Pulse 8 Pics...........

It was rather difficult to get good pics of the costumes last night, between the fog machine, a short runway and jostling for space with other photograpers I only have a few good shots. Also, I had to spend alot of time editing the photos as the fog lingered in the air and made the pics blurry. Nevertheless, here is the first look at Pulse 8 (click on the pics to make them bigger)
More photos can be found in my album on Photobucket:

WICKED WAITRESS






SUMMER PASSION







MAI TAI





COPACABANA






MARGARITA MADNESS






MELON FEVER









SAPPHIRE ICE






RUM SWEET RUM






BLUE LAGOON






MOJITO






ANTI FREEZE






SEX ON THE BEACH






DEPTH CHARGE






LOVE POTION #9




CLAUDIA PEAGUS' SECTION (it's not in the booklet and I cannot remember the name)

Registration woes

Seems like there were some problems with online registration for Harts masqueraders, there is this announcement on their website:

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Due to technical difficulties, persons who registered online between Monday 28th to Tuesday 29th August are required to call Harts Limited at 622-8038 or email harts@hartscarnival.com to confirm that their registration information has been received.
We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Why is it that every year registration is becoming more and more difficult? Yesterday I noticed a sign up at Tribe's mascamp, which my friend alerted me to, saying that registration begins on September 4th...hello, that is tomorrow and I have not received an email from them! I am thinking that must be an old notice, before the last email saying that they were trying to accommodate 2005 masqueraders and hence the delay in registration. But now I am not too sure since the website says nothing about registration being tomorrow but the sign at the mas camp does. Well yes, allyuh know I will be calling them as soon as they open to find out what the real deal is.

The website is not fully up and running yet, so those who have to register online need to have that in place properly as well, you will think these people did not know that registration was going to be a process that follows the launch. I am getting antsy because I already made my choice, finally settled on a costume and I am READY TO REGISTER.

I also called Island People on Friday (the day they told me to call) to find out about their registration, and they could not say anything either, just another voice on the phone saying "call back". I mean thanks for changing the website from tweeting birds to the sound of wind, it looks nice with the Sahara logo and pic but change that "Launching Soon" and put a little notice so that we will know what's going on...how long is soon? Allyuh know how irritated I was with Harts "coming soon" the "launching soon" starting to annoy me as well. And even more so since I am not even waiting to register myself, I am doing this for my friends. Like I don't have enough stress waiting for TRIBE!

Now I see Harts had some problems with their online registration, see why I don't trust those things? In this technologically advanced world it is supposed to make everything easier, faster and more user friendly but in the MAS world like it is just there to frustrate your soul. After last year's scene with me at my computer waiting for TRIBE's registration and seeing the screen freeze I am taking no chances with online registration again!I will be at the mas camp in person, don't mind they told me I will have to enter the information on the computer at the mas camp, if something goes wrong at least I am there. And the other thing that people got caught with last year was that credit cards and debit cards were either taking too long to process or were not being accepted, another glitch in the technological world. Smart me walked with cash! Nothing was faster and I did not have to line up and wait to pay hoping my card went through.

So I am waiting patiently to call TRIBE at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, that is if I don't get an email from them later today. I think I am getting too old for all this stress and wasn't this whole TLC business supposed to make things easier? Tender Loving Care better had be "coming soon"!

Paris is Burning........

This evening I made my way to Maraval to check out the launch of Rugeri Promotions, an all-inclusive section with the 2006 winning band of the year, Trini Revellers. Rugeri's section is called "Paris is Burning" which fits in with the theme of the band, French Revolution. In 2006 Rugeri was behind the production of the popular section "Anthony and Cleopatra".

The atmosphere of the launch felt like we had arrived at a family gathering, we were told to have a drink and then await the presentation of the costumes. Compared to Tribe and Island People this was the total opposite in that it was very low key and a nice change of pace from the big productions. The launch was kept at the home of one of the members of Rugeri,no tickets were needed and no money was charged, drinks were on the house and we were constantly supplied with lots of goodies to eat.

No former Ms. Universe modeled the costumes, this was truly a family affair with the daughter and son of committee members strutting their stuff, the young man in the photos is only 16! All in all it was a nice way to spend the evening and my hubby and I even saw several people we knew there. Thanks to Michele for the tip about the launch, I had fun!

Here are some photos of the section "Paris is Burning"










Tankini option:



This section is all-inclusive which includes:

Breakfast (Tuesday only)

Lunch (Tuesday only)

Full bar (both days)

and the prices are :

Female : $1550.00

Male: $1295.00

The website will be up by Wednesday 6th of September with more photos of the costumes.


