More and more people are turning to the Internet to find out about Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival.

All one has to do is type in key words "Trinidad Carnival" to venture to the latest hot spots for news about the festival.

According to National Carnival Commission PRO Pixie De Coudray, "Carnival On the Net", the NCC's website, has met with phenomenal success, with people from Europe and Australia contacting them on a daily basis to find out about 'the big jump up'. She has even been interviewed by a German radio station live about the national festival.

Elvin Bobb, Computer Administrator for NCC, who monitors the website, has heard from people as far away as Tibet and China. The site can be accessed on five search engines and is presently managed by a Canadian server. In the near future, it will be transferred to a local server to meet financial and access demands.

Tidco's website is one of the most popular, being accessed by just about every search engine. The intention is to introduce to the world the culture, traditions, and festivity of Carnival. This site touches on every important aspect of Carnival, and it aims specifically to 'provide an accurate, interactive experience of the festival for all users, especially first time users'. The site 'Carnival '99' contains information on calypso / oral traditions, steelband, mas, Carnival, events and fetes, and there's even interactive pan. There are also links to other sites such as Barbarossa, Funtasia, Legends, Harts, Masquerade, Minshall, Poison, NCBA and The Anchorage.

Here is a round up of other major Carnival websites:

BACCHANAL.COM

According to Marc Patience, member of the management and development team for SEMORR Designs, this site was originally intended to tie in with the television programme of the same name that aired last Carnival. Since then the programme format has changed. However, because of the rave response to the website it was revived this year by SEMORR Designs Ltd. The site aims 'simply to provide a site for all those who cannot be here with us for Carnival to get a little of the experience'. At the site, you can expect to find links to various mas bands, short stories on the Carnival experience, a schedule that goes to February 28, and information about tents and other Carnival activities.

CARNAVAL.COM

A well-researched site for those of us interested in the history of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival from the 1770s to the present day. Also provides information about other Carnivals throughout the world.

RENEGADES.CO.TT

The Amoco Renegades Internet Website was officially launched on January 27. It provides an attractive, alluring website for pan lovers to log on. It features links on the history of pan, the band's history, Jit Samaroo, and real video, audio clips and virtual pan with notes that the user can play. The website - "Renegades, Striving Beyond Horizons" - was designed by Webmaster Quinten Questel and Michael Khan employees of the Amoco Public Affairs Department.

TRINITREE.COM

A site for buying Carnival videos, CDs and getting information on pan.

POISON

Galactica, Poison's presentation this year, caters mainly for locals. According to Michael Headley, committee member for Poison, the number of costumes purchased over the Internet accounts for only ten percent of total band sales, or even less. This is because most of the band's foreign contingent are guided by local friends, and hardly buy costumes without knowing exact measurements. However, Poison promises some changes in the futures, like photographing models in the costumes instead of the prototype that is seen on the site right now.

This will give buyers a more accurate representation of what the costumes will look like. Poison first brought out the site last year; since then the number of 'hits', i.e., the number of times the site has been accessed, pretty much indicates how may people are interested in the band. It has been 'hit' 13,948 times since October 24, 1998.

HARTS

Flashing colour, pictures of Carnivals past and sexy, sexy girls - this is Harts Carnival. This site has been accessed 18,091 times since August 21, 1998. However, costume sales have not been as fruitful. Like Poison, many of the foreigners who sign up with this band do so through Trinidadian friends. Harts has been operating its website for three years, and has seen a consistent number of 'hits' over the period.

MINSHALL

The Callaloo Company comes up as one of the most visited sites for 'Trinidad Carnival' in a HotBot search. However, registration for costumes is not as popular, numbering about 50 for this year. It reflects the heavy artistic tradition of the Callaloo Company, and presents a true insight into mas - what else can you expect from Peter Minshall? This site has been around since last year, and it provides information about the band The Lost Tribe, Peter Minshall and 3 Canal.

FUNTASIA

If first impressions are all that count, then you're sure to be won over by River Lime, Funtasia's presentation ad website of the same name this year. The bright green text and the pretty costumes are enough to make anyone want to participate in Carnival.

This site has been up since December 29, 1998, and should be bookmarked by all.

MASQUERADE

There's no end to the creativity that is unique to this site. A brilliant illustration is the first thing that greets the eye, and it paves the way for the beautiful costumes (illustrated) that make up the band.

LEGENDS

Big Mike and Friends continue their 'Dynasty' on the Internet, with 8,713 'hits' so far. The costumes displayed on this site are illustrated, and it also provides information about the band, and pictures of the Legends Carnival experience.

BARBAROSSA

This year Jewel of the Nile makes a splash on the Internet, with a countdown to Carnival and 12,343 'hits' so far. At this site, costumes are displayed on models so viewers can have a good idea of what they going to look like, and an enchanting story about the band presentation takes you to the various sections.

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