I have always been fascinated by Indian Mas in Trinidad and Tobago, this video of costume designer Anton Duncan showing off his work made me smile; locally produced mas is still alive.

 

Are You A Hottie Over 30?

Trinidad Carnival Diary's Facebook Fanpage is blowing up with all the "Hotties over 30" who have been nominated by their friends or sent in their own photos to be featured in a special certifiable "Hottie" album. And, we have both female and male hottties representing for the over 30s.

If you would like to send in your photo or nominate someone as a certified Hottie over 30 send their photo to : trinidadcarnivaldiary@gmail.com

The requirements  are pretty simple:

1. Male or Female

2. Over 30 years of age

3. Hottie

Much thanks to Carolyn Gomez who inspired and is leading the  Hottie Over 30 movement!

How to Combat Post Carnival Depression

If you have DJ Private's Ryan Post Carnival Depression Mix on repeat daily and cannot stop looking at Carnival photographs that keep popping up just when you thought there were no more new ones to be seen, then you just might be in the throes of the letdown that occurs soon after the build up and experience of Carnival is over. Never fear, seasoned masqueraders have been through this before so here are some tips to help you ease out of the depression stage until Band Launch season comes along to start the cycle all over again and give you that much needed Carnival fix.

1. Plan a Next Carnival - Have you ever heard the saying the only way to get over someone is to get under someone else? Well, apply that theory here. Sure Trinidad Carnival has ended but there is a Carnival happening practically each month around the globe so start planning to experience one of those. Jamaica, St Maarten and St Thomas Carnival are all happening in April, LehWeGo has a great guide for Jamaica Carnival newbies. For me personally I already have my ticket bought for Cropover and have accommodation booked now all I need is a costume and my fete tickets, I just never come down from my Carnival high. 144 more days until Cropover 2012 and yes, I am counting! 

2.Keep Busy - There are lots of events in the Caribbean taking place between now and Band Launch Season that will keep your mind off Carnival . Several Jazz Festivals are coming up soon including St Lucia's, Tobago Jazz Experience and Jazz Artists on the Greens for starters. Check out events happening close to you or on an Island you have been hoping to visit.

3. Relive the Experience - So you want to put on your costume and party with bucket in hand one last time, get a ticket to TRIBE Las Lap and do exactly that this coming Saturday. Or you can relive J'ouvert with Josie's Jamishness taking place in April  and don't forget to mark your Calenders for Fall Out's cooler cruise on June 19.

4. Take A Break - After being consumed with the obsession of Carnival maybe it is time to put all Carnival thoughts out of your head for a while and focus on something new. Start a class, get a new hobby, travel or just spend time with family and friends who do not participate in Carnival so you would have something else to talk about.

5.Get Ready For Carnival 2013 -  With 333 days before Carnival 2013 now is the best time to start your Carnival fund. It could as simple as dropping all your spare change into a tin or setting up a standing order to have a select percentage of your DISPOSABLE income squirreled away in a special Carnival account. Please note I am not telling you to neglect your bills, if you do not know what disposable income is maybe you should look up saving tips and financial planning advice.

Also don't fall off the wagon if you were one of those people who were working out and dieting like a beast for Carnival 2012.  Giving up the Carnival body and all the hard work you put into it means starting all over again. So after you allow yourself a week or so to pig out on all the junk you gave up get back in groove.

And if you missed your goal of getting the body in shape this year fear not you have more than enough time to achieve that goal for another Carnival. Do not wait until December to start panicking, make the goal for getting costume ready July when band launches start. Slow and steady wins the race, if you start NOW you can do it. 

Carnival Kids Camp

Saucy's Year End "Best of..."

Best Post Carnival 2011 Fete 

TRIBE - Las Lap 

I think I had more fun at Las Lap than on the road! 

Best Band Launch 

TRIBE 

Best VIP/Media area, best backstage facilities, best time had at a launch for the season for me.

Best Crop Over Event 

Scorch Cruise 

One word - Epic! (so epic I have ZERO pics of the actual event!)

Best Female Costume

Apache - YUMA 

That headpiece is all I have to say! 

Best Male Costume 

Harts- Zelos

Yes it's another Indian Mas by Harts but I am loving the colour combination on this one and this is the only costume where men will wear a large feathered headpiece!

Best costumes by a new band 

K2K Alliance

PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.caribbean-beat.com/

Fashion meets Carnival minus the bikini and beads or loads of fabric.

VERY creative effort by the Norman sisters for their first foray into designing an entire band.

