C2K9 Thank you....Journey into 2010

TRIBE's thank you email to their masqueraders:

Thanking you for 2009…….Journeying into 2010

To some, Carnival 2K9 is a distant fond memory of a Rollin’ Road Party. To others, it’s the beginning of a new journey venturing into new and undiscovered lands.

Once again, we would l like to extend our sincere THANK YOU for ‘flocking together’ and bringing our 2009 presentation of “Birds of a Feather” to life on the streets of Port-of-Spain. Without you, our Masqueraders, Sponsors, Service Teams, Volunteers, Committee Members, Family and Friends, we would have never taken flight. We could not have asked for a better 5th anniversary gift than your continued support. It was our pleasure providing you with

The Ultimate Carnival Experience, and hope that our impromptu Las’ Lap was enjoyed by all.

We continue to be an innovative team that appreciates and understands the importance of your feedback, opinions and expectations. TRIBE continues to strive to provide new and exciting ideas and to make every moment, the most memorable.

2010 will be the year of discovery, where we follow a path to find new people, new cultures and new destinations. Our dedicated design team is in full creative mode and have already begun to bring their designs to life, and promises to make the journey well worth it!

TRIBE Costume Post Mortem

Hi Saucy,

I'm DQ..an avid follower of your blog. Just wanted to tell you keep up the good work on a great job you're doing. It gives Carnival lovers like me such a great forum to express views, gain ideas etc. etc.

I was wondering though, would it be possible for you to write an article on TRIBE costumes on the road (seeing that was the band you played with). Specifically:
1) Which costumes surpassed your expectations on the road
2) Which costumes you thought were really hot but didn't quite live up to your expectations on the road
3) Which costumes surprised you i.e. weren't all that great at the mas camp but looked quite good on the road
4) Which costumes you thought were just as 'blah' as always.

Its just a suggestion, but i think it will foster great discussion (and probably arguments lol). I would also like to hear from other bands too..IP, Spice etc. on what they thought of the costumes on the road in general.

DQ, thanks for your letter. For comparison my original assessment of the costumes at the launch was as follows:

Least Favorite Costume – Flight of the Ibis

So-So costumes – Wild Parrot, Blue Tanager and Night Owl

Costumes with the extra oomph but I still had a problem with -Brazilian Macaw, Golden Dove

Superstars- Caged Canary, Hummingbird ,Kiskadee, Green Honey Creeper,Bird of Paradise, Ruby Topaz, Spangled Cotinga, Pheasant and African Love Bird.

1) Which costumes surpassed your expectations on the road?

I would have to say that Wild Parrot looked great on the road, surpassed my expectation because post launch it only ranked “so-so”.

Also Brazilian Macaw BACKLINE looked awesome with the large collar which was added after the launch, I initially thought the backline was way too plain but the added collar gave it the extra “oomph” that was missing before with just the tiny feathered shoulder pads

Spangled Cotinga and Kiskadee frontline surpassed how gorgeous I thought they were going to look. Even after all the drama of the skimpiness of Cotinga and the gold instead of silver, the whole section looked great ( though some ladies should choose costumes that better suit their body type) and the frontlines were just a huge feathered mass of gorgeousness!

Kiskadee's colour was outstanding on the road even though this frontline was not my first choice.

Hands down the best frontline costumes for me in terms of surpassing my expectation were Caged Canary and Ruby Topaz.The colours used in Caged Canary just lit up the streets I also loved, loved, loved the headpiece and hand pieces which photographed beautifully as well.

Ruby Topaz frontline was another stellar superstar. Gorgeous costume that I think was well suited to the petite frontliners that were selected to wear this one.

2) Which costumes you thought were really hot but didn't quite live up to your expectations on the road?

Although I still thought Brazilian Macaw Frontline was a superstar the fact that the colour red used on the headpieces and collar was VERMILLION and not ruby red lessened the impact of the costume for me personally. In all the photographs it looks like an orange red which does not match the ruby red of the bra and belt! The male costume for this one did not look as great as at the launch, they changed the style of the headpiece.

Pheasant was a superstar in my original pick after the launch but I think it got downgraded after I saw it on the road. I still think that some of the frontline costumes looked great on SOME people because it looked better on some complexions than others, but the backline costume just looked too “muted”. I loved Pheasant male costume though!

Another costume that I loved at the launch but was just so-so on the road was Hummingbird. The red beak on the headpiece fell oddly on some women, obscuring their face too much. Also I thought the green was a bit too dark and not as shimmery, could be that this costume needed brilliant sunshine to fully appreciate it but under the overcast conditions of Carnival Tuesday the green to me just looked too dark, not enough shimmer!

The fact that they changed the bra for Green Honeycreeper totally changed the look of the costume for me; it was my least favorite on the road! Not to mention the cheap bra they used broke. I lost count of how many women I saw with the back of the bra tied up and my friend had her friends in that section and they both had their bra clasp break as well before we even crossed the Savannah stage. The design on the bra would have looked so much better on a nice padded bra but that cheap spandex bra looked disappointing. Still loved the headpiece though.

I always liked Golden Dove backline; I thought it was a pretty costume. However I did not see this section in total numbers but heard it was scanty! Anyway it fell short on the road as well for me; did not like the shade of yellow in the sunlight. The frontline (ONE I saw in a photograph) did look better than the launch however so that was a good thing.

3) Which costumes surprised you i.e. weren't all that great at the mas camp but looked quite good on the road?

Although I always LOVED Bird of Paradise costume after seeing it close up at the mas camp I switched my initial costume choice from this section to another after worrying about how the “nude” shade would look on my complexion. Well this costume looked GORGEOUS on the road on all shades of women. I absolutely LOVED it and the clip on tail of the frontlines. This would have been section #1 for me if I were to put a neutral shade first as it blew Pheasant out the water.