Trini Revellers will be launching it's full presentation on October 15th at Pier 1.

Sexy Sahara

I don't know how I missed this article in the Trinidad Express on Wednesday ,maybe I was just too busy actually doing some work:

Sexy Sahara
Wayne Bowman

Wednesday, August 30th 2006

You can expect more than an eyeful from sophomore mas band Island People Mas come Carnival 2007 when they present Sahara, a fourteen-section exploration of the famed desert. The band launched its production for C2K7 at the National Stadium on Sunday with an elaborate staging that featured fake camels, harem girls and several pyramid-shaped monitors sprinkled throughout the venue where patrons could catch a closer view of the action taking place on stage. The launch attracted roughly 2,500 people who expressed mixed reactions over the costume prototypes presented by the models.

Although the launch was scheduled to get on the way at 6 p.m. rain held things back, but by the time the showers ceased and the clouds cleared the venue was packed and the Island People team kicked off the presentation at about 9 p.m. There was a mini skit performed by several persons including Cliff Learmond who played the role of King Omar who was depressed and in need of cheering up. Several persons came forward and attempted to make King Omar laugh through their performances such as dancing, singing, rapping and other presentations that failed to amuse the sad and lonely king.

A thundering voice from the "Heavens" then chastised King Omar for his ungrateful attitude towards everything that he has been blessed with. As King Omar listened the voice reminded him of the glorious beauty of the great Sahara Desert with its star-filled night skies and colourful shifting sands as well as its lovely oasis. King Omar then repented and jumped with a joyful heart as the models began to make their way on stage showing off the costumes of Island People Mas 2007, which were designed by a team consisting of; Trisha Neilson, Marlon "Hot Dog" Grant, Sandra Hordatt, Crystal Aming-Marcus, Sonia Mack and Nathalia Mack. The costumes exploring the many facets of the Sahara include Jewel of the Nile, Taureg, Sirocco Winds, Le Soleil Brule, Mirage, Goddess and Defenders, Raiders of the Desert, Oasis, Cacti, Nubians, Sahara Sunset, Arabian Nights and Sahara Jumbie.

Following the presentation Machel Montano and Xtatik took the stage and for the next hour had the patrons in the palm of their hands. Actually judging from the behaviour of the people over the music in comparison to their reactions over the costumes, it seemed that the majority of people came out more in anticipation of Montano than what Island People Mas had to offer. There was mixed reactions over the costumes with people expressing that they were very impressed with certain costumes and disliked others. Among the most popular were Sahara Jumbie, Taureg, Sirocco Winds, Oasis and one of the designs for Arabian Nights.

A senior member of the Island People team told the Express that the band is catering for about three thousand people for next year in the hope of expanding for C2K8. He said that although there is the opportunity to pick up those people who used to play with the now defunct Poison mas band, Island People decided against adding more masqueraders this year because the team wanted to work on improving on the services they provide such as food and refreshments as well as on the timely delivery of costumes.

The team member added that the band will be accompanied by several of the country's top sound systems. There will also be no live band unless members specifically request such. Members were asked following last Carnival if a live band was important to them and the majority responded that it did not matter whether there was a live band or not. The costumes are expected to cost the same as last year's, but Island People is offering what they have dubbed an Ultra All Inclusive experience for their members. Just what this is will be revealed in coming weeks the Island People spokesperson said.

Note the part where he says prices are supposed to cost the same as last/this year's so I can safely say we are looking at between $2400.00 to $5500.00 which was the range of prices for this year's costumes.

Band versus Band Bacchanal

If you have never read a Carnival forum such as Rumshopmadness at islandtempo.com you might not be aware that there are battle lines drawn between diehard Tribe supporters and Island People fans.

The situation has become so serious that the moderators at Rumshopmadness have warned their posters that the drama between supporters of these two bands has become "tedious and taking away from the beauty of carnival" and I fully agree.

Look, I don't know when and how this division came about, all I know is that last year I was banned from the forums at Islandmix because I was probably seen as "pro Tribe" and against Island People.The fact was that I was giving information, much like what I do here, on BOTH bands, and I would give my criticisms on BOTH bands but it was okay to "pong" Tribe while Island People was immune to any negative old talk. Imagine, I had a certain member of Island People Mas sending me private messages wanting to know where I was getting my information from, because apparently they thought I had some "inside" source feeding me all Island People's secrets such as what their prices would be like.