Best Costume Revamp

Island People

Hero designers saved the day for Island People

 and they were not too proud to ask masqueraders what they wanted and give it to them.

Best Band Launch Model 

Sian Mac Intosh 

Sian sold EVERY costume she modeled for the season and no doubt a body inspiration for many women for Carnival

TRIBE - Cyprus Frontline

Bliss - Bali Frontline

YUMA - Angry Birds Frontline

Explosion - Phoenix Frontline

Best Carnival Band Website 

Yuma

Now if only they had close up shots of the costumes, but the videos take win! 

Best Carnival App

Machel Montano 

If you don't have it yet what are you waiting for?

Carnival Or Bust Samba Girl Vs The Chicago Blizzard!

Hola from the Windy City-Chicago,

I LOVE your blog and find alot inspiration here in my quest to share the beauty of Carnival to Chicagoans. The funds to get to Carnival didn't come in like I wanted. So sadly, I will not be coming to Carnival yet another year. BOO HOO! Being mad mad mad, I decided to create my own stage to jump up on during the Chicago Blizzard that just pasted. We can dream, can we? Yes, my wonderful Trini friend, Tony Pacheco, said this was maddness, but sometimes we have to take advantage of moments in life and live outside of the box to show our love. This is to rep my love for Carnival and although I may not get there this year, I will surely be there in spirit. I say take a laugh on me and share my experience with your devotees and your beautiful island of Trinidad. I'll get there one day!

http://www.chicaribenadesigns.com/
http://www.ccd-chicago.com/

What's On Your Carnival Bucket List?

Outlish Magazine recently published a Trini Bucket List, the top 10 things every Trinbagonian should do. Which got me to thinking about my own personal Bucket List  as it pertains to Carnival. Even though Carnival is something I have been actively taking part in since I was 5 years old ,and some people might think it is just doing the same thing over and over, there are actually still experiences that I have never had for Carnival that I would love to do before I expire. So, what are the top 10 Carnival must dos before you kick the bucket? Here are mine:

• Lead my section as an  Individual Section Leader.
• Wear a traditional Indian costume with full war bonnet headpiece and bustle.
• Play mas in two different costumes in two different bands on both Carnival Monday and Tuesday .
• Party every weekend from the start of the Carnival season.
• Design my own costume.
• Be a Jab Molassie for J'ouvert.
• Skip Trinidad Carnival and go to Rio for their Carnaval
• Get featured on the front page of a Carnival magazine.
• Go to a Machel Montano Alternative Concert.
• Make it until the very last lap on Carnival Tuesday!

Carnival FOUR Times a Year!!!

I am convinced that those in charge of the "Culture" of this country are clueless as to exactly what it takes from ground up to put on the "Greatest Show On Earth". Why else would a proposal for Carnival every THREE months be considered?  As reported by the Trinidad Express:

SHOULD a proposal be made to have Carnival in this country every three months, Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism, Winston "Gypsy" Peters, says he would welcome it with open arms.

He said, "Carnival is the quickest developing thing" in Trinidad and Tobago and, as such, it should be utilised in the best possible way in order to boost this country's tourism industry.Peters made the statement yesterday, as he and Minister of Works and Transport Jack Warner made a tour of the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, where construction work is currently ongoing in preparation for next year's Carnival celebrations.

"We must not be coy that Trinidad and Tobago is the land of Carnival. And if we understand that Trinidad and Tobago is the land of Carnival, we have to use Carnival as a product to bring people to this country, which is what I have all intention of doing," Peters said."We must use it. Carnival is a business. That is what Carnival is. Carnival is what you use to bring people to your country. If we could have Carnival every three months, I am good. I am serious, because Trinidad and Tobago is the home of Carnival."

Peters said for now a temporary structure is being built at the Savannah and is expected to be completed by February 10 next year, adding that the first show at the venue—the Panorama semifinals— would take place on February 20. He said by early next year, a competition will be held where local architects could submit their ideas on how the permanent structure should be built. He said a Carnival museum will also be incorporated in the permanent structure. "In my own mind, I want this place to be a place where people would want to come. Not only for Carnival, but we also want to have a Carnival museum here where all these costumes from yesteryear, what we have now and the ones that are going to come on stream, can be put on show. We can have it here so that people from all over the world can come and see it. That is what is going to be here," he said.

He also again criticised the construction of the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) building by the former Patrick Manning-led PNM administration, saying maintenance alone costs taxpayers approximately $40 million annually.

