More switches made to Carnival 2018 schedule

The Calypso Monarch Competition will not be held on Thursday August 2 as was announced by the Culture and Festivals Minister on Saturday at the launch of Carnival 2018.
President of the Wadadli Calypso Association, Eugene Silcott, disclosed that changes have since been made to the previously announced schedule.
The president, better known by the stage-name “Kaseba”, told OBSERVER media yesterday that Minister of National Festivals and Sports, Daryll Matthew recently “agreed for [the Calypso Monarch Competition] to take the Friday and the National Festival Commission to change Melting Pot to Thursday”.
According to him, the change came as a result of a disagreement between the calypso association and the festivals commission over the day set for the Calypso Monarch Competition.
Kaseba explained that a meeting was held on February 21, concerning the first change of the programme line-up from Sunday to Thursday, to which the association did not agree.
Kaseba said that his response to the first proposed change of the calypso competition was: “We are trying to form a new organisation, so we are unable to make any decisions at this point in time.”
He added: “There was no agreement to the Thursday.”
He further explained that the current change was made at a recent meeting between the festivals commission and the calypso association following a post on Facebook by an unnamed individual, commenting on the events’ line-up which scheduled the calypso competition for Thursday August 2.
The post claimed that the Wadadli Calypso Association was not pleased with the decision and did not consent to it.
Kaseba disclosed that the minister contacted him about the post and scheduled a meeting at which the current change was made.
 Stating that he is satisfied with the calypso competition being held on Friday, Kaseba added that having the calypso competition on Thursday was “like driving a nail in the coffin of calypso as it is an ailing art form”.
He said the new schedule would have Melting Pot on Thursday August 2, and the Calypso Monarch Competition on Friday August 3.