The irony was that I would call the mas camp and whomever answered the phone would readily answer questions on registration, process in place for online and foreign masqueraders etc. it's not like I was asking them to tell me their bank account number I was asking the same questions as hundreds of potential masqueraders! And as for the prices well I have played mas long enough to have an idea (common sense) of what a certain costume might cost so the prices for Island People were a GUESSTIMATE, I guessed them based on Tribe's prices for 2006 which were released before Island People priced their costumes. Apparently my guess was very close to the real prices and I did not even know it.

After I got banned from the forum I realised how serious some people were taking this loyalty to Carnival bands. Well I am NOT a member of Tribe's organization as is alleged by the anonymous poster who left a comment on my post "The pics have moved". I happen to like some of their costumes, just as I happen to like some of Island People's, and is it so hard to believe that ? Tribe's costumes are by no means "ugly" just as not all Island People's costumes are "fabulous" both have their hit costumes and both have their duds.

My decision to play with a Carnival band is based on a personal decision of what I want out of my carnival experience, I have said it before and I will say it again, I look for MORE than costume when choosing a band to play with. I need to see how certain bands execute and deliver their product to their masqueraders in 2007 before I can think of possibly playing with them in 2008. Yes, mas is now too expensive to not be demanding of more than just a costume in a box.For the money we are spending bandleaders have to back up that costume with something more because it does not matter how lavishly decorated a costume is, it is NOT costing $3000.00 to produce. So my money is not going towards costume alone, I am not getting $3000.00 worth of costume, and therefore costume alone cannot be MY criteria for choosing a band to play with.

The bottom line is I am a CARNIVAL supporter and not a BAND supporter so please, don't bring the nonsense from the forum to my blog. I have played with Barbarossa,Harts, Poison and Tribe and I want to play with the likes of Minshall or Mc Farlene sometime in the future. By the end of the 2007 Carnival I can tell you which costumes are from what band because I visit all the mas camps (dragging my friends or hubby along) in addition to looking at costumes on their websites and there are costumes I like in every single band. The fact that my last few posts have to do with Tribe is because that's the band I have decided to play with and since this blog is my "Carnival Diary" it's a record of MY Carnival experience . I am not getting paid to do this, I do it because I love my mas!

I have answered emails from strangers with questions on both Tribe and Island People, I am also the person to register my friend and her crew in Island People because she is out of the country on vacation right now and my friends who are waiting on Pulse 8 are depending on me to give them information about the costumes since they are not living in Trinidad. And if anyone wants information on any band they can email me and ask any question they like, I will try to help them out as best I can.

So far I have been giving information on all the bands that have launched including Harts, and when Island People and Pulse 8 opens their mas camps I will go, have a look and report on that as well. I have friends who are playing with Island People,TRIBE and Harts, friends who are waiting to see what Pulse 8 has to offer and friends who are playing with Trini Revellers so I am constantly getting information on all these bands, going to mas camps, looking at costumes and just loving the whole spirit of what Carnival is about. You can be sure that I am not about to loose my love of Carnival in this band versus band fiasco, this will be the last I say on this issue !

Back to talking about mas!!!

The pics have moved .....

If you are looking for all the Island People pics I posted earlier you can find them at my new album at Photobucket. I just left a few on this site so the page should load faster now, as even I was having problems with the page taking long to load on dial up.

Because the photos were sucking up bandwith I had to upload to blogger direct and they are now smaller so just click on them to see the full size. For those who were having problems viewing the photos at work I hope having access to the album helps.

I will add TRIBE's photos to that album sometime in the very near future, but for now enjoy the pics!

NEWS from Tribe

NEWS:

As we continue to be inundated with emails, faxes, and telephone calls for the TLC, we wish to thank all our masqueraders for their eager interest in our band. Our preparation for registration is almost complete as our staff and technical personnel continue to work assiduously to ensure that the registration process runs as smoothly as possible.

Trying to accommodate late requests …TLC Distribution almost complete!

The distribution of TLC to both local and overseas masqueraders began on August 4th and concluded on August 24th (3 weeks).

In the interest of accommodating as many of our masqueraders as possible (both 2006 and 2005 players, and even those requests received after the cut-off date), we have decided to push back the start date for registration. We anticipate that this process should be complete within a few days. Registration will start shortly thereafter.

Unfortunately any TLC requests received after Tuesday 29th August cannot be processed before the start of registration.

NOTE: Once the processing of the TLC is complete, you will be advised of the registration schedule via an InfoBlast at least one day prior to the start of registration. This schedule will also be posted on the website.