"NAPA was built for a specific purpose and I want to tell you that it was built to fulfil Mr (Patrick) Manning's ego of having CHOGM in a fancy place. We have to now find something constructive to do with that place. That place is a dark hole that people have to throw money in," he said.

Yes, we are quite aware of the fact that Carnival brings the tourists to Trinidad but did anyone stop to think that these tourists have to save , plan and budget to visit for Trinidad Carnival because of the expense and that it is ludicrous to think that they all have the disposable income to make this trip every three months? Not to mention that the average citizen in Trinidad and Tobago who participates in Carnival also has to fork out the equivalent of some people's monthly salary for a costume? How are any of us going to be able to support and afford a Carnival Culture every THREE months?

Carnival Bands put months of planning into each presentation, how is this going to work with Carnival four times a year? Reuse your costume? Make your own costume and come? What about the music? Is it now that Calypsonians, Steelbands and Soca Artistes have to make new music as soon as one "Carnival" is over or is this going to be a recycled and packaged Carnival on repeat every three months?

And add this quarterly Carnival to the Calender of Jazz Festival, Tobago Heritage Festival, Point Fortin Borough Day, Arima Borough Day, Great Fete and we will surely have to rename Trinidad the land of "fete and music!" because that is all we will be doing all year! 

The Best of The Past - When a Wine is Not a Wine!

The No Wining Rule - Ok this one is not as far back in the past as the others but I thought this was a nice follow up to the other post:

Fresh after Carnival one of my friends is clicking through the party galleries on Triniscene, comes upon a photograph of her boyfriend executing what looks like a precariously perched wine atop a drinks cooler at a fete and her blood starts to boil! Suffice to say this causes a heated argument and subsequent rift between them as the boyfriend tries to explain that the girl just “surprised” him with a wine out of the blue and that his head was not positioned to look at her posterior, as it appeared in the photo, but he was really trying to make an escape while looking for his phone to send her (the girlfriend) a text! Apart from the fact that his phone could clearly be seen in the pocket on the OTHER side of the pants ,and his excuse was the lamest ever, I was both bemused and perplexed as to why my friend got SO angry at her boyfriend that it led to a Facebook break up!

“Because we had a NO WINING rule” she explains, “a what?” I asked, “A rule that we were not going to wine on any other people for Carnival, and he told me he did not wine on anyone at that fete!!” I must also add that this fete took place before my girl friend came into the country as her boyfriend came for Carnival a few days ahead of her. And while I thought that the whole incident seemed innocent enough, I mean it IS Carnival after all, a time where some couples are excused to take a wine on any bumsee, other ladies came forward with photographic evidence of their significant others taking a wine on women for Carnival and voiced their support that a wine is not always “just a wine”!

One person I know intimated to me that a friend of his got into some serious trouble for wining on other women in his section with the girlfriend present; apparently the girlfriend got jealous! Another friend noticed that all the photos of her boyfriend for Carnival showed him taking a wine on the SAME girl at various times throughout the day, after he said he didn’t really dance with anyone! Oh and the most proactive action came when this one girl left the band she was in, trekked to another band to look for her boyfriend caught him wining on some other woman, and took him out of that situation immediately; she was not amused! The fallout of post Carnival wining with persons other than the significant other lead to some vexation I tell you!

To me the whole “rule” thing is a bit much, I would think that there would be a mutual understanding between the couple of what they both expect and would accept of the other and their behavior during Carnival that expert rules are not even needed. However clearly there are those individuals that either use Carnival as an excuse to behave as they would not normally do, get caught up in the “spirit of the season”, take advantage of the willing wines offered and just see it as a free pass to wine on anyone on that day! Not to mention that for “foreigners’ not used to the whole concept of wining on other people during Carnival the whole act can be both confusing and liberating at the same time!

I have never had a falling out over taking a wine on someone else for Carnival. I myself do not allow any random stranger to come and “wine up on me just so” and I also have parameters on the kind of wine I will allow someone who is NOT my husband to indulge in. On the flip side, my other half is not the type of person to wine wantonly on any woman that passes by during Carnival either, though I have seen photos of him taking a small wine on other women during Carnival and was not upset, I mean it IS Carnival I would be worried if he were not interested at all! At the end of it all my friend did make back up with her boyfriend, but I do know that every time she sees that photo it annoys the HELL out of her!

