VINCY MAS may be more than a month away but Vincentians have already started the party.

Last Saturday, the St Vincent and the Grenadines' Carnival Development Corporation launched its Vincy Mas 2008 celebrations, in preparation for the national festival which runs from June 27 to July 8.

The day's activities began with whistle stop tours, organised by radio stations National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Hitz FM which swung through the leeward and windward ends of the island, and culminated with the official launch in the centre of the capital city Kingstown.

Leaving the city headquarters of NBC, the music truck wended its way through the hills of the countryside, passing stunning valley scenes of houses which almost seemed to cling to hill sides; banana patches and coconut groves; sheer drops to black, sandy beaches and almost vertical clay-like cliff faces.

The tour passed places such as Colonarie, Stubbs, Arnos Vale and yes, even Bridgetown.

However, the aim of the day was to party.

And the Digicel-sponsored NBC truck with its personnel, took up the challenge, except for one brief refuelling stop at a gas station nestled in the bosom of a mountain pass.

But the entertainment was more than music blasting from big speakers. The island's undisputed calypso king Fire Man Hooper, along with calypsonian Scarpian and deejay Rusty, brought the people from out of their homes, shops and away from their midday meals, to the village squares.

At every stop, the people of St Vincent showed they knew how to party.

With rags, provided by Digicel, men, women and even children, braved the sweltering hot sun and partied like it was Carnival Day.

Before, we realised it, the sun was disappearing behind the mountains and the journey to Kingstown lay before us. But the setting sun only heightened the mood and by the time the music truck reached Bay Street in Kingstown, what looked like the entire island population was waiting for us.

And Fire Man Hooper had them eating out of his hand. His word was their command. He said stop; they stopped. He said: "Run up and run come back"; they run up and run come back.

The whistle stop tours culminated with the official launch at St Vincent's Chamber of Commerce and Industry carpark in downtown Kingstown where thousands of patrons heard what the calypsonians had to offer this year with the launch of the New Song competition,

The throng was also treated to a display of scintillating pan playing by orchestras including last year's Panorama winner, Rhythmix.

by Heather-Lynn EVANSON