-New Masqueraders
Please keep posted to the website for information regarding your registration process.

Showroom at Cascadia still open

The costumes continue to be on display at the Sky View Lounge at the Cascadia Hotel in St. Anns between the hours of 5pm and 8pm – Mon. to Fri. and from 12noon to 6pm on Saturdays up to the end of the Registration period.

Thank goodness the showroom is till open at Cascadia, once again I am looking at ANOTHER costume that was not even in the running! You see how waiting can make you change your mind over and over again..geez an ages! Now I am loving Jamette..they have the photo up on the website of the regular bra option and when I saw it on the model I went bonkers, allyuh doh find it looking fabulous? I already made up my mind I want to play in red so it is either Fireman or Jamette.......decisions!





That headpiece driving me crazy!! I LOVE a big headpiece...I think I have a headache, I visited TRIBE's website way too many times so I am going up to Casacadia again this afternoon and have a closer look at Jamette. If anyone has questions regarding a particular costume and need to know what the back/front/bra/bottom/headpiece looks like from a scrutinized perspective leave me a comment or drop me an email, I will see how best I can help you out because I know I am not the only one going back and forth between costumes!

Rain in the Desert

As usual Peter Ray Blood gives his review on local events , today's Pulse has his take on Sahara's launch:

Raining on Sahara parade

I found it to be quite ironic that on the day a Carnival band named Sahara is launched turns out to be the rainiest Sunday of the year thus far. Hosted by Island People Mas (IPM) at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Sahara attracted some of the most beautiful women seen at one of these events, a most pleasing exercise in eye food for single men like myself. But, I attended with my eldest daughter so “daddy” had to be at his best behaviour.

All told, led off by Sonia and Natania Mack’s premier, all-inclusive Le Soleil Brule (Burning Sun) section, IPM showcased 14 sections of what seems to be a most elaborate C2K7 presentation, a worthy sequel to last year’s impressive debut of Enchanted Forest.

In addition to designs by the Macks, Sahara is also created by designers Trisha Neilson, Marlon Grant, Crystal Aming-Marcus and Sandra Hordatt. Some of the sections are exotically named Sirocco Winds, Jewel of the Nile, Sahara Sunset and Arabian Nights.

There was no shortage of entertainment on stage on Sunday night, from an opening skit featuring popular actor Clifford Learmond, as King Omar, to a scintillating ‘Sahara-dus’-in-dey-face’, one-hour performance by Machel Montano & Xtatik.

If the actual street presentation of Sahara will be as exciting as its launch, masqueraders can look forward to the time of their lives come Carnival 2K7.

The C2K7 band launchings are coming fast and furious, and on Sunday evening, Pulse8, emerging out of the now defunct Poison, will launch Cocktails—You Shake, We Stir!

With music by Imij & Co, this unveiling is scheduled for Club Zen, Keate Street, Port-of-Spain.

While defending Band of the Year (Large) champion Trini Revellers has pushed back its launch to October 15, some of its premium all-inclusive sections will premiere their C2K7 mas long before.

Tomorrow afternoon, Trini Revellers’ Rugeri Promotions will launch its Paris Burning section, at 12 Anderson Terrace, (the same road with Media Sales), Maraval.

The other Trini Revellers section event this month takes place on Saturday 30 when Roland St George’s D’Krewe launches its Royalty section. The venue is The NCC Club House Grounds, Queen’s Park Savannah.

I found it interesting that Trini Revellers launch has been pushed backed to October 15th, Legacy also launches in October. My husband and I were speaking about the different bands and how even though they attract different masqueraders there is still competiton among bands of a certain genre.

For example, these bands pitted against each other are competiting for the same market or demograhpic of masquerdaer:

Tribe vsIsland People
Peter Minshall vs Brian Mc Farelene
Legacy vs Genesis
Trini Revellers vs Masquerade
Harts vs Skandalus
Pulse 8 vs Dream Team
2 P's n d Pod vs 2 Ha' Quai

I believe if Pulse 8 presents a good product priced affordably they can give Island People some competition. The only thing is that even with Pulse 8, and the Dream Team, there are not enough options to accomodate the masqueraders who were left without a band when Poison dissolved. My sources have told me that in 2008 another new band will emerge on the scene, I guess we will have to wait and see if that is true.

Loose lips got it wrong!

