Hosting a band launch mid week, on the day of a public holiday that turned out to be one of the rainiest days in the wet season thus far, might have led to a cancellation or delays by some bands but the show went on for Ronnie and Caro. Upon arriving at Club Ambassador at 6pm, knowing that the media launch was slated to begin at that time, I was greeted with full preparations already under way. We were informed that the costume display would start soon and sampled the complimentary eats and drinks like many of the other specially invited media and guests.
After a short wait we were summoned to the podium where Caro, of Ronnie and Caro, gave a welcome address informing us that the band grew out of requests by friends, family and masqueraders who enjoyed their experience playing in the section. The emcee duties were then handed over to Allison Hennessey who went on to explain that the goal of the band was to provide an experience of fun and an all-inclusive service without the crowds of 6000 people. Her brief introduction was wrapped up soon enough and the real show began with the models displaying the costumes.
At first the models were somewhat shy but after being roused by the cheers of the crowd and the pumping soca music they got into the spirit of the mas. I was expecting 7 sections to be shown but 2 additional “guest sections” were also revealed making it a total of 9 sections in all. What I liked about this launch, apart from the fact that it started on time, was the intimacy of the venue which allowed the models to leave the stage and mingle among the crowd, affording everyone a closer look at the costumes.
Soon enough all of the sections made one last showing on stage where they were joined by the band leaders and committee members to address the crowd one last time. From the response of those in attendance it was safe to say that the costumes were well received by the supporters and potential masqueraders. Subsequent to the finale my stay was short as I had to be in office early the next morning. As we left the venue looked like the party was just getting started as many more people were arriving. The synopsis of the event was a well executed media launch and I think it bodes well for any future masqueraders that the professionalism was quite evident in all areas.
Costume Review:
Ronnie and Caro’s section “Chutney” was one of my favourites in the band Legacy, and thus I had certain expectations when it came to the costume design for the 2008 presentation “De Gulf”. In some aspects I was delighted and in others I personally felt that the costumes could do with some adjustments in areas to meet the bar set by Chutney. I have to add that the body paint again was distracting from the overall view of the costumes with the exception being the males who I think benefited from the extra adornment in the way of the airbrushing.
Moonlight in De Bocas
The colour combination of this costume is different, and though I am not a fan of the triangle bra it is well decorated . Overall a decent costume.
Dragon Fly (Battimamzelle)
The design of this costume is interesting with the sequined “butterfly” design top paired with the beaded belt and wings. There is an option with a lace cape as well. Personally I am not liking the lace and the wings represent the Batimamzelle of course but the design looks as if it might not be practical on the road. Maybe if the wings were a bit smaller and closed in more instead of spreading out horizontally I can see it working for on the road. I also prefer the smaller headpiece on this costume.
Treasures
A simply designed costume in yellow and gold and I think you cannot go wrong with this combination. The molded headpiece is not very flattering but I like the accessories that come with the costume. The front line’s back pack is different and looks comfortable.
De Mang
This is my favourite in all the costumes simply because I love the combination of tiffany blue and chocolate brown; it is a unique use of these colours for a costume. I like the headpiece,though they can also offer a bigger option, the accessories are functional and pretty and I love the very skimpy belt. The one thing I am on the fence about is the stones used to decorate the bra, I think it looks very nice on a smaller size but may not look as appealing if used on a larger bra as they are so big already. I guess I will have to wait to see how it looks on the larger ladies.
Scarlet Ibis
This costume is nice, I have nothing negative to say on the costume itself but the frame of the headpiece that goes around the face looks a bit too large in my opinion. Others might like it, however so it is all a matter of personal taste.
Jelly Fish
This is another pretty costume, I like the shade of pink used mixed with the silver. The frontline is the most outstanding of all the costumes; I can see this being a section that sells out first.
Down the
I love the costume, but have to say I have seen this version in red (Sonia Mack) and fuchsia pink (Harts) before, and liked them then as well. The heapiece is nice but I would loose the mask as I do not see how it fits the rest of the costume. As for the frontline’s back pack I think it needs some extra feathers or boas or fabric falling from the base to look complete.
Pirates
I really like male costume for this one, especially the Male “frontline” with the ship back pack; you never see fancy costume for males and this is the only male without Ronnie’s trademark fedora! The female costumes are simple and nice; I really cannot find a fault in the design.
Wild Fish
I like the frontline of this costume even with the bright colours used. The backline is ok but I do not like the multi coloured boa even if it matches. Again the molded headpiece is used, it reminds me of the
As for the men they all look like the standard male costumes that just seem to match the females in colours, with the exception that they have used a hat instead of a headpiece, a nod to Ronnie I am sure.
Overall the costumes are satisfactory, though I saw nothing that could compete with Chutney. Based on the reviews of the excellent service and on road experience that their masqueraders received this year I can surely see that Ronnie and Caro will garner support for their inaugural presentation and I wish them all the success for the future.
