4th South Mas crown for Kalicharan

FOR THE fourth consecutive year, veteran Carnival mas man Ivan Kalicharan has copped the South Carnival Band of the Year title with his 2010 presentation ‘Outta D’ Rain Forest’. He has now won the South competition a total of 17 times. As San Fernando Mayor Kenneth Ferguson announced the winners at the City Corporation yesterday, Kalicharan said the win had already been predicted by spectators on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

WINNER: South mas man Ivan Kalicharan...


Smiling, Kalicharan gave tips on how to be a winner. “The key is presenting your mas properly and we had the most beautiful route. People on the streets told us we were the best band that paraded. We will continue next year with the aim to win,” said Kalicharan, who has competed for the past 25 years.
Queen of Carnival and South Queen of the Band Rosemarie Kuru-Jagessar notched up another win, as Masquerader of the Year (female) for the 13th time with her portrayal of “Waka Nisha The Sacred Water Bearer”. The devout Hindu attributed her success to Lord Shiva.
Commenting on statements made recently by National Carnival Committee chairman Howard Chin Lee that bandleaders should concentrate more on the culture than financial gains, Jagessar dismissed this as foolishness.
“If he was following the Carnival he would have known we have been doing it for the love. We are getting old and we are still here. We have to spend plenty money on costumes and of course we will want to get back some,” Jagessar said.
By LAUREL V WILLIAMS