Being a Trini I admit I do like to check out the gossip, so there I was reading Loose Lips on Islandevents.com when I read the following:

I'm hearing that there is some trouble in the Tribe. Some committee members are all for opening up the band to welcome the masses especially those poor homeless Poison folks who are still without a band of their own. But some of the honchos are adamant that the band continues to cater solely to people of their own clan. Adding to the woes is the slow registration that followed what many said was a lack-lustre launch. Boy, Carnival is truly bacchanal and bacchanal makes for a wonderful Carnival.

Whoo hoo "Laura" registration has not even STARTED as yet so how can you say that TRIBE is suffering from "slow registration"? I know Trinis do like to run their mouths but at least get it right! People are ready and waiting for Tribe registration to begin, armed with TLC cards, and for those without the golden ticket, they are praying that the section they like does not sell out after the 2006 and 2005 masqueraders get their pick.

I just thought it was quite funny that these so called gossipt coloumnist don't even bother to verify the information before it is printed.At least she got one thing right, Carnival is bacchanal!

Tribe Prices are up!!!

And as I expected Fireman is $2935.00 with the backpack and $2825.00 without,. That price is no big surprise for me at all because for that costume I was looking at the higher end of the $2600.00 - $3000.00 price range that I was quoted. So if you are going for Fireman take the backpack,I think for only $110.00 more the backpack makes a bigger impact with the costume than without. Male Fireman is $2285.00 by the way.

Downpayment is $900.00, but if you read my blog earlier, I said that before so no surprise there either.

I am cool now, that's an increase of around $200.00 more than the most expensive section, Angelfish, this year and $250.00 more than I paid for my costume for 2006. And since my budget is $3000.00 I still have $65.00 left over for stockings and gold spray paint for my sneakers (I don't need boots with that costume) .Everything else better had come in that goody bag (like ear-rings, makeup, glitter and a digicel cell phone) AND I must get something to wear on Monday because I am not spending another cent towards my costume.

Fancy Indians has three prices :

Small headpiece Navajo(2695.00)
Medium Headpiece Cheyenne(2850.00)
Large Headpiece Mojave(3220.00)

Guys have it cheaper at :
2140.00 for the small headpiece
2740.00 for the large headpiece


Warrior Spirit:
Small headpiece Navajo(2750.00)
Medium Headpiece Cheyenne(2875.00)
Large Headpiece Mojave(3250.00)

Male:
2150.00 for the small headpiece
2750.00 for the large headpiece


Fancy Sailor is $2850.00 for female, $2195.00 for male.

Dragon is $2895.00 female, $2195.00 male

Jab Jab female is $2790.00, $2880.00 with standard, the male is $2175.00

Cow Mas is $2685.00 female, $2185.00 male

Jab Molassie female is $2995.00, male $2295.00..I go to be honest, I don't see why this costume is so expensive, all it has is a tail and horns!

Midnight Robber:
Female $2765.00, $2850.00 with standard

Male $2185.00

Jamette:
Bra
$2895.00

Corsette
$2995.00

Pimp:
$2200.00

Pierrot Grenadae
Female $2595.00

Male $2175.00

Jean and Dinah:

Jean - Short Skirt 2,800.
Jean - Long Skirt 2,995.
Jean - Beaded Bra 3,295.
Dinah 2,800.

Yankee Sailor(male) $2050.00

All the prices are not up as yet ..so keep checking the website!


By the way compared to Harts who charge for costume only I find the prices for some of the costumes are fair. For example the Male Fancy Indian costume with Harts is $2015.00 and the Female costumes with large headpieces cost around $2265.00 on average, so the additional $600.00 - $725.00 you are paying with TRIBE takes into consideration your all inclusive package for two days.

But I must add, now that the prices are out I do NOT think that Jab Molassie & Jean and Dinah are worth that high price at all.I know Jean and Dinah is Peter's section so maybe he is using the pricing at his store to account for all the accesories, hat and skirt...but that still does not price out at so much money for something I can throw together from my closet.Jab Molassie has nothing to that costume but the tail and the horns, I can't see anything on it worth the price of $2995.00 unless it is an outside section and they have to pay band fees (the band fees pushes up the price because you know the outside sections still have to make a profit after they pay TRIBE for the spot in their band,the all-inclusive package and to house,market and distribute the costumes.)

To me Pierrot Grenade, Fireman,Fancy Indian with the medium or large headpiece,Warrior Spirit medium or large headpiece, Midnight Robber and Jammette are reasonable for what you are getting (at least those costumes have more "substance" than others) Pierrot Grenade being a real deal because the costume is quite pretty.

