Mas band leaders say there is a need for representation on the National Carnival Commission (NCC) board for them since there are always issues affecting Carnival bands.

They did not care who the representative was and in the meantime, they continue to prepare for Carnival 2018.

Large bandleader Ronnie McIntosh said the matter was neither here nor there for his band. McIntosh said he “stopped attending all of those mas meetings and stuff like that,” since meetings and other related activities were never approached in a professional manner.

Fellow large band leader Miguel Baptiste, of Mardi Gras, said, however, that there was the need for some form of representation on the board since there was always some issue they had to address. Baptiste said the NCC board was yet to get in contact with the band even though they tried to get in contact with the board.

“Normally they send an email to us but we found it strange that we have not gotten that as yet,” he said. Baptiste said an email is usually sent to band leaders around August and another in October with updates. Baptiste said he even paid a visit to NCC’s office but got no reply. “You need someone to represent the bands on the road. Not just with the route ...We always some kind of problems down the line,” he said.

Similarly, medium band leader Ann Marie Placide, of Jus Wee and Friends, also said there was the need for representation since she felt like “we are just preparing for Carnival in the wind.”

She, too, said there has been no contact from the NCC board.

“I would think that the mas fraternity would definitely see that we need representation. I think that it is obvious without mas there is no Carnival,” she said.

She said as a mas producer, she felt that mas leaders were simply doing their part without any help from the powers that be.

Source : newsday