By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 11th January 2019)-“This is my baby! I love it!”
So said 60-year-old Elsroy ‘Too Ni’ Dorset also known as the Snow Cone/Fraco Man during an exclusive interview with this reporter earlier this week outside his Lower Sheer Lane Avenue home in Central Basseterre in giving a status on his cart following the take-over jam session with the three-peat Troupe of the Year ULTRA Carnival on Las’ Lap (Wednesday 2nd January) for Sugar Mas 47.
“The status on the cart is good; it’s in good shape. From what I understand some people said the cart was stolen…but as you can see where I’m living, the cart is in good condition! My experience with ULTRA was great! I loved it!”
The small business owner says he has been selling fraco since 1984 and has had his present cart-which he built himself- for “more than 20 years” while adding “ I keep repairing it.”
Notably, for the over 30 years that has been selling the popular icy beverage of varied flavours, he has owned about five (5) carts.
This Fraco Man is known for selling his fraco at Lower Market Street.
He informed that after being contacted by at least two members of ULTRA Carnival, the plan originally was for him to be part of the Fraco Fusion segment of the overall Sugar Rush troupe.
“Me and Ms. [Julie] Martin had been speaking about it for some time so New Year’s Day I was supposed to be in the troupe. Ms. Martin had me in a good section of the troupe; she told me what to do (that was) anybody in the troupe want fraco is free. The revellers for Fraco Fusion, the fraco was supposed to be free but eventually New Year’s Day because it was so much ups and downs, moving here, moving there and then when the last set of troupes came down, they came down so fast so I couldn’t do anything so I got left back. So I came on Las’ Lap and Las’ Lap was just craziness; I’ll call it that! Even me went crazy because I love to enjoy meself too so it was a lot of fun. I loved it!”
The Fraco Man was seen dancing about and having a good time with revellers as they took over his cart party style.
As gathered, someone who knows him, retrieved his cart from the Bay Road area in the vicinity of College Street ghaut that night after Las’ Lap which he discovered early the next morning.
“I didn’t go for it; somebody else did. I was coming across Central Street but I was-how to put it?- ‘Nice’! and everybody was asking me for the cart and I said to them ‘Don’t worry about the cart, the cart is safe.’ You know? I even make a joke –maybe is me blow it (the rumour) up because I make a joke saying ‘Don’t worry man they (not meaning the revellers but just making a general statement) tief de cart but tomorrow I’m going to build a new one!’ so I was coming cross Central Street but I was moving left to right because you know I had such a good time but a lady who know me –I have four children for her sister- she said ‘No, come let’s go home’ so she hold me hand and she bring me home so the next morning she came by me early and she said ‘I saying you still sleeping’ and I said ‘no, I done up long time.’ Don’t care how much I drink, I get up early. So the status of the cart, the cart is in good condition!”