Cow Mas and Sailor could have been cheaper since there are no feathers anywhere on those costumes, they both have just a hat.And since Jab Jab is a remix of Anemone it should cost the same or a tad bit more, the extra spokes in the headpiece and collar is not worth $400.00 more,hey I am being honest here.

I will wait for the rest of the prices to make any further comments,so now you guys can decide if it is worth it to you or not.

No prices today....ah vex

If you are waiting for TRIBE's prices to be released today think again..........you have to wait until FRIDAY. But what the jail, I have to wait another 37 and 1/2 more hours to find out the cost of my costume! That is 37 and 1/2 more hours to change my mind a million times between the sections I like ......steups..ah vex!

Which one allyuh like?

If the Price is Right... I will be on FIRE!!!

Today is August 30th, no it does not mean that tomorrow is a holiday in Trinidad or that many people are going feteing tonight, it means that today is the day TRIBE's prices are supposed to be posted on their website if I am to go by the email the sent and what is posted on the website right now:

Official website will launch on Monday 28th August and costume prices and down payment amounts will be posted by Wednesday 30th August 2006.

Now the website is not fully up and running since I am still seeing the layout for "What lies beneath" and I am yet to get any information on dates and times for TLC card holders’ registration process. However I am hoping that all will be rectified today and before the clock strikes 12:01 tonight I will see prices posted!

I thought I had settled on a section but changed my mind last night and added another contender to my choices so price will definitely be a deciding factor. Sorry, I am not one of those going chupidee over Island People's costumes, don't get me wrong I really like Oasis, Nubians and Sacred Sand but I am not liking them well enough to switch. I figure that type of costume will still be around in 2008 but this might be my only chance to play Fireman or Warrior Spirit next year.

Remember these gems from TRIBE's presentation in 2004? I know TRIBE can design the same type of costumes that other bands are doing now because I can clearly see some similarities in these Tribe costumes and some popular costumes in other bands. I appreciate that TRIBE is trying to do something different for 2007, they were criticized heavily in the past for naked mas and "bikini and beads", where are those critics now when Goddess and Defenders has a costume that leaves nothing to the imagination?










Also I am quietly waiting for Island People's prices, those costumes are quite elaborate and there is no way I am seeing them being cheap, if they are then people will probably be getting a scaled down version of the prototype. One thing that I have to admit turns me off Island People is the fact that EVERYONE wants to play with them, it's sort of like a cult following! I never was into the whole running down the hottest band/trend/style since I march to the beat of my own drum and I really don't care if all the local celebs are going to be playing with Island People (or foreign celebs either) . What that means is all the stormers will be following THAT band and not getting in my way after I pay for my costume and the privilege to enjoy my mas without rubbing up on people who ent pay a cent but still want to cramp my style.

The amount of people I know wanting to get into the same 4 or 5 sections in Island People I wish them all luck, because that type of madness I can surely do without, more power to them all!

Just hurry up and post the prices for TRIBE already, I am ready to register!

More Island People Pics

Both Islandevents and TrueTrini.com have galleries of Sahara pics posted.

Islandmix also has a gallery up, but you have to register first to be able to view it.

I can't wait for Pulse 8 !

Pulse 8 has me impressed so far and I am not talking about their costumes! Firstly their launch is this weekend at Zen, can I say thank you for being the first band to give patrons the comfort of a nice, airconditioned venue with protection from the elements, now I can dress nicely and not worry about my hair getting soaking wet again!

Secondly their website is on the mark, it is informative, regularly updated AND they are the first mas camp with a scheduled opening date (well apart from Harts) for just three days after the launch, I hope their full website goes up just as speedily.

Thirdly the tickets for the launch are affordable.....less than a $100.00 for regular tickets and the V.I.P is less than what I paid for Island People's launch. Check out the invite on triniscene.com I wonder if this will translate to their costume prices as well?

Now that the two big guns TRIBE and Island People have launched I can honestly say I really want to see what Pulse 8 has to offer as a new band.I am looking forward to see how their organisation thus far translates into costume design and overall production at the launch.

Sahara...Aftermath of the Launch

If Island People's launch is any indication of what to expect from them when it comes to organistation, delivery and service they need to get their act together as soon as possible. Now I know that the rain delayed everything as when we got to the venue the skies opened and poured rain on the desert, but it did not last too long and we had great weather for the rest of the night.

After sampling some drinks, having some corn soup and making a trek to the ladies toilets to check on my hair (there were NO Mirrors at the ladies toilets!And they needed much more than the handful of toilets provided) the crowd was summoned stage side for the presentation of Sahara.

