Steelband Invaders wearing their instruments hung around their necks
at the beginning of the 1950’s.
Calypso tent, 1956.Top, 4th from the left, Mighty Sparrow
Or, download the articles HERE.
PHOTO SOURCE:
http://www.lameca.org
Showing posts with label trinidad carnival history of. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trinidad carnival history of. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Vintage Tuesdays
Steelband Invaders wearing their instruments hung around their necks
at the beginning of the 1950’s.
Calypso tent, 1956.Top, 4th from the left, Mighty Sparrow
Or, download the articles HERE.
PHOTO SOURCE:
http://www.lameca.org
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Vintage Tuesdays
Carnival from 1952 to 1954 were years of change, with the year 1953 being hailed then as the "worst ever" as steelband men and their followers were blamed for making trouble! In 1953 on the occasion of the coronation of Her Majesty the Queen, permission was given for Carnival to be held on June 2nd; the unfortunate happenings of that year resulted in loss of life, property and limb. This prompted a Bill by the Legislative Council which proclaimed the following changes:
1.Enabled the Commissioner of Police to prohibit the carrying of any articles that may be used as a weapon such as clubs and bats.
2.Empower police to seize and confiscate at Carnival time any articles carried in defense of the regulations.
3. Penalties for these offenses were increased from $48.00 or three months imprisonment to $2540.00 or six months imprisonment.
Consequently, Carnival in 1954 was a cleaner and safer; you can read all about it in today's Vintage Tuesday which looks at articles from 1952 to 1954. Click on the book below:
To download today's Vintage articles click HERE.
In addition I have a video to share with you on Carnival in the 1950s posted by TheBookmann on Youtube:
Commentary is by Ray Funk, Allyson Hennessy and Holly Betaudier on local television.
1.Enabled the Commissioner of Police to prohibit the carrying of any articles that may be used as a weapon such as clubs and bats.
2.Empower police to seize and confiscate at Carnival time any articles carried in defense of the regulations.
3. Penalties for these offenses were increased from $48.00 or three months imprisonment to $2540.00 or six months imprisonment.
Consequently, Carnival in 1954 was a cleaner and safer; you can read all about it in today's Vintage Tuesday which looks at articles from 1952 to 1954. Click on the book below:
To download today's Vintage articles click HERE.
In addition I have a video to share with you on Carnival in the 1950s posted by TheBookmann on Youtube:
Commentary is by Ray Funk, Allyson Hennessy and Holly Betaudier on local television.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Vintage Tuesdays...
Today I have two Post War Carnival articles dated 1946.
During the war for almost six years Carnival celebrations were "restricted" and 1946 marked the return of Carnival in it's full splendor.
You will note that last week I published 1900 -1903, and this week we jumped to 1946, well there are no articles published between 1904 -1945 strangely!
Part 1 can be accessed by this link or downloaded here.
Part 2 can be accessed by this link or downloaded here.
Dragon
Steel Band
SOURCE: National Cultural Council Cultural Research
During the war for almost six years Carnival celebrations were "restricted" and 1946 marked the return of Carnival in it's full splendor.
You will note that last week I published 1900 -1903, and this week we jumped to 1946, well there are no articles published between 1904 -1945 strangely!
Part 1 can be accessed by this link or downloaded here.
Part 2 can be accessed by this link or downloaded here.
Dragon
Steel Band
SOURCE: National Cultural Council Cultural Research
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Where are they now?
There used to be a mas camp located on Maraval road,the band a breakaway from one of the more popular ones, I believe Barbarossa and I had been racking my brains trying to remember which band it was when I finally remembered; it was Funtasia!
So many new bands launch each Carnival season, while others succeeded others crash and burn never to be heard of again (can anyone remember the name of Robert Amar's one time Carnival band?)
Funtasia had a good run for a few years, so did Skandal Us but Island Events, successful as a private section in Poison, only lasted two years after branching out on their own with Moulin Rouge chock full of celebrities like Gabrielle Union.
What really makes a band last year after year, like Harts who will be celebrating 50 years in Carnival 2010? Is it enough to have pretty costumes or a celebrity clientèle? Does being the hottest band out guarantee long term success? When sections split and form their own band will masqueraders follow? What turns the mind of fickle masqueraders against certain and what makes them loyal year after year? If Poison was around today would they still be a force to be reckoned with? What happened to Barbarossa?
As I can recall, and my memory may not always be crystal clear. Harts (later reinventing themselves as Young Harts) saw a breakaway that begot Mavericks and Barbarossa. Skandal Us was a later breakaway from Harts. Barbarossa spawned Poison (Savage), Funtasia and also Legends (the strong men and rude girl section). The band Legends ceased to exist and both Genesis and Legacy were born. Sophomore band Ronnie& Caro is a breakaway from Legacy.
From Poison we had Pleasures Carnival, Atlantis Girls and Gail Cabral forming TRIBE and Island Events left to debut their own band the same year. Island People was birthed the following year with Sandra Hordatt, Crystal Amming Marcus and Galvanize formerly of Poison. Poison became defunct, so Dream Team and Pulse 8 were the fall out bands created in it's wake while Sonia Mack went to Island People. Persons formerly involved with TRIBE as section leaders are now with Elements, Evolution and Spice. Evolution is led by Curtis Eustace, multiple Carnival King winner, and from Evolution Kaotic was born as Ricardo Gomez was formerly associated with that band.
