The result from a Dominica News Online poll has revealed that a majority of readers believe that the date of Carnival should not change.
Cultural consultant Alwyn Bully has been suggesting a shift in date to possibly the summer, arguing that there will be benefits from such move, including a greater influx of visitors and more sponsorship of carnival activities.
In light of that DNO’s poll asked whether the date should be changed or not.
1,553 readers participated in the poll and the results shows that 57 percent, that is 878 readers, think the date should not change, while 39 percent or 601 voters think it should be changed.
Seventy-four readers, that is 4 percent, voted ‘Don’t know.’
DNO’s poll is not a scientific one.
The poll was active for one week and was deactivated on Friday at noon.
The final result of the poll can be seen below.
I am sure those who do not want carnival dates changed is because their thinking are not economically inclined. They are the basic Dominicans who is not interested in development. I can also asure you that these people are afraid of the unknown… change.
I agree with the polls, what the organizers need to do now is use the Calypso show as a yardstick for organizing all other the Carnival activities.
I dont think we should change our carnival, the summer is too expensive for ppl like me to travel Feb?march is ok why shld we change? leave it like it is and promoters should start advertising earlier for sponsorship.
I think that Carnival should commence beginning July. During that month there could be the semi-finals, finals and so on. During July school children would not be disturbed from their studies.
I BACK THAT
da carnival need no changes that woman come out where she come out and want to change everything,she already change t-shirt band from tuesday to wednesday
In my opinion the date of carnival shouldn’t be change …What that needs to be change is the PROMOTION AND INVESTMENT MADE INTO CARNIVAL
promotion – firstly their should be an online site for the Dominica’s carnival ..a Facebook page for Dominica carnival ..youtube videos of carnival…online ways to sponsor carnival ..lunching of costume bands online registration for the t-sheets bands also more t-sheet bands for the bands such as fanatic band i would diffidently join their tshirt band…. also their should be a calender of activities out since the month in advance with all the shows venues dates and cost .. their should also be package deals for visitors
Investment -all schools should be given funds to make a group for the Tuesday parade also all villages should be given funds to make a carnival costume band for the Tuesday parade …the queen should get sponsors earlier so that the show would be bigger more prizes should be worn for the shows
more activities though out the year should be made in oder to raise funds after the parade they should go to the stadium on a stage and dance
AS ALSO EVERYTHING FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY SHOULD BE IN TOWN AND NOTHING AN LESS FOCUSED ON THE VILLAGES
THATS JUST MY OPINION
i dont think we should change the date because a lot of people go overseas during the summer
Hi, First I would like to say that we do not need to change the carnival date rather we need to promote our carnival. I reside in New York and I came to our carnival which was my first since 1970 and I was very impressed with the quality of the entertainment. I went both to Harlem Plaza which is a nice venue and Reigate Waterfront and I was truely impressed with the quality of the shows. The finals was very nice where Dice win the crown and in my opinion it is better than St Thomas program because I witnessed St Thomas Carnival every year sine 1980. Now, I was disappointed with the parade of the bands on carnival Tuesday. We should have more custume bands and we only had one steelband. I think each school should have a steelband program in that way they can put a steelband on the street on Monday and the best steelbands on Tuesday. I have seen many post about Trinidad carnival but we must not compare our carnival with that of Trinidad because their mass is the ultimate carnival. I have been to Trinidad carnival five times and the last was 2011 where I saw bands with ten thousand people in pretty custumes. I noticed that there wasn’t any carnival activity in the stadium and I do not know why we have a stadium and we cannot used it during carnival. We should have a stage in the stadium where we can pay and seat down and watch the bands cross the stage just like in Trinidad. I walk all over Roseau during carnival and the spectators was huge but we must find a way to get people to participate. In closing I think the Carnival Committee should spend more time improving the program for carnival Monday and Tuesday and have one web site where we can get all carnival events. We should also get the big businesses to sponsor a custume band with at least one hundred people. To me the carnival was very good with carnival Tuesday which can used more costume bands.