Well that turned into a two hour wait as we stood in one spot staring at the curtains on stage that someone kept fiddling with the entire time. Music was playing of course, so at first we were all enjoying the vibe, I was chatting with the press photographers who were also upfront and we were expecting the presentation to begin soon.

Soon enough the crowd started to get frustrated I mean how long can you stare at the stage, watching the "Sahara" crew fiddle with the curtains, pass around drinks to their friends on stage and basically ignore the crowd while they limed and danced behind the curtains (yeah they were sheer so we were seeing them!)One of the photographers was annoyed and contrasted the long wait to TRIBE's launch, saying they had everything organised with a media launch first, then the band performed and the models came out last in costumes, though a long presentation there was no waiting like what we had with Sahara.

Eventually the show started after approximately two hours of waiting and we still had to endure another fifteen minutes of a short story/production to introduce the presentation. The story went something like there was a king looking for relief from his boredom, had several performers trying to entertain him (including a ballet dancer) and eventually led to him looking to the Sahara for adventure......sorry, they lost me to the end!

So the Arabian music started, girls arose out of huge wicker baskets on the stage in recycled Sonia Mack costumes, which looked good by the way, but what was with the one dancing girl in a TRIBE Anemone costume?

And, after a LONG wait they finally started showing costumes. That part of the show was excellent. We had running commentary from a group of male divas who were shouting "Show TRIBE how to make costumes" of course they were saying awful things about the costumes they did not like, but it was all in good fun. After all the models came back on stage for the finale my husband kept saying Rihanna was going to come out now since they were making a path on stage and waiting for something...or someone. There was no Rihanna (why was the launch pushed back from the scheduled date of the 17th of August again?)but Machel came out riding some sort of ATV and was great as usual.

At the end of it all I could see where Island People tried, I mean they gave a good effort but the attention to the details were left lacking in my opinion. For an outfit that has had legendary parties and events in the past they did not come up to scratch. Waiting for the show to start it seemed to me that they were not organised at all ,inspite of the rain there should not have been a two hour delay in the presentation if plans were put in place properly from beforehand. The crew members on Sahara seem to be there for a lime, it was not professional to see them drinking and dancing on stage while we all waited without any explanation as to why we were left waiting for SO long (a little PR would have done well at that time). And there were lots of bars all over the venue (which was announced way too many times)but not enough toilets were provided for the ladies.

Compared to TRIBE they did nothing "extra" for the patron who shelled out $175.00 to go to the launch. At least at TRIBE we got a complimentary drink, their sponsors were at the launch giving away products, the ladies toilets had full length mirrors and doubles was on sale for $1.00 each(the doubles were $2.50 at Sahara, $12.00 for a corn soup!). Also, TRIBE was giving away the costume booklet before the presentation and you could have as many as you wanted, Island People were pretty stingy with their calenders, we only got one each upon leaving the venue.

These may seem like minor issues but to me it left a bigger impression in that it takes more than a pretty costume to make a band. What is the sense in having gorgeous costumes when the everything else is disorganised and you can't put out a little extra for your potential customers? The follow through is extremely important to me when I am paying through the nose for a costume, it becomes MORE than just the costume it is the whole experience. And it costs nothing as I see it to treat the customer as someone very important since at the end of the day, the masquerader is the one contributing to the millions that these band leaders take home at the end of Carnival.

Updated..AGAIN!!

Carnivalscene is quick on the draw today with a new gallery of Sahara pics!enjoy.

Harts website is FINALLY up, thanks anonymous for tipping me off.Harts seems to be moving with the times, they have a 360 degree gallery!

Well I must hand it to TRIBE, even though the website is not 100% up and running, you can access photos of the costumes so they met their deadline to have the website up by today.After a sensory overload of Island People's costumes I found myself enjoying looking at the comparativiely simpler, but still quite effective, costumes of TRIBE.

I called Island People's mas camp to find out about registration and they told me to call back on Friday for more information on that and when the website will be up.On another note I called Sonia Mack as well and was told that registration for her section should begin early next week, I was told to call back on Monday for more details pricing.

And with permission from BAMABAC.com I have two video clips from Island People's Launch that I am so generously allowed to share with everyone who visits my blog;

Machel at Sahara







Sahara Costume Finale

My Take on the Costumes

There is no doubt in my mind that Island People has gorgeous costumes for Carnival 2007 though I think that some of the frontline sections have an obvious Brazilian influence in the feathered backpacks. That being said here is my honest opinion on the costumes;

JEWEL OF THE NILE:
Love the myriad of colours on this costume,I also love the feathered headpiece as I really only feel like I am playing real mas with a gorgeous headpiece, maybe it's a throw back to my Harts days when I was spoiled with the lavish headpieces.The backline costume is equally as pretty as the frontline,sometimes the backline looks like a watered down version of the frontline, but not with Jewel, they did not skimp on the decorations for the backline at all.