Trini Revellers is an amalgamation of people who were all involved in mas, most notably Geraldo Vieira, Dave Cameron, Richard and Penny Afong of Barbarossa, so you can still see a link back to that band here. D Krewe is a breakway of Trini Revellers and for 2009 they also feature a section leader, Kyle Matas, from Trini Revellers as well. From Wayne Berkley's camp came Masquerade led by Earl Patterson. 2 Peas and D Pod produced a section for three years in Masquerade before branching out on their own as a band. They also led the way for Image Nation a breakaway, if you will, from 2 Peas and D Pod.
And lets not forget Peter Minshall who has, in my opinion, indirectly influenced Brian Mc Farlane (a former masquerder ie Minshal-ite) as well as Peter Samuel of 2 Peas and D Pod.
What makes this even more interesting is that designers also do work for other bands; Peter Elias always does a design for Pulse 8, Sandra Hordatt has designed for Island People and Spice this year apart from having her own section in TRIBE. Richard and Anthony productions designed for Spice, TRIBE and did headpieces for Crystal Amming of Island People as well as Shenelle of Evolution. Sonia Mack has in the past designed for other bands as well. Elwin Johnson has done work for D Krewe in the past and now TRIBE, while Douglas John designed for Elements and D Krewe! Is it a wonder that so many costumes are beginning to look the same?
The dynamic, every changing landscape of Carnival is what keeps it exciting, some bands are here today but gone tomorrow. Ultimately it is the masquerader's support that dictates the pace, no matter how many pretty (or not so pretty) costumes, slick marketing tactics, guerrilla band warfare and promises of the ultimate,best-est, funnest Carnival ever! I wish all the new bands good luck as I look back on the ones that have departed the Carnival scene and wonder, where are they now?
FuntasiaSo many new bands launch each Carnival season, while others succeeded others crash and burn never to be heard of again (can anyone remember the name of Robert Amar's one time Carnival band?)
Funtasia had a good run for a few years, so did Skandal Us but Island Events, successful as a private section in Poison, only lasted two years after branching out on their own with Moulin Rouge chock full of celebrities like Gabrielle Union.
What really makes a band last year after year, like Harts who will be celebrating 50 years in Carnival 2010? Is it enough to have pretty costumes or a celebrity clientèle? Does being the hottest band out guarantee long term success? When sections split and form their own band will masqueraders follow? What turns the mind of fickle masqueraders against certain and what makes them loyal year after year? If Poison was around today would they still be a force to be reckoned with? What happened to Barbarossa?
As I can recall, and my memory may not always be crystal clear. Harts (later reinventing themselves as Young Harts) saw a breakaway that begot Mavericks and Barbarossa. Skandal Us was a later breakaway from Harts. Barbarossa spawned Poison (Savage), Funtasia and also Legends (the strong men and rude girl section). The band Legends ceased to exist and both Genesis and Legacy were born. Sophomore band Ronnie& Caro is a breakaway from Legacy.
From Poison we had Pleasures Carnival, Atlantis Girls and Gail Cabral forming TRIBE and Island Events left to debut their own band the same year. Island People was birthed the following year with Sandra Hordatt, Crystal Amming Marcus and Galvanize formerly of Poison. Poison became defunct, so Dream Team and Pulse 8 were the fall out bands created in it's wake while Sonia Mack went to Island People. Persons formerly involved with TRIBE as section leaders are now with Elements, Evolution and Spice. Evolution is led by Curtis Eustace, multiple Carnival King winner, and from Evolution Kaotic was born as Ricardo Gomez was formerly associated with that band.
Trini Revellers is an amalgamation of people who were all involved in mas, most notably Geraldo Vieira, Dave Cameron, Richard and Penny Afong of Barbarossa, so you can still see a link back to that band here. D Krewe is a breakway of Trini Revellers and for 2009 they also feature a section leader, Kyle Matas, from Trini Revellers as well. From Wayne Berkley's camp came Masquerade led by Earl Patterson. 2 Peas and D Pod produced a section for three years in Masquerade before branching out on their own as a band. They also led the way for Image Nation a breakaway, if you will, from 2 Peas and D Pod.
And lets not forget Peter Minshall who has, in my opinion, indirectly influenced Brian Mc Farlane (a former masquerder ie Minshal-ite) as well as Peter Samuel of 2 Peas and D Pod.
What makes this even more interesting is that designers also do work for other bands; Peter Elias always does a design for Pulse 8, Sandra Hordatt has designed for Island People and Spice this year apart from having her own section in TRIBE. Richard and Anthony productions designed for Spice, TRIBE and did headpieces for Crystal Amming of Island People as well as Shenelle of Evolution. Sonia Mack has in the past designed for other bands as well. Elwin Johnson has done work for D Krewe in the past and now TRIBE, while Douglas John designed for Elements and D Krewe! Is it a wonder that so many costumes are beginning to look the same?
The dynamic, every changing landscape of Carnival is what keeps it exciting, some bands are here today but gone tomorrow. Ultimately it is the masquerader's support that dictates the pace, no matter how many pretty (or not so pretty) costumes, slick marketing tactics, guerrilla band warfare and promises of the ultimate,best-est, funnest Carnival ever! I wish all the new bands good luck as I look back on the ones that have departed the Carnival scene and wonder, where are they now?
Skandal Us Mas
Island Events
photo source: www.islandevents.com