So, where does the culture of “freeing up” for Carnival leave a couple and their rules? Are rules really necessary and how flexible should they be? I mean, is it okay to wine on someone else if the significant other is present? Or, how about if the wine is between your partner and a mutual friend, is it OK to wine on friends? In the rules are the number of times, length and grades of wines acceptable established? As a matter of fact how many of YOU have wining rules and were there any falling outs over wining on other people this Carnival?

It is interesting to me to get other’s take on this, because I was surprised at the support for the “no wining rule” though the general consensus was that our friend did go a bit overboard by breaking up with her boyfriend over the photo of him wining on someone else during a fete; it is not as if she caught him cheating after all, it was JUST a wine during Carnival, ent?

The Best of The Past - Bringing Sand to the Beach!

Don't Bring Sand To The Beach!

People often comment on the fact that my husband and I are playing mas together, as if it is something strange. A married friend of mine says he has no problem with his wife playing mas, just not in the same BAND as him! Well, my husband and I are playing in the same band, albeit different sections, but that only came about because we both liked different costumes. To me it's not strange, my husband is my liming partner so our lime is just being extended to something we both love; Carnival.

The thing is though that many relationships and friendships do not weather Carnival, because the thinking is why bring sand to the beach?! With a plethora of beautiful men and women invading our shores for Carnival, some people are greedy, wanting to eat their cake and have it too. What do I mean you say? Well, let me explain it this way, many couples break up for Carnival only to reconcile on Ash Wednesday and long standing friendships sometimes come to an end after Carnival for the following reasons:

• Either male or female wants to party without their significant other, which leads to accusations of ulterior motives for not wanting significant other at said party. This can also extend itself to J'ouvert and even playing mas. Big arguments occur over someone wanting to go on a boys lime or girls lime for Carnival. Worse yet you telling your boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife you DO NOT want them to play mas with you, that is serious thing!

• Hostility and pressure from friends who don't want the significant other in tow for any Carnival related activity. See, when one person out of the crew brings along their boyfriend or girlfriend that cramps the style of the rest of the crew. They don't want that significant other to see them in their slackness i.e. wining on anyone willing and able or liming with the "outside friend" because significant other will report on their behaviour to THEIR significant others. Get the picture. So sometimes the choice comes down to friends or significant other. If you choose friends, well you in the dog house for sure! And if you choose significant other friends does be just as vex! Before I got married hubby jumped up on the road with me on Carnival Tuesday and my girl friend was quite annoyed, asking me if he was staying with us "all day". The next year she made sure she had her cousin play mas with us, so that when me and hubby chipping down the road she would not feel like the third wheel.

• You are forbidden to play mas. Yes, it happens, imagine in this day and age when you are paying for your costume yourself, your partner is telling you they don't like the idea of you playing mas! Well, I don't have to tell you how many relationships are ended on that level of jealousy and insecurity. Some of them even want an input on exactly what costume you can and cannot wear and even how much it should cost! And you know these raging lunatics sometimes go so far as to hunt you down on Carnival Tuesday, if you decide to go ahead and play against their wishes, looking to embarrass you by dragging you out of the band! I have never witnessed this personally, but my mother told me stories of this happening back in the day.

• Caught on camera! This happened to a friend of mine, her boyfriend was happy to "send her off" to play mas, while he sat at home and watched the parade on T.V. Well, Ms. Lady pick up a fella in the band and forget that there are cameras ON STAGE and there is her boyfriend sitting at home and seeing her crossing stage with a man putting waist on her from behind! Enough sparks flew in that house when she got home later that night, which is the worse time to try and defend yourself being drunk and tired. That was the end of THAT relationship. With all those party photographers like IslandEvents, Triniscene and Carnivalscene you have to be careful not to be caught doing something you should not be doing with someone you are not supposed to be with! If you horning, stay far from the cameras.

• The outside man/woman gets jealous. One of the hardships of being the "other man or woman" is that you don't get to be with the person you love when you want to, seeing as they are already involved with someone else! So chances are you end up spending Christmas and New Year's Eve alone, and in Trinidad that can also mean you are alone for Carnival too. You know some couples only go out together for Carnival. They hit the tents, all-inclusive parties, even play mas together, leaving the outside woman/man on the outside! If you all think Saucy don't know what she talking about, think again!Me and hubby gone Blue Range all-inclusive where we bounce up a friend and his wife. Now, I don't ever see that friend with his wife and was quite surprised to see them together for that party knowing full well he was always with his outside woman. Anyways, we gone to get a bake and shark only to bounce up that same friend's outside woman looking blue in the face and asking us if we saw the individual with his wife! Imagine the girl vex, SO vex that she decided to make the guy jealous by liming with another fella all night. Well that drama went on for the rest of the night with me and hubby staying out of every body's way.

