By Nigel Telesford
Story Created: Aug 2, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT
Story Updated: Aug 2, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was loudly booed by patrons after her arrival was announced at the launch of mas band YUMA's 2013 presentation, Imagine, on Wednesday night.
Venue was Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain.
Against proper protocols, the MC at the time announced the arrival of President George Maxwell Richards, followed by the Prime Minister and then visiting Nigerian Head of State, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, when all Heads of State are supposed to be announced before Heads of Government.
However, while Richards and Jonathan received cheers, Persad-Bissessar was booed by a large section of the crowd. All three dignitaries and their entourages left the venue soon after.
It was just after 11 p.m. and the audience of hundreds had grown restless while waiting for the costumes to be presented. Throughout the evening, DJs Sean Christian, 5Star Akil and Studio Guys Movement kept the gathering entertained with a hype mix of popular music while advertising the arrival of "some very special guests".
Scheduled to run from 6 p.m. to midnight, by the time the costume presentation began following the arrival of the "special guests", it was received as an anticlimactic interruption of the festivities.
Expressions of elation quickly changed to confusion and then astonishment, as the audience reacted negatively to the 13 sections of the band.
The negative comments blasted throughout the social networks as the costumes were unveiled. Similar to the backlash experienced by Island People following its 2012 launch of HEROES, the YUMA presentation created an instant buzz of negative reactions online.
YUMA's 2013 presentation, Imagine, is designed by Crystal Aming, Stacy Barrow, Derron Dune, Jannelle Layne, Rawle Permanand, Christine Saddler and Stacy David.