Saturday 11 August 2007

The Parade of Troupes







On Friday 10th August it was the Summer Festival’s Parade of Troupes. This is the big daytime event of the Carnival and involves all ages from tinies upwards in a riot of fun, colour, music and pageantry.






Many of the Troupes on parade had community messages such as Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder from the 7 Elements of Beauty group who energetically showed that beauty can be different things to different people and Peace on Anguilla from the venerable ladies and gentlemen of the Back to Basics group.

Music was provided by many of the island’s bands at mega decibel levels and the street literally shook to the reverberations of the beat as the trucks holding the bands thundered past the large crowds of spectators lining The Valley’s streets. Indeed the turnout was very good, with the Governor and his wife, some of the migrant Indian workers from the local big hotel projects, tourists of many nationalities and local Anguillians all thronging the route the Parade followed.

With the Festival coming to a close for another year, there is a new Miss Anguilla, Miss Kafi Gumbs, Dynamite is the 2007 Calypso Monarch, Miguel Franklin and K’nyshau Cameron are the new Mr and Miss CCB Talented Teens 2007 and some of these graced the Parade with their presence.

In all, the 2007 Parade of Troupes was a huge success and reflected the immense amount of work, dedicated practice and sheer imagination that goes into organising a Troupe. It was joy to attend.

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