4) Which costumes you thought were just as 'blah' as always?
Scarlet Ibis and Owl, my opinion on those did not change.





PHOTO SOURCE:
www.triniscene.com

TRIBE "Individual Masquerader" Feedback

The following is feedback sent to TRIBE by the masquerader who played the Snowy Owl Individual:

Dear Tribe,
Let me firstly say thank you for the experience, considering it was my second time around playing mass and first time stunting as an Individual.

Feb 16: Pick up Day
As I drove up to the destination to pay off my balance, have my fitting done and to finally meet the people I’ve been having countless conversations with via phone and email. I was excited; I got to the hotel a bit early and had to wait outside with my Dad and his friend who was also visiting for carnival. At around 5pm I was invited in by the designer of my costume to talk about the costume and do my fitting this took about 20 minutes and then I was asked to sit and wait for someone to take me down to walk me through the process of paying and getting my ID bands etc. That wait was for about an hour and a half then I was taken to the area where I had to make my final payment which I calculated to be let say $630.00US. with money in hand I handed over my id to the rep when then informed me that I was not on their system it took about five minutes and a few call checks to figure out my name was not spelled correctly.

I was told then after my “info” was up then my balance was now $730.00 it was at that point I lost it, I was pissed I informed the rep that the payment of $130.00US was made on the 16th of Jan etc. I was sent back upstairs to wait until things were figured out. I waited for an hour and some and then I decided to use my dads phone to go on-line to show my payment receipt that confirms my claim of payment. Long story short I was not able to log into Sendvia I then asked if I could use one of their computers to access my account to which I was granted permission to. As I looked at the time on the laptop it said 7:45pm my dad was pissed he had to go get his sleep so he could go feet later, I was pissed and tiered and wanted to cry. After I got the information I it was taken to someone I was again sent to wait for another thirty minutes, during this time I met with the individual doing my makeup and also talked more with the designer of the costume, we went over a few details of what I should expect on the road etc.

I asked about a handler and I was then informed that there would not be one and I would just have to ask someone to put the backpack on a truck. I was assured that the staff provided would help me with this. At around 8pm I was taken back to the room to make my payment of 630.00 I received my receipt that said paid in full and I was told that an investigation into my payment would be made with sendvia and when I return on the 18th, everything would be set. My dad expressed how pissed he was when I got to the car he said cockroach going to a cock party I did not know what he meant by that but I was like whatever I just want to go home.

Feb 18th Drama Day:
I got to the spot at 5:30 I was instructed by the designer to give him a call when I get there to which I did he came down and took me up to the room where my costume was and I was so happy that everything turned out so beautiful my boots was banging, I forgave Tribe for the bull shit they put me through on Monday. I was taken to Danielle who informed me that sendvia returned my payment for whatever reason and hence I had to pay the balance off $130.00 I did I was then taken through the process of receiving my ID bands and bag and my beautiful costume and I left and hour and forty-five minutes later.

Carnival Monday:
I got to the band late but it was cool I went against wearing my costume even though I was told I could wear it if I wanted but I had to be careful not to get it dirty. I left the band right after lunch because the beach was a better spot for me to hit on Monday.

Carnival Tuesday:
I got to the camp at 6am to get my makeup done, by the time the artist got there not only did he have to do the makeup but the designer had to do some fixing of my boots the glue cam off, small thing. I got to the band late so I ended up to the back of the band, my backpack was so bulky that I found it a task to try to go up-front so I stayed to the back until I had enough of DJ Dane and his crap called music. I made it up to the first stage everything cool up until it was time for me to cross the stage security wanted to put me out the band because I was not in my section I told them some things I would not repeat but long story short I crossed the stage and it was fab. It was about then I had enough of the backpack and wanted it off.

Need I say NO ONE WANTED TO HELP ME. Finally I met my husband who helped me take the backpack off and I placed it on a truck with the help of some dude that took the time out of jumping to HEAVY T. At lunch time I was spent and I was having a good time thanks to the H and redbull. I met a few people from the blog who expressed how nice I looked and one in particular express how pissed she was that the service I received was not what was paid for. But regardless I was happy with my costume and I had a good time. I did take lots of pictures with lots of people I don’t even know and I was even asked for my headpiece by a kid to which I replied sorry I am taking it home with me, lol. I was pleased with the security, the food was ok. In the end I really did enjoy myself and I did learn a lot form the experience and in 2010 I will have a handler and I am not going to use sendvia I will use western union. Lol

Band, Makeup and Boots Review

The reviews keep coming in! This one for TRIBE, Makeup by Natasha and boots by Daryl:

Hi Saucy

Thought I'd leave you with some of my feedback/experience.


FEED BACK FROM A FIRST TIMER WITH TRIBE
Last year I played with Island People and I must say of the 2 bands Tribe were better organised on the road.


Positives:
1. Food and drink. Good variety. Great lunch. . The lunch time stop (although a bit too long) provided everyone with a chance to meet fellow friends, freshen up (I was impressed with the mirrors and hygiene, body products provided)

2. Security. Excellent

3. Cool down zone. Loved it

4. Las lap in Jenny’s. Great!


Negatives:
1. 6 hours to collect a costume. It took a friend 6 long, ridiculous hours to pay the remaining balance and collect his costume. By the time he collected the costume, he couldn’t get any amendments done, because that section had closed! Imagine close to 11 pm people who had arrived during the day were still trying to collect costumes and were then told to come back tomorrow.

2. Super glue. I was happy with the end result of my costume (pheasant) as it did not stray too far from the prototype (although I agree with a previous blogger that natural light is needed when taking photographs) HOWEVER, Tribe need to invest in super glue, as the beading and embellishments were falling off my costume within hours of collection. By the end of day 2 my bra was just plain gold!