• You forget Valentines day! Be prepared, in 2007 Valentines Day is on Bacchanal Wednesday. To me Valentine's is nothing special, I would be quite happy if the hubby just gets me tickets to beach house (hint hint) but other people want the whole nine yards; chocolate, dinner, roses and the undivided attention of their significant other. I know for a fact many women are left fuming when Valentine's Day rolls around close to Carnival and they cannot see or hear from their man. One year Valentines was on Carnival Monday, and all I remember was sleeping off the effects of jouvert and dirty mas in Arima by my girl friend's house when her boyfriend came late in the night with a cheap plastic rose. The cussing woke me up, because he got such a tongue lashing he retreated just as quickly as he came! Imagine he was missing in action all day only to turn up late at night with no excuse and a cheap gift. I don't know how all those couples in love will be navigating Valentines day for 2007, I wish allyuh luck!

• Your partner does not understand our culture. It's one thing to want to bring your non-Trinidadian significant other to Carnival, but before you do please explain to them what they should expect. People who are not used to "our ting" do not expect people to be so overly friendly come Carnival, and next thing you know you are being accused of flirting! Worse yet if you "tief" a wine at a party or on the road for Carnival, are too friendly smearing paint on other bodies during jouvert or you want to lime with friends you have not seen in a while on the road; significant other might feel oh so left out. Think carefully before inviting them home to Carnival with you, especially if it is a jealous, possessive type!

I hope all the relationships out there are strong enough to survive Carnival, do not say you have not been warned on the possibilities that can occur. Trust, understanding and respecting your partner will see you through every temptation that Carnival throws at you. When Carnival is over, you still want to be with that person, so don't do anything that you will regret. For those who are coming from overseas and leaving a significant other behind, make sure you have a very understanding partner and don't do anything when you get to Trinidad that you would be ashamed of them finding out.

And for all those couples playing mas together, wheter in the same section or band, remember Carnival is a time of freedom, don't shadow him/her all day. Give them some space and don't get vex if they take a lil small wine here and there (make sure you impress upon them the limits of that "small" wine though!) and know that at the end of the day they are going home with YOU.

No need for break ups and heart aches during this festive time, if your man/woman leaves you because they "not taking sand to the beach" don't sit at home and mope. Find yourself to the nearest mas camp, buy a costume, hit all the fetes leading up to the big day with your friends and forget that worries, after all it's Carnival!

Innovations in Mas Project

There are approximately 450 micro, small and medium business involved in the production and creation of Mas in Trinidad and Tobago, many of these bands you may have never even heard about. The ICT Innovation in Mas project aims to create a one stop Carnival Hub (website) for all these bands, as a first phase of what is a holistic project  which received over US$300,000 in funding from the Inter American Development Bank’s (IDB’s) Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF).

More about the Innovation In Mas project:

The proposed project seeks to strengthen and promote growth and development of the small and medium size businesses in the Masquerade sector. The project will implement a web-based platform, the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival HUB to enhance their business models and their competitiveness.

This Trinidad and Tobago Carnival HUB will act as a tool to provide substantial business support and services to improve productivity and efficiency levels through specific online functionalities that will for example reduce raw materials costs, increase the research capabilities for design, market the products and services nationally, regionally

and internationally, and support vertical and horizontal integration within the sector while infusing innovation in their business practices.

The project is aligned with the Strategic Plan developed for the Masquerade Industry developed by the National Carnival Development Foundation (NCDF) to solve the imbalances that exist within the sector and critical issues impacting on the industry’ s sustainability and global competitiveness.

The NCDF has estimated that in Trinidad and Tobago there are approximately 450 MSMEs engaged in the production/promotion of costumes and masquerade bands. These may be grouped into 3 categories, medium enterprises that are involved in local and international carnivals (large bands), small enterprises that are involved primarily in Trinidad and Tobago Carnival (medium bands) and microenterprises that are involved solely in Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, most of which do not produce a band but are involved in some discrete service such as costume design, specialist fabrication or costume production (small bands and artisans).