On one related event. The employees of Americam Airline must stop harassing people(ME) for five pounds overweight because they will discourage middle class people like myself from coming home. If my luggage is overweight I can pay for the extra weight base on American Airlines own guidelines which I can afford to do. So AA employees please stop that harassment and you must know your own company rules because I did.
Apart from tradition and “that’s the way it is”. Why else leave the date?
Economically (and this is what everybody keeps screaming about …. money jobs, more things bling) it 100% SHOULD be moved. June would be great. Nobody comes to DA in June. This would be extra income for the island.
You see … the way it is right now …. it fills the seats and ferries and the tourists that want to come cannot arrive. These tourists only want to come in winter season NOV to April) they have their own summers after that and think of other places not the Caribbean.
So we are killing income with another. If you move carnival date you will have the carnival income AND the tourist income.
I do understand tradition … so whatever everybody wants is OK with me. We all need to be happy with our carnival.
Aren’t you contradicting yourself. You say that nobody comes to Dominica in June. You have to ask yourself first why that is. I don’t know the answer but surely their must be good reasons why they don’t come at that time. You really believe having the event then would change that and carnival would become their first priority?
Not at all.
The reason nobody comes in June is that they are elsewhere. The summer has started in USA and Europe by then. Why travel so far? THAT is the only reason. June is good weather. The sun is hot and nobody to queue with.
I don’t think any extra people would come. Just the ones that we already get …. HOWEVER … they would not be blocking the seats on planes and ferries that tourists want to use.
It’s double bubble. We full in March, full in June. I don’t really care whether it is May or June, but one month that we are low on visitors.
At the moment we are only full in March …. it’s a no brainer really.
It is worth a try. Just imagine the number of visitors from our neighboring islands that do not have a fete at the chosen date; and diaspora families that can travel with the kids being out of school for summer.
Our hotel rooms need to be filled during every carnival to boost the economy. Further more it’s just a trial, not end of world.
…change it for Roseau, but leave the countryside..
Dominica carnival is nothing like Trinidad – two different “MAS” altogther. What Bully & Co. has to do is market our carnival. They are not doing that and want to blame the dates clasing with Trinidad for low tourist turnout. What I see Alwin Bully doing is bullying Dominicans into something he see will work out in his interest but not for the people of Dominica.
Ban Carnival!
ahh hahahaha!.. lmao!
leave Carnival where it is.
man our carnival is unique leave the date alone..i myself want to go to soca monarch in Trinidad…our product has issues
Competition with Trinidad will only make our Carnival better.You dont hear Trinidadians complaining about New Orleans carnival which draws twice as much patronage as that of TNT.Just look at how the standard of our Calypso has risen to such higths even to the point of overshadowing the output of TNT.Our carnival is a Religious CULTURAL celebration so why does our PSEUDO cultural consultant want to move the date Carnival will always preceed lent not August monday move for move move that pseudo advisor and bring in some YOUNG FRESH DYNAMIC people these people have been running carnival for too long without any tangible progress
The only thing Trini carnival have in common with Dominica carnival is the name. Those who love Trini-type carnival and will do one carnival for the year will not come to Dominica. I know of Dominicans living in New York who no longer go to carnival in DA. These people will not take two carnival trips to the Caribbean.
What we need to do is improve on what we have and target our own type of visitors.
A quick way to judge how many visitors we would attract is to look at how many DOminican travel to the other islands for their carnival. That should give us a quick crude way to judge whether changing our date will make a real difference.
Dear Mr.Alwin Bully & Carnival Committee:
Please allow me to express my views on the change of Carnival date that has been a concern for a few years now.
As a concerned Dominican citizen, I don’t think putting the carnival in the summer is gonna make a huge difference if the carnival committee stick to the same planning. Putting it in the summer is not gonna make it AUTOMATICALLY popular, profitable or more extravagant.