3. Velcro. Tribe need to be alerted to the fact that Velcro on arm bands is not practical. They do not securely fasten and do not accommodate different arm sizes. Ribbon would be a better option.

4. Accessories are needed. No earrings, not even a bangle! Island people do well for their masqueraders on this front. Tribe need to catch up. I don’t think a TT$30 bangle would break the budget (given the amount spent on the costume)

5. Social. I observed (& I am very much generalising) that some Tribers seemed way to social. Too many small wines not enough bacchanal on d road! That said I enjoyed my time

6. Wee Trucks. Why at the back? Why only one? The band is so BIG. Have one in the middle & one at the back.


FEEDBACK ON MAKEUP BY NATASHA ERDOS
No offense, personally, I was not impressed with the service and makeup.

Although I wasn’t expecting it, snacks/refreshments were not provided nor available.

The makeup artist was not vocal with regards to what they were doing, the options available or what they thought would look great.

I felt as though I had asked a friend to take time out of their busy schedule to do my makeup.

I did not find the application of makeup precise nor flawless. In short, not enough attention to detail.

I was however happy with the jewels.

From my experience, I will not be using this makeup artist again.


FEEDBACK ON BOOT BY DARYL (FROM ISLANDPRIDE FAMILY)
Excellent. Daryl worked his magic on my old, broken into boots.

He was reliable, friendly and done a very good job.

As I was arriving in Trinidad quite late, I was apprehensive as to whether he would (a) find time to do my boots (b) actually do them. BUT Daryl was EXCELLENT in fitting me around his holiday (which I was and I am appreciative for). I dropped my boots off and within a day they were complete – No messing around. That’s what I call a good service.

I’d definitely recommend him. (oh gosh please don’t all rush him…there goes my space for next year..!)

Attached are pics of

(a) My boots in their sorry state (I had tried spraying them gold).

(b) The finished product (please bear in mind the gold ribbon was something I had to use as my boots only secure with Velcro and it only dawned on me the day before carnival that velcro would not be secure enough for 2 days on the road. So I purchased ribbon to secure the boot (spoiling the design somewhat)

TRIBE Feedback

Dear TRIBE,

Thank you for a great Carnival 2009. I absolutely loved my costume, best one I have ever worn to date and my time on the road was quite enjoyable. Although my Carnival experience ranks pretty high compared to other years I do have a few comments and suggestions to make in areas that I believe can be improved upon for 2010.

TLC Card:
This system simply needs to be scrapped and redone! One blog reader had a good suggestion to an alternative which I will share with you:

Tribe needing to revise there Loyalty card process.

The fact that some people have had their cards since day one, but have not played with the band since does not work and cheats the real masqueraders who are on the road every year. I know of people that buy their costume every year and sell it again for a profit. This practice will never end and will only get worse as the band gets older and more popular (if TRIBE getting more popular then they already are is even possible).

I’m not against the loyalty system at all as I think it’s a great way of rewarding masqueraders that join every year I just think it needs to be revised

I think TRIBE should formulate a points system that would reward the actual people that play mas on the road. The following is a potential example:

Play mas on Monday 0.5 pt
Play mas on Tuesday 1 pt
Front line 1 extra pts
Individual Costume 3 pt extra pts
Pay costume in full in advance 0.25 pt

Registration will then be set up in a tier system. People with 10-15 points register first. People with 5-10 pts register second, then 4 pts, 3 pts, 2 pts and so on. This tier system will be changed every year as some loyal Tribers get more and more points. Although this won’t eliminate people buying and reselling there costume completely, it will greatly reduce it because I guarantee the people with higher points are not the ones reselling there costume because they are the ones playing each year. This system will eventually weed out the people that have not played in years and are only looking to make a dollar on the true masqueraders each year.

This also makes it fair for those that do play every year and for some reason can’t make it one year, if they have banked 10 pts, they don’t have to worry about missing one year because there previous loyalty will still be seen with there number of points.

I know this will upset a lot of TLC card holders, but I think the true loyal customers (those that play year after year with or without a TLC card) will appreciate it and really benefit from it.

This is just ONE idea for revamping the TLC but whatever you do the system has never worked and loyal masqueraders need some REAL rewards and priority in getting registered.

Photographer for booklet and website:
The best years for photographs were 2005 and 2006 when the costumes were shot outdoors with natural light and masqueraders could actually see the costume properly. This year the photographs were photoshopped to death which resulted in masqueraders expecting the section Pheasant to be BRONZE when it was actually gold, not to mention the back of Spangled Cotinga was never shown on the website. Please forgo the fancy photographers, this is not a high fashion magazine spread, and just give us the costume photographed to show the true colours and from all angles.

Costume Construction:
Overall I was pleased with my costume but I had to do too many repairs to it myself. For instance I had to come up with a solution to fix the tail which was supposed to be worn tied to the body. If I could figure out that something more secure as Velcro could be used then there is no excuse for someone in production not realizing the fact that the tail was not secure with just ribbon. Also, the construction on the tail was not up to par, again I had to reinforce where feathers were joined because the workmanship was sloppy and rushed. Also I received two LEFT side foot pieces, an error which simply should not have occurred if someone had ensured that the costumes were ready for distribution properly.

The Bra Issue:
Every year I complain about the GRANNY bras that are given to size D cups and over and once again I am complaining again even though I solved that issue myself and supplied you with my own bra. Freya swimsuits are for size D cups and up I suggest taking a pattern from a balconet bikini top and advise the local bra manufacturer that they can experiment with some new shapes to get rid of that dreaded ugly GRANNY bra. Short of that I suggest sending your bras to be decorated in China like African Love Bird which did not have any issues with ugly granny bras! As a matter of fact, that entire costume was well constructed so as much as I do not like the idea of China production it might also help you with the aforementioned issue of costume construction as well.

