…As Calas Vegas wins maiden prize
By Christy Anyanwu
The annual Carnival Calabar International Festival lived up to its billing and prompted the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, to renew his promise to make it a bigger platform.
Governor Otu gave the assurance, Thursday, while flagging-off the main event of the carnival, where seven competing bands gave scintillating performances in competition for prizes.
“This is one of our campaign promises that we are definitely going to bring carnival back and on a bigger platform. What you have seen is the tip of the iceberg because we are going to move it to the next level,” the governor said.
Commending sponsors for their immense support, he lauded tourists, visitors, and other fun seekers for gracing Carnival Calabar with their presence and savouring the spectacle.
Meanwhile, Calas Vegas Band, which is under the tutelage of former Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, at the end of the show at the main bowl of the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, clinched the coveted top position and won N10 million out of the total sum of N55 million on offer.
The festival’s most successful band, Passion 4, came second while the Seagull Band settled for the third position.
The Carnival Calabar was a display of innovation, dance-drama, theatre, ingenuity, culture, exhibition and interpretation of societal issues as well as proffering of solutions.