The Business of Mas

It often surprises me to read negative comments directed to owners of Carnival bands who, by other’s estimation, are now flaunting their wealth gained by their profits from producing said Carnival Band. Listen, it is time to realise that Carnival is a business, hence the reason we have so many Mas Bands with a product for 2007 and even more trying to get into the market.Like any other business if you are a success at what you do then you will in turn benefit from a high volume of sales for your goods or services, but that success does not come without it’s own share or struggles, challenges and pitfalls. No one remembers you on your way up, but when you have reached the top suddenly everyone finds a reason to try and pull you down as if you have not earned the right to be there by merit.

Producing a Carnival Band is not an easy venture; producing a Carnival Band that consistently delivers a good product, stellar service where most of your clientele are not only satisfied, but become repeat customers as well as always bringing new ideas to the table to keep your product “fresh”, and customers satisfied is a very difficult job indeed!Thus, if the profits from Carnival can allow the owners and persons involved in the popular Mas Bands to quit their day jobs, why should that be a bother to you, the masquerader? Carnival is their business and when you are the owner of your own business it becomes a 24 hour job; and in order to make the business a success you have to devote 100 % of your time and energy into it.

So, it should come as no surprise that if they can afford to live on their Carnival earnings that they would no longer be employed in any other field. Do you think that producing a Carnival Band is not a real “job”? It is a real job, and one without pension benefits or guaranteed longevity. How many popular Mas Bands have come and gone over the years? Where are Barbarossa, Poison, Stephen Le Heung and Scandalus, among others, today? The money these bands make do not last forever, and thus what they make now has to support them in the future when and if the band no longer becomes a viable business. One of the most successful Mas Bands to date, is HARTS who has survived throughout generations being in the business for 47 years! Not every Carnival Band will be able to have this accomplishment.

And so what if after Carnival, the parties involved with certain Bands bought a new home, or a new car or even new breasts? Does Donald Trump not live in a gold gilded, penthouse apartment and threw a million dollar wedding to wife number three? Do all the people he sold real estate to get upset that they made him rich? Comments like these reflect the envy of persons towards others success and to that I say, if it bothers you so much, that after Carnival these Band owners are making a pile of money you have the power never to play with them again! If you think that their motivation is now greed and that is the reason why some costume prices have gone up by almost 100% in two years, no one is forcing you to play with any one band; there are bands that suit every age group, social standing, taste as well as budget!

I for one applaud people who are self made millionaires; contrary to what your parents told you when growing up, going to school, getting your degree and finding a good job does not always make you rich. So, those who have the guts to keep that goal in mind, work towards it and achieve it should be commended. Where were all the naysayers and critics when TRIBE and Island People started off in Poison with just a small section? Think about how much hard work, skill, foresight, planning and money, of their own they had to invest into these sections when they were fledgling to make it grow and become the entities that they are now.

I remember when Tisha, Marlon and Wyatt brought their first section in what was then Barbarossa, and saw them making costumes by hand, in that tiny mas camp in St. James, hustling to finish the job in time so that their masqueraders would be happy. Do you know how many years ago that was? Sandra Hordatt, who is also, now with Island People, was the costume designer. Seeing them now involved with Island People you would think they are newcomers on the scene, but they have already paid their dues over the years, more than you or I would ever know.

So when you see persons enjoying the fruits of their sacrifices and hard work years later don’t be resentful; I am sure that success did not come without a price. Ask yourself if you are able to do what they have done? If so then go ahead and bring a new band for 2008, then come back and tell me how easy it was! It is effortless for us on the outside looking in to give our opinions on how THEY should spend their money, or comment on the fact that so-and-so went to Germany for World Cup (by the way I know several people who went to Germany who are not even close to being millionaires). How do YOU think they should enjoy their achievement, what can they do to please YOU so that it would not irk YOU to see YOUR costume dollars at work giving them a better living?

At the end of the day, nothing these Band leaders do will please everyone. How many people participated in the Christmas charity drive put on by TRIBE last year? Do you even know they asked masqueraders to join them in providing toys to children for Christmas? Look, I don’t care that these people are good at their business and as a result are now rich; if I have helped them to become so it is only because of my choice. I have also helped many, many, many, many, many business owners in Trinidad become rich as well and you know what I do not begrudge them that!

They provide a service or product that I am willing to pay for, and at the end of the day if I wanted that to be me, I would get my ass up from behind this computer, take a risk, go out there, do what needs to be done, put in the hard work and sacrifices to achieve my goal for however long it takes, all the while hoping that my effort becomes a reward to me, seeing as so many new businesses do fail. But the fact that I am not doing that means that either I am content with the station of my life right now or I am scared to take that step. And, I cannot be envious of anyone who has been brave enough to do that, like I said before I applaud their courage and let them enjoy the spoils of that victory, they have earned it!

Pulse 8's Melon Fever is no more!

I was checking Pulse 8's website last night and realised that upon clicking the "Melon Fever" costume photo, another window opened with a message saying the section is no longer available.



The offical word is that the materials used in the costume are not accessible anymore so the section had to be closed. All other sections are still open!

Regarding the Sizing Issue

I got an email today asking for some help in securing a section in TRIBE. The author says that she and her friends would like to play with TRIBE or Island People but her "plus sized" friends are having difficulty securing a costume in either band. So, I asked her several questions regarding the size issue specifically pertaining to TRIBE since it was the first I heard of this and also because I registered a "plus sized" friend myself in Fireman with no problems. Then, I got another email later today from another young lady with the same problem!

