but he felt the Greatest Show on Earth was not promoted well.
He said: "I must say that the NCC has taken over the management of Carnival which I think is a good thing and they're touching everything in order to have revisions and satisfaction from the bandleaders and whatnot and I think that's a good sign, but on the promotion of Carnival, it is zilch."
He said there was no attempt to promote, launch or advertise Carnival this year, but that next year that had to be a must since Carnival cannot be taken for granted. Cameron said people had many options now.
"They can go to Margarita, Panama or Cuba, so we need to not take things for granted and promote our unique Carnival.
Cameron said last year there was the Ebola threat and now this year, the recession.
"It doesn't put people in a full support mood. So, again, we need to address that and that has to be done through the authorities."
On mas production, he said the band had done over its numbers and have reduced to almost ten per cent less than last year.
"Each large band has its loyalty and crowd. Therefore, yes, people will come back and play but there are also those who shift from band to band and that is a normal thing."