Band Size:
2009 was supposed to be the year that the band was reduced to a more “intimate” size… that simply did not happen. The band was as big as 2008. I commend you on handling the number of people better than last year but in certain areas the crowd was just too overwhelming. Adding to the problem was the fact that all three of your hot DJ trucks were all congested in the center of the band causing a crush of masqueraders/DJ groupies to crowd the area. Please, please, please reduce the size of the band for 2010! If this means raising costume prices for 2010 so that the band will have less people sad to say I will vote for that as well, anything to keep the band to an enjoyable and comfortable size.

Music:
An idea to get the DJ groupies away from the popular trucks is to synchronize the music throughout the band so each truck will be playing the same thing all day. Therefore there will be no “hot truck” and no need for masqueraders to crowd one area of the band.

Alternately you can also consider linking the top three DJs like JW/Blaze 96.7, Hypa Hoppa and Xcaliber, two trucks each, so that’s 6 music trucks all with the “hot DJS”.

Get the faces of those sound systems (JW, Hoppy and whoever is the man for Xcaliber) to share face time at the different trucks to satisfy the groupies hoping the DJS will notice them .So if all six trucks play the right music and the hype men do some roaming spending a little time on each truck, then the crowd will be roaming happily too, and the groupies will follow Jason and Hoppy and make some room for the music lovers too!


Lunch Stop:
More blankets, more mats, more umbrellas and more tents are needed PLEASE; so many conflicts arose over masqueraders hoarding blankets it was ridiculous! Others complained about the lunch stop being too small however if the band is smaller next year this will not be an issue as I actually like the location of the lunch stop and I arrived early so securing a space was not a problem personally. We absolutely need more toilets at the lunch stop as well

Theme for 2010:
I know at this point it is a toss up between Space or doing an Asian theme which was the original idea until you heard another band will be doing a similar sounding theme. Listen, Space is ok and all but I just cannot see cute costumes from a Space theme. I absolutely vote in favour of the Asian theme and think the costumes will be awesome if you decide to take that road. Remember that this year was the BEST in terms of costumes; TRIBE blew all other bands out the water when it comes to presentation on the road, and the costumes were spectacular. Therefore the quality of costume design has to remain the same or get better for 2010 as your masqueraders have now come to love the feathers and beads; the costume is no longer complimentary! So please reconsider Space and definitely go with the Asian theme.

*Vote on the poll (under the countdown clock) for the theme you want!

Once again thanks for a great Carnival 2009 and I am looking forward to 2010 and an even better experience with TRIBE.

And for those of you who want to send your feedback to TRIBE email: info@carnivaltribe.com or visit the website and use the "CONTACT US" form.

Gathering the TRIBE

On Ash Wednesday the Trinidad Guardian ran a feature called "Gathering the TRIBE" by Mark Lyndersay that gave readers a behind the scene look of TRIBE the band from before the band launch up until Carnival. To view the photo essay click HERE.

Also, Mark has some photos of Mc Farlane, Evolution, Elements, Spice and TRIBE on the road in this gallery. enjoy!

TRIBE Carnival 2009 Review

My preparations for Carnival 2009 began on Ash Wednesday of 2008, leading up to the big day in 2009 with an entire year of excitement and expectation; I have never been as prepared for a Carnival as I was for 2009 and I can safely say it was one of my best ever.

I absolutely loved my costume this year; it was the BEST costume I have ever worn, kudos to the designer Monique Nobrega whose sections I have always played in from inception. However, the costume was not without some issues. First off after collecting my costume I had to do my own adjustments on the craftsmanship of the tail, which was not all to my liking. I sat down with a glue gun and redid some of the extended feathers adding more to mine, as even though it was full there should have been longer bonnet feathers to the back. I also added gems to mine for an extra special touch.

The main change I made was in how the tail actually stayed on your body. Originally the tail came with two pieces of satin ribbon that was meant to be tied around the waist under the belt and that simply was not working for me. After tying the ribbon it looked messy and did not stay put at all. So, I got the brilliant idea to add velcro to the ribbon so I could then wear it as a belt (I cut off the excess after I velcroed it). I also added velcro to the waistband so everything lined up properly and then secured everything with stitch on the sewing machine; it was the most ingenious thing ever (pats self on back) as my tail stayed in place perfectly! My handiwork had to also come into play on my foot pieces as I got two LEFT sides when I collected my costume! That meant having to switch around the right side by taking apart all the decorations and re doing them in the right direction… by myself!

I was most annoyed with the error on the footpieces, which I did not discover until I was actually in the process of decorating the boots so there was no chance of me taking it back to get it corrected. Also they skimped on the number of bonnet feathers on the footpieces as well; there were supposed to be NINE and we only got TWO!!!!!!! Listen, I paid for NINE (as per the prototype) and I wanted my NINE. As I told someone, if I showed up at TRIBE to collect my costume with $9.00 short they were not giving me my costume. Therefore if we masqueraders paid for a certain amount of beads or feathers or decoration on our costume we should get it!

Those were my only complaints with the costume, other than that it was gorgeous and everyone in my section did look as if they got what was advertised for the most part. I must take some time to give HUGE thanks and KUDOS to Richard and Anthony who worked with me on customizing my costume to my personal specifications. And before anyone wanted to know how come I got something “special” I called TRIBE from the get go and asked if I could add extras to my costume and they obliged. Other people in different sections also got special customization as well; there was a wire bra and a collar in Caged Canary for example.

So after a great day on the road Monday, Tuesday started for me super early as I was up since before 3AM to get to my makeup appointment for 5AM. This year I chose to go with the very talented Kirk Thomas (full review to come later) and he was worth every cent I paid! He did an awesome job on me as well as the other four girls who were in my group; one also made the Newspapers yesterday!!