I think that carnival should be promoted the same way our World Creole Music Festival is being promoted. Members of the Carnival Committee, should go to the neighboring islands months prior to carnival and build the awareness. I also believe that the main reason why the streets of Roseau are not filled on the costume parade day is because we do not tackle the schools and villages.One way we should tackle the schools and villages is that we should have a CARNIVAL AWARENESS MONTH and this should be in the month of MAY.An official letter should be sent to all schools in Dominica and village councils asking for their participation in Carnival. All schools might not take part but I know there will be more taking part than those that will not. The schools can set up carnival committee: having an executive board, and those who are interested will join the committee. The committee and members will decide on what costumes they are gonna be wearing. From May to Carnival is 7 months and within this 7 months schools can raise funds that will help in purchasing costumes.The village council should have an official meeting with the villagers and those who are interesting will set up a carnival committee. Schools and village councils can seek funds from the different Dominica Associations in the Diaspora. I live abroad and I will be more than willing to help.
So my personal strategy to make carnival successful is tackling the schools and villages.I believe if every or most schools and villages in Dominica take part in the costume parade the streets of Roseau will be more packed and vibrant.
So we really need to plan ahead to make carnival successful.Our Carnival is unique and I don’t think we are competing with Trinidad. Trinidad has a different culture and I don’t think Trinidadians are gonna come to our carnival in the summer.We should promote our carnival in the other Caribbean islands, united states, Canada, England..Dominicans living abroad will come and their foreign friends who are interesting will come along..
Mr. Alwin Bully I hope that you take my idea into consideration. I love my country very much and I would really like to see a change in our costume parade in the city. The idea of tackling the schools and villages and also the Carnival Awareness month is a great idea.
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE A DIFFERENCE NEXT YEAR GOD SPARE!!
You, as well as the many others who argue along the same lines, have totally missed the point. Sad. Alas papa…there in NOT enough time between CHRISTMAS and LENT to develop an effective carnival season. T & T does NOT have a World Creole Music Festival, or any other such event at that time of year, so the orgarnizers in T & T can dedicate time, resources and effort on their Carnival. I mean, I mean, I mean Papa Bondie, how must this be explained again! Alwin, please just leave dem people in their ignorance and relax yourself with you lovely wife. You should probably even leave this coutry and retire in Trinidad. They will appreciate you better there, am sure of that. Dominicans will wake up one day…
If u read the comment above properly, u will see that the writer said that preparation for carnival should begin in the month of May for carnival the following year. I like the idea of having May as Carnival awareness month.So from May, schools and villages should be raising funds to help in purchasing costumes!!
Changing the date to the summer is not gonna automatically make the carnival more profitable or bigger..Alwin Bully should tell us what his strategies or plans are to make the carnival bigger and more profitable!!
the date should be changed to a date in April-May.why? when u look at it,there is the citp and wcmf in Oct-nov then christmas then carnival. the spacing in such activities is too short. where will the patrons get all the required cash? thus,changing the date will allow more ppl take part.when u really look at the carnival it is poor!! moreover the government should put in no less that $500,000.00 then the private sector could match that then we will see where it goes from there
STOP BULLYING US TO CHANGE THE CARNIVAL DATE.LEAVE IT AS IT IS.LUCIANS COMMING TO DA FOR CARNIVAL
People are afraid of change. Do not use the word change. Let’s temporarily move carnival to April(for example) for the next 3 years. At the end of year 3, evaluate and make an informed decision as to whether current or April is better.
We will still change the move.
