2006 Grenada Carnival Committee Press Launch

On Wednesday April 19th the Grenada Carnival Committee hosted its first ever Press Launch at the Grenada Trade Center. The aim of the Launch was to alert the Media, the Business Houses and the general public about plans for the 2006/2007 Carnival seasons.

The first presentation was made by the new Chairperson of the Committee, Dr. Trevor Friday. Dr. Friday used the opportunity to focus on the economic impact of the Carnival season. One very telling statistic that came out of Dr. Friday’s presentation was the fact that twenty three percent (23%) of all stayover visitors over the last six (6) years visited Grenada during the months of July and August.

The new Manager of the Grenada Cultural Foundation, Miss Jacqueline Alexis and the Minister of Tourism and Culture the Hon. Senator Brenda Hood, both expounded on the economic significance and cultural importance of the Carnival season.

The Grenada Mas Band Association, Steelband Association and both Calypso Associations hinted at what could be expected of the various components for the upcoming Carnival season.

Eight (8) steelbands will be contesting this year’s Panorama competition while five (5) steelbands will challenge AGD Whiz Kids for the Junior Panorama title. The Panorama Launch will take place on Sunday July 09th at the Netball Court in Tanteen. The Steelband Association also pointed out that there will be more bands on the streets come Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
Additionally, on Panorama night, Saturday August 12th, the Grenada Carnival Committee will host a show featuring Machel Montano and Xtatik. The Machel show and Panorama will be twinned and held at the same venue so that a ticket to both events will be cheaper than a ticket to the Machel show only.

There will be significant improvements for the 2006 Calypso and Soca season as indicated by the Calypso Associations.

(1) For the purposes of judging, the Calypso and Soca preliminaries will be held jointly, under a structure comprising four (4) tents.
(2) The number of Artistes competing in the Soca Monarch preliminaries will be limited to one hundred (100). The Grenada Carnival Committee, the Judges Association and the Calypso Associations will develop a formula to determine who the one hundred (100) Artistes will be after all the Artistes who would have registered for the preliminary stage of the Soca Monarch competition.
(3) While a plethora of Artistes will perform on any given night, within the tent structure, the tents will hold auditions to determine the Artistes best qualified to face the judges. No more than fifteen (15) Calypsonians, per tent, will face the judges during the preliminary stage of the Calypso competition.

Two new Calypso events have been added to the National Carnival schedule. GPACT’S Groovy Soca Monarch which will take place on Wednesday August 09th and the all new KAISOCA competition. The finalists of the KAISOCA competition will be required to compete with a Calypso and a Soca rendition. The finalists of that competition will be determined by the scores from the preliminary stages of both the Soca Monarch and Calypso competitions. The KAISOCA competition will take place on Sunday August 06th.

All the Parishes including Carriacou and Petit Martinique and with the exception of St. Mark’s were also able to give a very good account of things to come. Spicemas will be truly national with the Parishes of St. John’s, St. Mark’s, St. Patrick’s and St. David’s hosting the Calypso and Soca Monarch preliminaries. The semifinals of both these competitions will be held at the Victoria Park in Grenville, St. Andrew’s.

BEGINNING WITH THE CHILDREN’S CARNIVAL FROLIC ON SATURDAY AUGUST 5TH AND ENDING WITH PAGEANT ON MONDAY AUGUST 12TH, ALL SHOWS HOSTED BY THE GRENADA CARNIVAL COMMITTEE WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE TANTEEN PLAYING FIELD.

THE 2006 CARNIVAL SEASON WILL BE LAUNCHED ON SATURDAY MAY 06TH AND HEREAFTER THE FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY WILL BE THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE OF CARNIVAL. THIS YEAR’S LAUCNH WILL BE HELD AT THE TANTEEN NETBALL COURT.

Grenada Carnival Committee - www.spicemasgrenada.com

Spicemas - August 14 & 15, 2006
August 13 & 14, 2007
August 11 & 12, 2008

Carriacou Carnival - February 26 & 27, 2007