TAUREG:
Purple is one of my favourite colours I just never liked it in a costume.While Tureg might appeal to some it looked rather stale to me, though the male costume is ok.

SIROCCO WINDS:
This is a very interesting costume, I like the fabric cupping the leg from the waistband, it looks handpainted and the bronze, burnished gold and rust colours are very representative of the desert. The frontline with the fabric backback is pretty, I love the male costume for this section by the way with the same handpainted fabric attached to one pant leg.I love the beaded necklaces and handbands, I just don't like the small headpiece.

LE SOLEIL BRULE:
The cloth/fabric frontline costume is spectacular...it created a strong impact on stage and it looks light and easy to carry around on the streets, I love it! The backline costumes were lacking in my opinion, they were ok, but compared to that frontline I was expecting something with much more impact.

MIRAGE:
I am liking the frontline and the colour combination looks good even though it has been done many times over, still , I like it. The backline looses points from me because it has a strapless bra, but it is a nice costume, just rather skimpy.I am so not liking the male costume for this section though, eeew.

GODDESS AND DEFENDERS:
I have to be honest with you, this costume reminds me of Nylon Pool from TRIBE 2006. The belt looks like the same material used in Nylon Pool however, this version works for Island People (whereas TRIBE's costume was left lacking apart from the frontline) because this costume looks finished and it does not loook cheap even though it is ridiculously skimpy. The frontline with the metal bra and angel wings channels Victoria's Secrets Fashion show, I am sorry but that's the first thing I thought when I saw it.. Heidi Klum and the million dollar bra. Also, do they really expect a real man to wear a costume with wings? Apart from that I liked this section and so do all the guys in my office.

SACRED SAND:
This frontline has the most original backpack, sort of Peter Minshallish in the disc design, like it but not loving it. I prefer the backline costumes with both the smaller headpiece and the huge headpiece with pheasant feathers.I also like that the costume actually looks like sand in it's colouring andt this is the second best male costume of the lot.

RAIDERS OF THE DESERT:
I can so see RADICAL designs in this costume, it looks like something you can buy at their store. With the boots that the models wore this is a wicked costume in that it is different from everything else yet still sexy and cute.The male costume is nice by the way.

OASIS:
Ok, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this costume but I have to say the frontline's backpack reminds me ALOT of Nylon Pool frontline. That being said I only have one other concern, how do they expect you to carry around that fabulous feathered fan all day? The fan makes the costume look spectacular but is it really practical?

CACTAI:
This is the costume that I got a glimpse of on Thursday, actually I got a glimpse of the footband. To be fair the costume, without the orange backpiece is quite decent.It's the frontline that is hideous! I hope they rework that frontline costume into something more wearable.

NUBIANS:
I am totally and madly in love with this costume,especially the frontline.I might take away the fabric, but the use of the cowrie shells is a welcome depature from regular beads and I am bowled over by that magnificent headpiece.

SAHARA SUNSET:
Orange is not one of my favourite colours, maybe that's why I am not wowed by this costume. The male costume is pretty lame I might add.

ARABIAN NIGHTS:
There are so many different costumes in this section,I guess it represents the harem girls! For the most part I like them all,especially the pink one with the scarf belt and the gold beads attached to the bra, hanging all the way down the belly. I can see a Sonia Mack influence in that headpiece. For the male I think a sheik costume would have been hot, but the male costume is weak..hate it.

SAHARA JUMBIE:
I never liked black for a costume after seeing how wearing that colour cooked a friend of mine a few years ago, and when I say "cooked" I mean she was bright red on Ash Wednesday and could not even touch her own skin to take a bath, it was that painful.This costume looks ok, but the colour is an immediate turn off to me and I did not give it a second look. I have to say it looks quite sexy in the photo from calender we got last night. Which brings me to another point.

The photographs of these costumes are very cool, Wyatt did an excellent job to make the photos look like they were taken in a "desert". But I have to see them upclose and in person before I can make a decision on how they compare to other costumes from other bands. I have learned that sometimes the professional photographs create an impression of the costume but when you see them in real it looks totally different.

Be sure I will be first at the mas camp to check them out when they are open for viewing.