The staging of Grenada’s 2014 Carnival celebrations themed ‘Uniquely Rooted in Our Rich Ancestral Traditions, Spicemas 2014: An Explosion of Calypso & Soca’ was a success, according to Culture Minister, Hon. Brenda Hood. In an exclusive interview with the Government Information Service (GIS) on Wednesday morning, Minister Hood expressed her satisfaction with the outcome of the two-day premier event. “I am quite pleased with Spicemas 2014. I must admit I was quite concerned about the weather, but the participation of the people turned out to be remarkable,” Minister Hood said. The Culture Official said the influx of tourists and returning nationals, coupled with the impressive participation of locals, continues to be inspirations towards making improvements to the event. “It tells me that we have to improve every year. There may have been flaws, but what we have to do is correct them and make sure that every year the event grows from strength to strength.” Minister Hood said that although all the events throughout the season worked well to contribute to the overall success of Carnival 2014, she was especially pleased with the role that the Carnival City and the Calypso tents played in reviving interest in Grenadian calypso. “The tents encouraged persons to come out, support and participate. This is something that needs to be built upon to inspire the young artistes and motivate the veterans,” she said. Also, being an avid lover of steel pan music, Minister Hood said that she was thoroughly impressed and entertained by the performances in this year’s Panorama. “I was quite pleased with the standard and the quality of the performances. The layout and the ambience was great as well, I could see that people really enjoyed it,” she said. The resurgence of the National Carnival Queen Show was also a high point of the August festivities, with the Government of Grenada - for the first time in history – giving, as the first place prize, a Scholarship to the St. George’s University. The Minister said this is an initiative that Government plans to continue on the way forward to encourage the young participants to seek higher education. Overall, the Culture Minister extends thanks 2and congratulations to all those who contributed to the success of the national event; the winners for a job well done, the Royal Grenada Police Force for ensuring a relatively incident free Carnival and the Spicemas Corporation for making the event a reality.