Once the makeup was done I was glad I had chosen an early appointment as we got parking very easy in the Savannah and just strolled down Stanmore Avenue to meet the band which was just pulling off. The breakfast trucks were serving doubles, bake and something, also fruit. The band moved along Tragerete Road and turned unto Park Street, now I had heard a few weeks ago that TRIBE was not going downtown and at first I was thinking that downtown “stage” was one of the better experiences however I understood the need to avoid the jam we were in last year so I welcomed the change. It was still relatively early for some when we met the band and as we needed to get to the front I ended up walking the entire length from the back and it was huge but not uncontrollable at that point.

On a side note on Monday my husband got a FEMALE ID band and did not realize that until he was about to put it on that morning. Slight panic when we realized TRIBE’s error but a few phone calls later and it situation was resolved, we were to collect his correct band from one of the Road Managers who made sure and checked that I was wearing mine and took back the wrong band as well.

There was no lengthy wait to get from Stanmore to the Savannah, I think the only time we stopped for a while was when rain started and masqueraders took shelter under the gas station on Charlotte Street.

Other than that we had a smooth chip all the way to the Savannah, so much so that I had to race forward to meet my section. After all the complaints about TRIBE crossing the Savannah as a jumbled mess in 2008 security was VERY adept in making sure that the sections stayed in their correct order and that they were kept from racing unto the stage ahead of time. Being frontline we were allowed to cross first and crossing with the best truck in the band we had a BALL!!! That judging point made up for not going downtown. All that was missing was a ramp and an elevation so that we could feel as if we were on stage but it was much better than last year overall, even if my section was not first!

The agenda after crossing was to head to lunch, again last year there were major complaints about getting lunch late so we were quite pleased to show up at the lunch stop and it was early!!! I was able to get a nice spot on the Heineken mat under an umbrella for me and my friends as well as I secured some blankets for those who had to sit on the grass. We were so early that the lunch was not even being served as yet but soon enough they started. One advantage to getting to the lunch stop early is getting clean toilets without the lineup! The menu looked the same as Monday but the actual lunch was different, I love Kibbi so I went with the international, one complaint is that the rice was too dry.

While having lunch is when we were rained on… twice! The first downpour was not so bad, it was over and the sun peeked out before the bulk of people arrived at the lunch stop. It was the second downpour that seemed as if it was not going to stop and brought with it chilling rain to the bone! Now we were under a Heineken umbrella but there were people taking shelter under he food tent, trees, blankets and even plastic! I saw some masqueraders with a shower cap on and even one with an umbrella! Eventually the rain stopped and we were all hoping that the sun would come out and no more rain for the rest of the day! Many headpieces were ruined and lots of droopy wet feathers were walking around. By the end of the day most had plumped back up. For me my tail was safely stashed away in a car at lunch and my headpiece was fully waterproofed along with every feathered part of my costume (including said tail). Fletch dry works excellent but cannot stand up to extended periods of constant rain!

Soon after the rain stopped we were back on the road again, perfect timing. Let me tell you we started off at the back of the band and made our way forward and the size of TRIBE was felt going down that street by the Oval where we were just swamped with people! Listen, there is no way that was 5000 people and no way that TRIBE cut down on numbers!! The band was as big as last year and for the most part I did not feel as crowded however at certain areas and by certain DJ trucks it seemed as if 3000 people were jammed in right there. By the Oval was a jam session (people please use the lunch stop as an opportunity to make use of the wet wipes and deodorant provided) with some smelly people, I had to get out from behind the rope and move to the sidewalk. Navigating through with huge headpiece meant lots of people got a mouthful of feathers; if you see the massive headpiece coming GET OUT THE WAY! My friend went through all the jam with her back pack on, and people were slapped in their faces so many times it was too funny.

Another tight spot was as we turned by Synergy but I learned from early on to speed up and get in front the truck before they turned. I also kept moving so that I avoided areas that were too crowded and jumped on the sidewalk or walked ahead closer to truck # 2 or bar #2. Truck #3 was my section truck and every other section wanted to be by THAT truck! I also heard the same thing happened with the other popular trucks as well; everyone was jammed in that area. The size of the band really, REALLY needs to be taken into consideration and numbers reduced for 2010, I don’t care who wants to get in TRIBE tell them NO.

The rope pullers were the hardest working people on the road, they tried their best to keep out the stormers who were probably listening to the live feed on 96.7FM and decided to come down and join TRIBE! Way too much attention! Security was also working hard; there was the regular security and the mean looking SPU who were scanning hands for ID bands. But curious enough many plain clothes people had ID bands IN the band! Rumour has it that fake ID bands were sold for $600.00TT! As for security chucking masqueraders out their wrong section, it did not happen with me but Carnival Jumbie has a rant on that subject and one of the other bloggers also said that security personnel physically ordered him out of a section he was not supposed to be in before crossing the Savannah. That type of “manhandling” is cause for some serious issues and I hope TRIBE gives the staff some training for 2010 on how to treat the PAYING masquerader before someone who gets jostled slaps them with a law suit. On another note security did want to call SPU for a stormer who I had to accost for wanting to push through and damage my headpiece, so they were working extra hard to keep order. For the most part the sheer size of TRIBE was mostly costumed masqueraders!

The best jump up for the day for me was on Ariapita Avenue where we crossed the Synergy Stage (after eating copious amounts of Pizza) and Richmond Street heading back up Tragetere Road as I had enough space where I was to jump up and get on bad! Also by that time a full afternoon of Johnny Walker and Coconut Water had taken effect and I was having a time! Please note TRIBE that some bar folks were telling people only one drink at a time when some bars were super crowded. Again I hardly made trips to the bar (thanks to the hubby and the people I was liming with) but when I did I avoided the bars with a mob of people and walked forward to bar #2! I also heard complaints that the bar was too high, and in retrospect I can see how this is a valid complaint for people under a certain height as I am tall and I had to stretch to give the bar folks my cup.

