00:0413 bands registered to cross the stage on Carnival Tuesday in San Fernando and while they won't be competing for
00:12monetary prizes following a budgetary cut of $200,000 from the NCC this year, band leaders previously agreed to be
00:20judged and placed for friendly rivalry and bragging rights.
00:24When we visited San Fernando, only two bands crossed by 1pm. One included Jagasa's on the eve of battle. Band
00:33leader Lionel Jagasa Jr. says 2026 has been their worst year yet.
00:38Up to a couple before COVID, we had up to 1,500 members in the band for years. Last year
00:44it went down to 200. This year it's around the same number. So it has been our worst historic Carnival
00:49in terms of membership and also people coming out to support Carnival in San Fernando, look at the mass, just
00:55come to the mass camp, give support, just say we like it. There's just a few people on Super Street
01:00yesterday. Today, same. We haven't done the top of Super Street yet, but barely anybody looking at the mass.
01:05He says young people seem to care less and less about culture and encouraged people to remember the reason for
01:12Carnival, the triumph over slavery and to celebrate by playing mass.
01:17So the next generation after me does not understand the role and importance of Carnival in our history, internal history.
01:25So I will try to remind people, don't forget to play mass and don't forget, you know, you have Carnival
01:29and it's more than just the fets and the rum. You know, there's costume, there's art, there's history, there's spirituality
01:34to go around.
01:35He says ultimately, the decline in interest has been a financial hit for his family, who has been doing traditional
01:42mass for decades and hopes more corporate sponsorship will come next year to keep mass in San Fernando alive.
01:49Speaking to TV6, Mayor of San Fernando, Robert Paris says, apart from the budget cut to the city, measures like
01:57cutting music just after 10 p.m. while Monday night mass was still happening, has the potential to further impact
02:05their Carnival product.
02:06Police are Mexican and blocked off demands. That created a very hostile situation. There could have been a riot on
02:15Harris Permanente last night, right? I looked at a small entrepreneur, put out all her stuff, soup and she had
02:23sauce.
02:23And when all the music and everything was cut off, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and
02:28said, Mayor, what am I to do? And I'm not saying that the police don't have a job to do,
02:33but better communication, at least to me.
02:35I knew nothing. I sat down there and I was shocked and people are blaming me. No, I will not
02:41take no blame for something that I did not do.
02:43He says he understands there may be security concerns, but if a specific community is incident free, they should not
02:51be deprived of the Carnival experience.
02:54Meanwhile, on Carnival Tuesday, South Masqueraders enjoyed the parade through the streets, whether to soca or tassa music.
03:07Traditional or pretty masks, young or older like, those who came out, like Marshall says, turned the masks into a
03:15masterpiece.
03:16Cindy Ragubatika Singh, TV6 News.
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