Carnival Corner Foundation to organize Band Clash, Road March competitions

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - In a move to strengthen its policy of involving Carnival stakeholders in organizing signature events, the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has announced that the Carnival 2025 Band Clash, Band-O-Rama, and Road March competitions will be organized by the Carnival Corner Present Foundation in collaboration with the SCDF.

The Carnival Corner Present Foundation is led by President Lavinia Masham and Treasurer Edwin Nicholson. Both are long-time Carnival stakeholders with extensive experience in music composition, songwriting, and the dynamics of band culture, having led the "4M Band" for many years. The foundation has also hosted numerous events, including popular pre-Carnival events.

SCDF President Edwardo Radjouki reiterated SCDF’s strong belief that Carnival thrives when more dedicated stakeholders take the reins in organizing its events. SCDF has previously collaborated with Essence and Mind, which organizes the Carnival Pageants, and the Dow Musical Foundation, which manages the Calypso Barbara Junior Calypso & Road March competitions. Now, SCDF is confident that Carnival Corner will successfully lead the Band Clash, Band-O-Rama, and Road March competitions.

Radjouki explained that Carnival Corner will assume responsibility for these events immediately, including organizing registration and holding meetings with potential participants. “The SCDF board could organize Carnival on its own, but we do not believe that is the best direction for a festival meant for everyone. We believe in collaboration with all stakeholders, including the government of St. Maarten, with whom we’ve opened fruitful discussions,” Radjouki said.

“With Lavinia, Eddy, and their team, we have people who not only know how to organize events but, more importantly, know music. Eddy is one of our most prolific musicians and songwriters, while Lavinia is a no-nonsense, detail-oriented event organizer. We all want to see the Band Clash and Road March competitions grow, and we believe that entrusting these events to those who can focus on them exclusively is the way forward."

“We would like to thank them for stepping up and approaching the SCDF with this proposal. We urge all stakeholders, especially our bands, to cooperate fully with the organizers so that we can ensure these events stay on a consistent path of growth, benefiting both local culture and Carnival as a whole,” Radjouki concluded.