Contrary to reports out there TRIBE did not end at 5:00PM, I was at Truck #3 and we made it back to Stanmore Avenue at around 6:45PM with the rest of the band still on Tragerete Road. My Carnival ended, as it does each year at around 7:00PM (I don’t stick around in Port of Spain very late) however many people did enjoy the after party at Jenny’s Car Park and kudos to TRIBE for that move.

Overall, this was the BEST Carnival in a long time, in spite of the rain, in spite of the sheer numbers of people and in spite of the costume glitches. My costume and the friends that were with me Monday and Tuesday really added to that feeling as well. I was happy to see that many of the issues masqueraders had last year were addressed this year with new measures put in place to avoid the congestion. The one thing TRIBE failed to deal with was the SIZE of the band; everyone simply CANNOT play in the band! So, my letter to TRIBE will be penned soon to address those concerns.

In the meantime let me thank everyone who made this Carnival special to me:

Richard and Anthony – thank you for your fabulous job on my costume! You guys are truly talented, that Blue Tanager individual was just phenomenal and I hope you guys stick around for 2010. Also thanks for putting up with my crazy ideas and the number of times I harassed you guys on when it came to working on my costume to give it that extra special touch.

Solange Shaw Gopaul (designer of Caged Canary) – Thanks for allowing me to be one of the Canaries on Monday! I had a great time and loved your section; looking forward to your designs for 2010 I already have a list of people waiting with baited breath to see what you come with, including me!

Kirk Thomas – Thank you for the fabulous job on the makeup .I walked in a downtown girl and walked out an uptown diva! And I know that giving you special mention will mean you are booked solid in 2010 but please note I have already secured my space ladies!

Cbee- Thanks for tracking down my Victoria Secrets bra and also for the copious amounts of Fletch Dry Powder that saved my costume!

Trinprincess – Thanks for braving the cold to go downtown New York and trekking through the fashion district to secure my bling! I was all accessorized (down to my bag) thanks to you!

Aissa – Thanks for taking me by granny for the Diva redo! You saved me from walking around with a horrid run in my stockings and gave me a spot to refresh and recharge!

And finally Thanks to Monique Nobrega for a GORGEOUS costume and for switching my section when I bitched about the line up and all the staff at TRIBE who I had to deal with that helped me out in which ever way to make sure my Carnival was awesome! See you in 2010!

TRIBE ASSEMBLY POINT ON TUESDAY CHANGED.

PLEASE NOTE TRIBE's MEETING POINT ON BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY IS AT STANMORE AVENUE!!


The website is updated with this information, for those of us who collected early you were given information that meeting on Tuesday is HAYES Street... THIS HAS BEEN CHANGED.

PARADE STARTING POINT

CARNIVAL MONDAY: STANMORE AVE. START 10:30AM

CARNIVAL TUESDAY : STANMORE AVE. START 7:30AM

The Cotinga Non Controversy...

So, I just got a call from my girl friend wanting to know who designed Cotinga because the back of the costume is NAKED, all your "bottom is outside" she said, stating emphatically that she wanted to sell the costume now. My question to her, did you not see the back of the costume before you registered.. her response, well she didn't study all that!

People, Carnival Jumbie addressed the bare nakedness of Cotinga in her post last AUGUST:

So rumours abound that this section is one of the most 'in demand' for Tribe 2K9. Of course Frontline Brazilian Macaw, Caged Canary and Kiskadee are up in the top ranks as well. I just wanted to share some pics that I got today. I noticed that there was no rear view of Cotinga online and from my review you would already know its very skimpy. For your viewing pleasure..here is a rear view of Cotinga so you know I am not exaggerating! I hope allyuh Cotinga/Macaw/Canary lovers know what you getting yourselves into and see these things in real before rushing it. If you looking for me, I go be in the gym....!

And if you missed that post there were hundreds of photos of the costume floating around online, one like me looks at the costume I am interested in from all angles and I save photos from all over just so I can get multiple views of the costume from top, back and side. In addition I make countless trips to the mas camp and make lots of calls to TRIBE to ask all the questions I can think of concerning the costume.

Yes, I know some of you are not as obsessive and missed the details such as the fact that the costume beads are edged in GOLD not silver (light gold that is) and people are now crying because all their accessories and foot wear and in the latter colour. I do have close up photos of the costume that clearly shows the beads are gold, for those that doubt the colour was not changed.

Now many people are upset because the costume is SO SKIMPY, well I don't think anyone can blame the designer for that, it was designed to be skimpy! And though Richard and Anthony designed the cosutme they were only responsible for production of the headpieces and frontline tails; they did NOT make the bras and belts.

It is quite unfortunate that people are upset that the costume is so naked or that the details on the costume are now gold, but really who is to blame? Were these facts overlooked in the rush to register in the "hottest" section? I always tell people to choose a costume that suits you and not the one that is the most popular!And on that note please know that Green Honeycreeper is decorated with GOLD not silver!

Are you happy with your costume..take two?

Last year there were some major issues with costumes in TRIBE, no one can forget the Silver Mist fiasco or even the fact that some sections (Isis option B, Sun Goddess) had smaller headpieces than what was advertised. Then there was the Mystique drama of the missing frontline wings that were never delivered and the headpieces that were VERY late in getting to the masqueraders.

One would hope that the designers and producers learned from 2008 and 2009 would see costumes delivered to the masquerader just as advertised. So far everyone I know who has collected their costume is very happy, loving the fact that the costume looks like what was modeled at the launch, in some cases the costumes look even better upclose. I am totally in LOVE with my costume, it is gorgeous, as well the other costumes that I have seen are very nice and look like the prototype; no surprises.