Eligibility of applicants (who may apply)
In order to be eligible for participation on the pilot project phase 1 the following criteria must be fulfilled:
- MSMSE is currently involved in the production of masquerade costumes / production and promotion of carnival masquerade bands on a commercial basis.
- MSME is or will become a member of the National Carnival Development Foundation before the signing of the beneficiary contract.
- The MSME beneficiary must engaged in export or demonstrate a willingness to do so.
- The selected MSME beneficiary must be willing to participate in the project and share information on project results and benefits, including sales data, realized as evidenced by the willingness of the MSME principals to enter into an MOU with the TTCSI.

Deadline to apply to be part of this program is NOVEMBER 12, 2010 (tomorrow), you can register online  HERE. 

So spread the word to all the Costume Makers, Designers, Road Management, Wire Benders, Seamstresses, Band Leaders and anyone else involved in the production and creation of Mas in Trinidad and Tobago.

Exploring the Business of Carnival at UTT

The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) will host, "This Business of Carnival: Past, Present and Future", the first in a series of symposia which will address the business aspect of Carnival. This conference will explore Carnival's impact in strengthening the creative sector of the economy, highlight career paths which are linked to the festival and review the challenges, as well as the opportunities, which are inherent in Carnival. The three-day symposium will look at the growth and development of the national festival and particular attention will given to its viability and sustainability. The mechanisms for developing teaching guides, through consultation with stakeholders, and the establishment of a recruitment tool and research component for UTT's programmes, will also be discussed.

"This Business of Carnival: Past, Present and Future" takes place at the UTT Campus at NAPA from Monday 28 June, 2010 to Wednesday 30 June, 2010. Participants will be exposed to thematic offerings such as, "Developing Our Cultural Stock", "Building the Creative Economy" and "Strengthening the Future".

Persons are asked to pre-register. Please call 642 8888/ 223-4888 Ext# 27100, 27101 or 27122 for further details.

Costume and Photography Copyright

There is a very interesting article in the New York Times online about a group of Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans who are calling for copyright of their costumes (which look just as elaborate as traditional Indian Mas in Trinidad) and compensation when their photographs are used in advertisements.

NEW ORLEANS — Just after dusk on Friday night, Tyrone Yancy was strutting through one of the more uncertain parts of town in a $6,000 custom-made suit.

He was concerned about being robbed, but not by the neighborhood teenagers who trotted out in the street to join him. The real potential for theft, as Mr. Yancy sees it, came from the strangers darting around him and his well-appointed colleagues in a hectic orbit: photographers.

Mr. Yancy, 44, is a nursing assistant by profession. His calling, however, is as one of the Mardi Gras Indians — a member of the Yellow Pocahontas tribe, to be exact — the largely working-class black New Orleanians who create and wear ornate, enormous feathered costumes and come out three times a year to show them off.

He is also one of a number of Indians who have become fed up with seeing their photographs on calendars, posters and expensive prints, without getting anything in return.

Knowing that there are few legal protections for a person who is photographed in public — particularly one who stops and poses every few feet — some Mardi Gras Indians have begun filing for copyright protection for their suits, which account for thousands of dollars in glass beads, rhinestones, feathers and velvet, and hundreds of hours of late-night sewing.

It is interesting to note that there is currently no copyright claim on clothing as they are "functional, not aesthetic" , however lawyers for the Indians are arguing that the costumes are "sculptures" and thus they can be covered under copyright laws. Should elaborate costumes fall under the "non functional" banner and be copyrighted? And if the Indians are successful in this bid to have costumes copyrighted what does that mean for other Carnivals, like Trinidad? In that case, who owns the costume and what would that mean if a masquerader chooses to modify the costume after they collect it? Will be forced to wear the costume "as is" with no changes because it is copyrighted?

I find the topic very interesting because many of us are photographed on the road for Carnival ( be it in Trinidad, Barbados, St Lucia, New York or Miami ) in our costumes;  we pose for the photographers but do we ever stop to think where our image may actually end up ? What happens if your photograph appears on a flyer advertising a fete or event in another country? Or do you even care?

Should you have the ability to ask for your image not to be used, compensated for use of your image or does the photograph of you now become a possession of the photographer?

Not to mention some of these invitations feature professional pictures taken from Carnival Band websites:

Should the models and photographers in that case ask for their image not to be used in advertising, brochures or calenders? Who has copy right over that particular photo? Is it the model as she was paid to advertise the costume for a particular band or the photographer who took the photo of the model wearing the costume for the particular band or does the band own the photograph as the job was done to advertise their costumes?

The tricky part, I think, is determining who actually has the rights to use a photograph of you the masquerader for profit , not withstanding the cost incurred for your costume, and if you are not happy about it what recourse do you have? Thoughts?

