Article A71 · Book 1 · Loose insert
RC PRIEST IN PROTEST MAS' — About 'neglected Cedros'
RC PRIEST IN PROTEST MAS'
About 'neglected Cedros'
By Irwin Sandy
A ROMAN Catholic priest will lead a Carnival band of some 400 protestors against conditions in the Cedros-Icacos area on Carnival Monday in Port-of-Spain.
He is Port-of-Spain-born Fr. Michael Pascall, parish priest of the Cedros-Icacos area. The name of the band is "Our Neglected Cedros."
Two other priests have already played mas'. They are Fr. Clifford Hendy and Fr. John Sewell.
However, they were both Anglican and did not play mas' to project a social cause.
Fr. Pascall who spent nine years in Biafra spoke about plans for his band yesterday.
From Biafra
He said: "I returned from Biafra a year ago and was posted to the Cedros district.
"Conditions here are deplorable. This is really a neglected place and I am planning this band to let people know that Cedros is a part of Trinidad."
But why Carnival day for the protest?
He said: "This is one day when almost everyone will be out on the streets. It is the best day to get across our point. Cedros needs publicity! It is one of the richest areas in Trinidad and most neglected."
Several prominent people in Port-of-Spain are assisting Fr. Pascall with his Carnival band which will hit Port-of-Spain at 1.30 p.m. for the Carnival Development Committee's Savannah competition and the Port-of-Spain City Council's Downtown Carnival competition.
The Cedros mas' committee comprises: Clitus Baptiste, Raymond Joseph, Cornelius Hudson, Gadge Rampaul and Napoleon Guy.
Queen of the band is the wife of St. Ann's Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr. Herman Bharath. King of the band is Napoleon Guy of Cedros.
"Our neglected Cedros will be a nine-section epic of sore conditions of the area said the priest." Sections include unemployment, health, schools, the fish and coconut trade; the Venezuelan issue and Cedros republic.
The band will be backed by two steelbands — the Beachcombers of Icacos and Silver Harps from Bois Bourg, Cedros.
An "anonymous donor" has given $500 towards the "cause," another has agreed to send five buses to Cedros to bring the band to Port-of-Spain, said Fr. Pascall.
However, he lamented that while he has received these "generous offers," the band needs a sponsor, because both steelbands need pans and then five buses cannot get that crowd from Cedros to Port-of-Spain.
[Photo caption] AFFECTIONATELY called "El Padre", Fr. Pascall looks on while a youth from the Icacos Beachcombers Steelband tunes a pan. Photo by roving lensman KELVIN SOLOMON.
[Note] The announcement piece for the 1970 protest mas' — the campaign at the heart of Book One (see A1–A17). Note the backing band: the Silver Harps of Bois Bourg, Cedros — the same Silver Harps Steel Orchestra whose birthday presentation album is Book Two of this archive. "Nine years in Biafra" is as printed here; the SPEAR profile (A46) says ten years and the CONTRAST obituary-era piece (A53) eight — the archive keeps each as its paper printed it.