Unfortunately two masqueraders in Pheasant Frontline wrote me yesterday to say that they were both disappointed in their costume:

Dear Saucy,

I am writing to let you know how very disappointed I am with Tribe this year.

I am a Peasant front line masquerader and I collected my costume on Tuesday only to be informed that my backpack was not ready and that I would be contacted and it would be delivered in 3 days... I am still waiting to be contacted, and I have not yet gotten my backpack.

This service is beyond poor since I have spent US$1000 on this costume. Also, the costume is gold when it was shown as bronze, the workmanship is very poor and the neck piece is a thin piece of cardboard with 6 strings attached. It is NOTHING like the prototype.

Disappointed Tribe Masquerader

Dear Saucy,

I am writing to inform you as a fellow tribe masquerader about my unhappy situation. I paid tribe $6,000.00 (before costume collection date, I might add), only to realize on Tuesday when it was Pheasant scheduled pick up that my back pack for the frontline was not ready. I said okay calmly as they reassured me that Saturday for the latest the rest of my costume would be delivered to me. It is Saturday night at 8:40 and still no call, or email from Tribe. To add insult to injury, when I received my costume the colour of the waist band and bra top was not the same as advertised in their book or mas camp. It is not a bronze gold but an ugly very yellow gold. Yuck?! Not to mention the neck piece and arm bands are completely different to the frontline picture shown on their website. I am very disappointed with Tribe this year after playing with them for the past 4 years and never having any problems. This is also the first year I decided to play in the frontline.... what a bad decision to spend that kind of money to be treated this way.

Thanks for hearing me out,

a VEX phesant frontline

Now since I am a bit detail oriented and examine all the costumes over and over I distinctly remember Pheasant being gold, however in the "professional" photographs it definitely shows as more bronze than gold and is misleading in expectations of the colour:

TRIBE Brochure:


TRIBE Launch (taken by me)


TRIBE Website


TRIBE Mas camp (taken by me)


And these are the photographs of the costume taken by one of the disappointed and vex Frontline Pheasant masqueraders after she collected on Tuesday:

To me there is a slight difference in the shade of gold, maybe it is the lighting, but I can see if you were expecting the costume to be bronze how the gold could be jarring. On another note the necklace is not as full or as wide the prototype and the bra is missing some of the gold beads; I am only seeing three where the prototype has six. Other than that the costume, in my opinion, looks just as decorated as the original.

What the masqueraders also expressed to me was the fact that there was a lack of communication from the mas camp as to when their backpack would be ready, as they were told "three days" from Tuesday and up to Saturday had received no communication as to when they would be able to collect. A situation I can empathize with them in as I had the same thing happen to me and my back pack last year.

On a good note, I was informed that last night one of the masqueraders did get a call to collect her back pack and she said " it was just as expected... no surprises thankfully! "

So for all of you who have collected so far, are you happy with your costume? Anything missing? Are there less beads or feathers than the prototype ? Let me hear your thoughts, leave a comment!

Immortelle Beauty Carnival Collection

All frontline masqueraders in TRIBE will find something extra in their box this year, apart from the costume and glitter! Exclusively for TRIBE masqueraders, Immortelle Beauty has distributed samples of their "Carnival Collection" which includes the Carnival2KShine Glitter Gel, Carnival Cool Down Lotion and Soothing Foot Soak. Apart from smelling divine, I tried the glitter gel and it really does go on and stay put! Frontlines got Bronze iridescent gel however it also comes in Gold and Silver.

And though only the frontline masqueraders were the ones who got to sample the products, Immortelle Beauty will be at the Distribution Center at Cascadia from February 16th through 18th giving away samples of all the products, including the Bronzing Gel which was not part of the frontline package.

Here is some more information on Immortelle Beauty and the products:

A newly formed Caribbean Cosmetic company, Immortelle Beauty strives to create elegant, safe, cost-effective, and efficacious products which appeal to all West Indian women. These products will be the bridge which connects the advanced European, Asian and North American cosmetic technologies with the Caribbean consumer. Quality products made with the Caribbean woman in mind....

Mission: To produce truly Caribbean cosmetic products which cater to the climate, lifestyle and tastes of the Caribbean woman.

Products: 2009 Carnival Collection

2KShine Glitter and Bronzing Gels - When used as directed, these glitter gels do not move an inch! Dab a uniform layer on to skin and then let air-dry for long lasting shine on the road! Apply one layer for subtle shimmer or layer the product for the most intense shine!

Carnival Cool Down Lotion - Because a great Carnival experience should only leave good memories behind, Immortelle has formulated this light, easy to rub in lotion. Aloe Vera, Ginger, Lavender and Chamomile all soothe and relieve discomfort caused by sunburn while Mango Seed Oil and exotic butters moisturize ravaged skin.

Soothing Foot Soak - a hand blended mixture of 3 salts including exotic Pink Bolivian Sea Salt provide relief for sore, stiff and aching feet abused by two days on the road Essential oils of Lavender, Bitter Orange and Jamaican Allspice make your foot soak a relaxing aroma therapeutic experience. Comes in two fabulous fragrances!

Look out for samples of the products at Tribe Costume Distribution February 16th, 17th and 18th! Supplies are limited so come early!

TRIBE Distribution 2009

The great thing about costume collection so early is that you eliminate running into crowds; there were a handful of people waiting under the tents at Cascadia when I arrived a little after 5:30pm. The only caveat in what should be a very quick process is the stages that TRIBE has set up that one must go through in order to collect. I must note than Fast Track masqueraders skip several stages and collect their costume much faster than those waiting to pay off a balance.

Stage 1.
Upon Arrival you are given a number and seated under a tent in the car park area until your number is called. Red numbers for fast track white for everyone else.

Stage 2.