Blast From The Past

Before the days of costume prototypes displayed at a band launch (well at least for Harts) as a masquerader we had nothing but our imagination to fill in what the colouring of gold glitters and sketch of the spikes on the headpiece would look like in reality. The year 2000, the band Harts and this was my section Temptation; I played in the teal option:

This costume stood out for me for several reasons, not least of which was because the actual headpiece was much prettier in person with lots of nice fluffy plumes, but the main reason is that I distinctly remember ten years ago vowing never to pay more than $1000.00TT for a costume. Well, here I am ten  years later paying six times that, though it must be taken into consideration that my costume for 2010 is frontline!

On a comparative costume to costume basis Harts prices have increased by approximately 330% in ten years, for a similar costume to Temptation of 2000 working with a price of $3300.00TT for the larger headpiece option. Using this mark up, do you think that in the year 2020 we masqueraders will be paying $10,000.00TT or $1600.00US for a regular costume?

Yes, I can hear you all stating adamantly that you will NEVER pay that ridiculous price for a costume, and I myself am thinking if that is the future price of a regular costume, what will it cost for the frontline!? Just remember that ten years ago I too swore that this costume at $995.00TT would be my last Temptation!

Say what!?

Imagine my surprise when looking for footwear that I stumbled upon this website which is advertising that they manufacture Carnival Costumes, Brazilian Carnival Costumes to be exact with a photo of TRIBE's 2009 section Spangled Cotinga in their header!

Explore the site some more and they are also advertising Bird of Paradise, Green Honey Creeper, Pheasant as well as a section from Poison 2004, Golden Cockfight!

They even have Spice costumes advertising on another website:

Best part of all is their quote ofr $30-90US per costume and that they take TT/Western Union!!

I was reliably informed that none of the costumes advertised here were manufactured in China or by this company, which makes it even more interesting as this company has gone so far as to watermark the costume photos as their property!

It is just amazing to me that this company is so blatantly stealing costume designs using photos right off TRIBE and Poison's website and passing them off as their own... just amazing! Hopefully the bands that have been plagiarized have some sort of patent or copyright and can take the necessary action to have these photos removed.

Is there creativity in bikini mas?

A masquerader from Brian Mc Farlane’s Africa recently sent me an email disagreeing with one of the reviews that I had posted where the author listed problems that she had with that band for 2009. During our email correspondence this masquerader seemed to intimate that only people who wore “real mas” LOVED mas and that there was no “creativity” in bikini mas. Here is our conversation:

His Response:
I just wanted to respond to the feedback that you got about Macfarlane's presentation Africa for 2009. I disagree with almost everything said. I have been playing with the band since its inception and I had no problems collecting my costume. There was clear communication about how to put it together and as for the impracticalness of his designs...well they are not for Las Vegas showgirls and their male lackeys.

They are meant to be worn by people who love mas and want to preserve our creative culture which is dying unfortunately. The designs are always better than the sketches in my opinion and I think as players we all get excited to inspect the costumes we did not choose. The only thing I can agree with is that there is a great family feel in the band and I see people every year that I am not friends with and we hug and chip happily together and look forward to seeing each other. It is such a great treat that my friend travels from Spain and he is on his third year with the band.

I wish more bands would return to the days of Leung, Garib, Minshall and the like... It would preserve Carnival rather than destroy it with the monotony of replicas of bikini mas in abundance. Sorry to sound frustrated but I love my country and my mas and we all have the right to play where we like - whether it be a bikini or something more elaborate. I look forward to the traditional costumes that the band will be wearing in 2010 though.

My response:
It is interesting that the general thought is only people who appreciate the "art" in mas love mas,. I LOVE all genres of mas, be it the fully clothes, scantily clad and traditional characters as I love the expression that playing mas is interpreted by many. For me there is no one box to tick or one code to adhere to that says Mas should be enjoyed in a particular way, it is all about freedom.

I for one do not see out creativity dying, naturally you are entitled to your opinion on this but I have always seen the ideal of mas being all varieties co existing together. People cannot play only ONE type of mas. That is not growth, it is stagnation and THAT will surely kill the culture.

On that note I think the reinvention of the bikini mas year after year is much more difficult than people give the young designers credit for.

