Article A42 · Book 1 · Scrapbook page p.31
Noisiest Best Village semi-finals at Bowl
SAN FERNANDO
SEMI-FINALS of the Prime Minister's Best Village competition at Naparima Bowl ran into their noisiest period on Tuesday night with the presentation of the Cedros Village Council, following Princes Town, who were pushed back from the opening night last week.
Cedros brought to the Bowl too, the biggest crowd seen at the semi-finals so far, and it was unfortunate for the performers that the noises and the heckling came on only with their performances in such a way as to hamper them a great deal.
This was with the exception of the Tassa drumming, in which Gopaul and his team brought down the house with one of the best drumming displays seen for a long time.
From the time they moved on to the stage, it was seen that there was a professional touch in their playing and with every change they had the large crowd in ecstasies.
Their dances, too, were well received but it was particularly in the literature group that they were not given a fair chance.
Princes Town scored with the latter part of their show which was centred in a wedding scene, there they did their dances, speeches, music, calypso medley and calypso dance, and even the grand finale.
They had a fine whe whe scene as well as a spiritual medley and a one-act play that led up to the wedding.
Last night, Cocoyea and Los Bajos were on show, while on the final night, tonight, Icacos will take the stage followed by Rio Claro..
PENAL SHINES
On Monday night Penal had glittered in their show which looked in character as that of Siparia and all because of the influence of Ma Thompson, the woman who shaped the Siparia dances in the previous festivals.
Her performances were unmatched, but still the most popular person at the Bowl in these semi final performances on Monday night was three-year-old Joan Arthur from Chase Village. She danced the bongo, got into the children's games, joined in the choirs, and sang calypsoes and spirituals, all to the delight of the crowd. Even in the grand finale she was the star, and it was wondered how talent could come to the surface in such a flood at such an early age.
Penal impressed not only in their dances, but they got two girl calypsonians to indulge in the old time calypso picong and they brought the house down.