In batches of 10 numbers are called and you are directed upstairs to a "holding room". This is where the bar was set up and I was curious as to why no one was partaking of the cocktails when I learned that you had to PAY for it.. so much for a "distribution lime" as advertised; nice one TRIBE! So everyone sat patiently waiting to be called again, looking at a DVD on repeat of TRIBE's presentations from 2005 to 2007.

Stage 3.

Your number is again called and you are ushered upstairs on the OTHER side of the building where you keep shifting down the chairs until you reach to a cashier to pay.

Stage 4.

You get to a cashier and payment is pretty swift. After showing ID and handing over the money you sign a receipt saying "PAID IN FULL" and then you are off to collect your costume!

*This is the Fast Track stage, you simply go from stage 1. to a "holding area" in the lounge, then to here:


Stage 5.

You then hand over your recepit to an attendant at the costume collection counter, your box is brought out, you verify each piece is there and you are also instructed as to what goes where. At this stage you also collect the Goody Bags.

Stage 6.

After collecting your costume, headpiece and goody bag you move to another area to get wrist bands and members guide, for which you have to sign upon receipt. At this stage a "delivered" sticker is attached to your box and you are home free!!!

All in all a pain free process but remember the number of people collecting costumes was pretty small, this will be a totally different experience for those collecting next week! Also, Pheasant frontline masqueraders did not collect their back pack as it was not ready (I am getting a sense of Deja Vu!).

TRIBERS please note the new start location on TUESDAY..

Please note that all faces were blurred to protect the identity of Pooh (in a Tigger costume).

TRIBE Birds of a Feather Lineup

Cluster 1
Pheasant
Blue Tanager

Cluster 2
Brazilian Macaw
Hummingbird

Cluster 3
Kiskadee
Caged Canary

Cluster 4
Spangled Cotinga
Wild Parrot

Cluster 5
Flight of the Ibis
Green Honeycreeper

Cluster 6
Ruby Topaz
African Love Bird

Cluster 7
Night Owl
Bird of Paradise
Golden Dove

DJS
Cluster 1
Sprang International

Cluster 2
Red 96.7 with JW

Cluster 3
Xstasy

Cluster 4
Hypa Hoppa
D Bandit
Back to Basics

Cluster 5
Xcalibar

Cluster 6
4 Play

Cluster 7
DJ Dane

Outwitted, Out Maneuvered, Out Played???

So every year I obsesses over the line up, I think by now it is common knowledge that I personally prefer not to be at the back of the band. However much you may not care where your section is placed, I do. Anyway sources have informed me that the line up for TRIBE has been done and my section is placed somewhere between 10 to 15!!

The reason why this news makes it even more interesting is that the lineup was not done by Super Mo Mo this year and the persons in charge of that job threw every theory I have complied out the window! As far as I am hearing one designer has THREE sections in the top five, while others have all their sections placed at the back! Not to mention that Pheasant is leading the band and no offense to anyone in this section, it is pretty, but I do think the colour is a little dull to be first. Something vibrant should lead the way but I guess it is numero uno because the President is in it.

In addition the flow of the colours, in my brain at least, does not seem to be working.... brown, followed by blue then followed by pink and orange? Huh? Anyway what do I know since I am not the expert, though I fully agree that Caged Canary needs a top 5 spot at least; that costume is absolutely gorgeous and will have maximum impact on the road.

And before you think I am a prima donna about section placement for 2009 I am wholly embracing not being #1 and was quite willing to settle for a section in the top 5. However I find it insulting to the designer of my section to place this FABULOUS costume at #10 and I am not just saying that because I am in it. The beauty would be lost in the back, just like what happened with Fireman in 2007 !!!

Other sections I heard placed to the back are Spangled Cotinga and Brazilian Macaw, now tell me if that makes sense as two of THE most popular sections they are bringing up the rear? Macaw has something like 60 frontlines! And Cotinga is the largest section in the band. The creme de la creme is that Hummingbird is placed with the Red 96.7 truck! In all the years playing with TRIBE I have never known a section where Lana is playing that is NOT near that truck! In fact every single norm that I have come to expect for the lineup has been changend!

Hopefully that Member's Guide was not sent off to the printers and someone would hand over the job of a proper section lineup to whom it belongs,afterall I don't call her "Super Mo Mo" for nothing!

Blue Tanger Section of Choice for Ministers

The Trinidad Newsday is reporting that the following Ministers will be in TRIBE's "Blue Tanger" section; Health Minister Jerry Narace, Energy Minister Conrad Enill and Senator Laurel Lezama. The Prime Minister's wife Hazel Manning will not be playing mas this year, according to the report, however his son Brian Manning is also in the Blue Tanger section. Oh joy for those in that section with all the additional security!

So, let me hazard a guess here at which of Gail Cabaral's three sections will be furthest back; Pheasant will be upfront of course since the president is in that one, Blue Tanger will follow somewhere in the lineup with all these Government Ministers and then Humming Bird will fall in somewhere closer to the back; remember this is not the official line up I am just GUESSING based on the trend for section line up in TRIBE over the years.

Someone asked me last year to predict the lineup in TRIBE for 2009 and I hesitated since I think this year it will be harder to do with so many new designers/section leaders on board. Lana only "designed" one section which is Scarlet Ibis but she will be in Spangled Cotinga. Based on that I am guessing Spangled Cotinga will have to be closest to Red 96.7 FM truck, and since it is arguably the largest section in the band Cotinga might end up around section 5 or 6. I am putting one of Monique's sections as number 1, of course, as she ALWAYS leads the band... my guess is it is a toss up between Bird of Paradise or Kisskidee for that spot.

As for the other sections your guesses are as good as mine, I am eagerly waiting to see which section brings up the rear for 2009.


By the way, how come Newsday is copyrighting a photo that they got from TRIBE's website? Hmmm!