Calypso semi-finals will be held at Victoria Park – Anne Miller

It has been confirmed that this year’s Calypso semi-finals will be held at the Victoria Park.{{more}}

Anne Miller, President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Calypso Association, in a telephone interview with SEARCHLIGHT, confirmed the decision.

According to Miller, the organizers made the decision that the show will be staying in the park this year.

“Kingstown is a central place. You find people coming into Kingstown, as opposed to going out,” she told SEARCHLIGHT.

“We have tried it before, and it didn’t work,” she continued.

In 2011, a decision was taken to stage the semi-finals at the La Croix boxing plant in the Marriaqua Valley, but this move was heavily criticized by many patrons who turned up at that event.

Anthony Dennie, Carnival Development Committee (CDC) coordinator of Shows, said then, that the idea to move the show to a rural location was something that had been discussed by the CDC.

During those meetings, a number of possible venues had been considered, including the Biabou hard court and the Chili Playing Field in Georgetown. It was, however, agreed that the venue at La Croix was best suited for the event.

Dennie also defended the CDC’s decision to stage the event away from Kingstown, saying that over the years, there had been a reduction in attendance at the Calypso semifinals.

“We figured that the best way to rebuild the appeal was to actually take it (Fantastic Friday) out to persons in the out districts.

The event is scheduled to be held on June 21.(DD)