Tassa music is being treated with disrespect by politicians in T&T, according to Wendel Eversley, the vice president of the Tassa Association of T&T (TATT). Eversley was speaking at the 16th annual finals of the National Tassarama Competition of T&T at the Gilbert Park, California in Central Trinidad on Saturday.
Eversley said despite repeated calls to the relevant authorities to have the tassa declared as the second national instrument of T&T nothing has yet materialised.
Eversley said TATT would be writing to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley asking that this matter be given serious consideration. Eversley also knocked the Minister of Culture for being absent from this and similar events. Eversley said the TATT would be staging the 2017 semi- final rounds of the competition in Tobago.
The event started rolling after 7 pm with the junior rounds of the competition that was won by the Moving Stars Tassa Band.
During the intermission the Bao Simba Entertainers gave an exhilarating performance that blended Tassa and African drumming as well as Indian dance and elements of Tobago style of dancing and Tambrin music all done by performers from the sister isle.
The senior finals attracted 17 bands. Placing first was the Central Rhythm Tassa Drummers the defending champs, in second place was the Stinger Boys Tassa Band an in the third spot was the Big Thumb Dragon Boys Tassa Band.
Each band has to play 5 different tassa hands during a 10-minute performance.