Majority of dominicans dont know how good it is when things are different other than what they accustom too ….most are scared of change and cant adopt to any thing thats different so am not suprise of the result …but as a true dominican that travel the world and adopt to change and see the difference what as change of date will make i sugest we shift dominica carnival to the first moday in may
i don’t think dominicans are ‘scared’ of change… but the reality is simply changing with no proper promotion is bad management… before they think of changing they should put more effort in effective marketing campaigns…. when was the last time you saw an ad for dominica carnival or wcmf in any city that you live in… i can tell you… if they aren’t in NYC, Toronto etc then they aint anywhere… and don’t act as if all change is good.. cause it aint always good…. change is good with effective planning
Awa don’t change val to summer.What trouble is dis nah?.aa
as a lover of carnival, who have visit many Caribbean island, i find that Dominica has a unique carnival that bring a lot of people over, for this year carnival i book flight for a group of twelve and one for ten,this was they first visit, yet they want to go next year, the only problem is that place that would be cheap in rent for these people are sky high, and the taxi make it there business to over price these people during these time, we need place for people with limited cash to stay some people like to party and play mas, drink rum and get a taste of the food and place, yet to pay 100us per night for one week and they hardly ever there is asking to much, we need, reasonable place around, so that more visited that attend
Change of date makes no different because one of the main problems facing DA is access to DA itself…Intl Airport????, Canefields Airport???…..ferry ?????…..Flight delay?????…..Lost Baggages???? and so so and so on
IF WE CHANGE THE DATE AND LEAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE THE RESULT WILL BE DESASTEROUS.THE DATE IS NOT THE PROBLEM .WE NEED MORE PROMOTION AND MORE PARTICIPATION AT ALL LEVELS
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DIRECT ROUTES ,SAME DAY ARRIVAL FROM NORTH AMERICA ,THE CARRIBEAN AND EUROPE.THEN WE NEED CHEAPER AIR FARES.WE NEED TO START PLANNING EARLIER LIKE RIGHT NOW FOR NEXT YEAR.WHAT KIND OF PROMOTION DID WE HAVE FOR THIS YEAR? WHEN DID IT START?CARNIVAL SHOULD BE EXAMINED ON ITS OMN NOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER FESTIVITIES
I personally don’t think that changing the date is going to change the outcome of visitors for Carnival. Let’s say the date is changed to the summer, how many patrons are going to go to Trinidad in February and come to Dominica in the summer? Or how many of them are going to boycott Trinidad and come to Dominica? Get real, people.
But is is not the Trini goers that is the issue here. It is the tourists that cannot get here because the hotels, flights, ferries all full up with carnival goers.
No tourists come in June so make it that. Then we get the income from tourists in March AND the carnival money in June. It make so much sense.
Really ask yourself … what REAL difference will it make?
I want to move it some don’t. But why? Real reasons please not “because it has always been that way”.
right now the debate in St.Lucia is to change it back as it have made no difference to them. DNO you might want to do a story in that. So why should we change ours?
If it made no difference. then why not go ahead and move it? Try it and see.
Again please understand that the issue is access for tourists. They CANNOT arrive in March to see the island. The carnival goers are taking yup the hotels, flights, ferries.
Now you might say, well why don’t they change their plans right? Well, the tourists only want to come when they can get off work. They CANNOT change their plans. OR they will just not come.
But if carnival is in June … no competition for access. Bring the masses to mass. Everybody wins.
talking about changing date without talking about better promotion is backwards thinking… changing the date lower down the year will affect our W.C.M.F… what we need is better promotion… the only change we can have is… either having it earlier in the year to avoid Trini all together… many people in the cold countries would love to escape the harsh january cold… market it much better ahead of Trinidad’s and then see the result… we also have to realise that trinidad has a ‘niche’ carnival.. meaning if tourists love there steel band music and costume parades… no matter what you do… then they’ll always plan on going to trinidad… similar to how our WCMF has it’s regular visitors…. by now most people who go to trinidad or brazil don’t ‘LOOK’ for an ad… all they need to know is the date it is held by simply calling their favorite hotel… and voila their tickets are ready…
with proper marketing and planning… we need to have a ‘niche’ carnival…. make up our minds what we want… whether is t-shirt band or sensay… whether is bouyon bands or tambal/steel pan…. well i guess you get the picture… then work on marketing that brand… get the ministry of tourism in on the action…. what packages can they offer visitors that will attract them to come to our carnival… simply changing a date and saying.. let’s see what’ll happen… is poor foresight on the people responsible… our carnival is too ‘broad’… we have a bouyon going on and it is really disorganized… in business and marketing you have to find a niche and work on that niche…
Maybe that should be a ballot question for the next general election.
POLL WAS UNSCIENTIFIC
BUT I AM 10000000000000000000% AGAINST THE CHANGE IN DATE
SOME BIG PEOPLE WANT TO GO TRINIDAD FOR MAS THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PRIVATE AGENDA
KILL THEY WANT TO KILL WCMF
THEY NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT MORE MARKETTING OR IMPROVEMENT OF PRODUCT chupes
Good, hope they listen to the people