His response:
I think we will agree to disagree re. Your statement 'People cannot play only ONE type of mas. That is not growth, it is stagnation and THAT will surely kill the culture.' I never said one type of mas was what I wanted...I stated that several designers in the past were creative hence my feeling that without a creative lead the art form will assume its new format - beads, bikinis and feathers. I also disagree with your idea that it takes work to design a bikini band.. It is simply changing the colour because it is all 'abstract' as nothing really pertains to the true design concept...eg. I can't remember which band did an Asian theme this year and they simply gave a Japanese style umbrella to its masqueraders in various sections. I laughed when the commentator said they consulted an embassy for accuracy.

I am happy for the bikini band to exist just not dominate as it is now. I think there is no going back as women have decided they want skimpy and men follow. Sadly I think as an example if Tribe, Island People and Harts tried to add to their costumes and make them more elaborate the masqueraders will go elsewhere looking for the almighty bikini.

Macfarlane, Gabriel and the countless others who preserve traditional mas on smaller scales are all we have left and someday they too will be gone - what will we have then?

My response:
Well TRIBE's presentation was more than just the bra and bikini, there was one section with a full skirt option that was worn well by many ladies. Also I have been at the mas camp seeing them make the costumes and it is not easy; lots of little detail, that will be overlooked by those with myopia who lump all bikini bands in the same category. There are some very elaborately decorated costumes in bikini mas and I can tell you that the headpieces, tails and collars that TRIBE did this year as well as materials used in Island People were not simply changing the colour.

We masqueraders can pick up on a recycled costume design so the leaders in that genre do have to come with fresh and innovative designs each year. Unfortunately this is not something that is appreciated by those who do not take the time to study the costumes. I ask you to take a look at TRIBEs costumes this year, headpieces and everything and show me one costume that looks EXACTLY like last year's in a different colour and you can do the same for Island People as well.

His response:
I am really not that interested in looking at their costumes for that long.

My response:
I am sorry you cannot be as interested as many who play bikini mas are interested in Mc Farlane. Anyway for me there will always be room for everyone as I LOVE my carnival!

Now I know that I am obviously biased being someone who is a wholehearted supporter of the bikini, beads and LOTS of feathers (I would say copious but my friend pointed out that I love that word too much). However I honestly do believe that bikini mas DONE RIGHT is creative.

I will agree that there are some bikini bands that slap a generic name on a costume which ends up looking abstract (as was pointed out) and looks nothing like the theme. Similarly, not every band that drapes fabric on their masqueraders can boast creativity as well. Some designers simply use loads of fabric to separate themselves from the bikini mas but how creative is it to keep repeating designs that we were first done by Peter Minshall? Every year someone “reinvents” Tan Tan and Saga Boy!

And I have a big problem with the superior elitist attitude of persons who look down on bikini mas, not even taking the time to acknowledge that there is creativity and that it is not just changing the colour every year. For the ones who examine each and every nuance of the costume, there are differences. There was not one costume in either TRIBE or Island People for 2009 that looked exactly like one from 2008! The headpieces and tails in TRIBE were genius, absolutely gorgeous and when you viewed the band holistically the masqueraders represented the Birds quite well.

There is more I would like to say concerning Mc Farlane and his creativity of turning fabric from Jimmy Aboud into Africa this year; however my issue is not with Mc Farlane or even the domination of bikini mas; I think I summed up all my feelings on that one in my Carnival Castro post last year. Anyway, I pose the question to you; in your opinion is there creativity in “bikini mas”? Or am I the myopic one who is imagining that there is not only creativity but differences as well?

Why? Say it Ain't so!

Why am I hearing about BABY PINK and POWDER BLUE being among materials shopped for along with "twigs with berries on it" ? Say it ain't so!! Visions of Kwan Ying come to mind or Cherry Blossoms! Yuck,no, no,no!!!!

Why is it that workers and suppliers are writing me BEGGING for a certain BIG band to pay them their money after Carnival? One month later and allegedly the band is putting pressure by withholding money since they said that the manufacturers did not finish the backpacks and headpieces on time... the other side of the story is that the band ONLY dropped of materials 10 days before Carnival! Reports are people were in HELL for those 10 days, not Heaven, sleeping in the production house to finish the work with whatever materials were dropped off!! Say it ain't so!! Pay the people their money please, I really do not want to advise these people to forward their letters to the relevant authorities and not to me as I cannot force them to get paid for their work.

Why is Carnivalscene sticking on publishing the rest of TRIBE galleries? Where are the rest of sections? When are they going to be on the website? Are they never going to be published? Say it ain't so!!!

Monday Question Time

It's another week, another round of questions!Please leave your queries for our band leader via comment or send me an email with your question at trinicarnivaldiary@yahoo.com.