That led me to calling TRIBE to clear up this alleged size discrimination only to understand,like I suspected, that TRIBE is in fact making costumes for all sizes and to the masqueraders' measurements.

Other bands have costumes already sized so it is a case of finding your size in the remaining sections but I can safely say this is not the case with TRIBE and NO, I am not their P.R. representative.

Fact is these young ladies, all read my blog and really want to play mas next year so I hope they will read this (before they get my email in response) call the mas camp as soon as they can and get a costume in one of these sections which are still open:

Pierrot Grenade
Bat
Imp
Majorette

TRIBE's phone contact is 1-868-625-6800

Stephen Derek Launches Amazonia

Photos: Frankie Moreno

Today's PULSE section of the Trinidad Guardian features, among other entertainment tid bits, the launch of Stephen Derek's 2007 presentation "Amazonia". The following is an excerpt from that article, click the PULSE link to read more:

"Held two Sunday’s ago at The Mas Camp Pub in Woodbrook, the Amazonia launch offered guests 15 colourful sections at what was a well organised event.

Among Derek’s special guests on the evening were designer Lisa Mollineaux, former King of Carnival Tony Alleng, his brother Andrew, and veteran mas craftsman Pascall Ramkissoon.

Aside from the beautiful costumes on display and good music for dancing, there was also excellent food from caterer Dune Ali of Rib House fame."

©2005-2006 Trinidad Publishing Company Limited

One of These Things is Not Like the Other

Take a good look at the photo above (click on it to make it bigger), it's a page from the TRIBE unleashed magazine for 2006 Carnival, which I enjoy flipping through ever so often because I always see something I missed before or recognise someone I know. Well, it was with great humour that last night, while looking at the magazine yet again, I noticed a costume in that group which does not belong to TRIBE!

I wonder how the keen eye of the photo editor did not realise that the costume is in fact one of Island People's for 2006 from the section "Guardian of Hope".

Just thought I would share that little joke!

Trini Revellers website is up!!

The wait is over people, Trini Revellers website is up and running, finally!!

Only 21 of 36 costumes are up on display, and though there are many costumes several of them belong to the same section; for example D Krewe's Royalty has four different costumes and I see they decided to go with the yellow costume afterall, with some minor changes to the backpack. On a side note, D Krewe has also updated their website and you can view costumes there as well.

I also see they have changed the name of my favourite section, "Royal Court de Versailles" to "House of the Haspburg". I know I am really biased but isn't this costume fabulous!?!:



Here are the website links to some of the special sections listed so far:

Royalty

Declaration of the Rights of Man

Les Fetes Gallantes De Versailles

Paris Brule

Chateau de Versailles

My favourites have not changed; still liking Les Aristocrates, Frost/Hail, House of Hapsburg, Declaration of the Rights of Man and The Royalty. Some of the sections need to be redesigned, good concept but failed in delivery!However I am being nice today, I will not have anything "negative" to say about any of the costumes, but everyone else is free to speak their mind!

TRIBE Update

The only two sections in which both male and female costumes are still available are;

Pierrot Grenadae


and


Majorette


Cow Mas Female is now added to the list of sold out costumes along with Bat and Imp Male.

You know things bad .....

When certain bands start advertising in the newspapers! Imagine my surprise when I was flipping through the daily newspapers and saw an advertisement for one of the "new" bands on the scene for Carnival 2007.

There I was thinking they were advertising a party or some event only to realise that they were in fact advertising the band. Now, I cannot recall seeing a mas band openly advertise in the press before. I have seen billboards, posters, marketing tools such as the calendars and booklets but to take out a paid advertisement strikes me as desperate measures for desperate times.

The thing is, with it being the second week in November and TRIBE, Island People and Harts are the only bands so far with sold out sections, I am sure other bands who launched around the same time are now getting nervous! With TRIBE and Island People still having sections open, when all predictions were that they would have been sold out by now, seems like the competition for the masquerader who are still undecided is heating up a bit!

I am guessing that to be competitive this band in particular should not have priced their costumes so high as a new comer on the Carnival scene. See, they are also suffering the stigma of the band they broke away from with people still thinking that it is the "same ole ting" under a new name. I have seen the costumes, visited the very nicely accommodated mas camp and I am also surprised that at least one section is not sold out as yet.

The advertising does seem a bit desperate to me (and also others in the mas fraternity) and I would think that their P.R. people should have advised them against this move. Instead, in my humble opinion, the better option would be to employ marketing tools aimed at their target audience such as taking out a full page advertisement announcing their sponsors, hilghlighting the fact that the band offers a premium beverage or hosting an afterwork lime at the mas camp or a competition in conjunction with a sponsor where a "free"costume is offered as a prize or being the feature of an article written for the daily newspapers or having the costumes modeled at some event/party/fete.

These are only some of the ideas that I can pull off the top of my head, I am sure with all the experts with years of background experience in Carnival involved with this band they could have come up with a much better idea than a black and white advertisement in the newspaper!
I wish them luck, maybe sales will pick up in the next two months and if I see they implement any of the ideas that I have given for marketing, I am charging a consultant fee!

p.s. If you want to see the ad, check the Trinidad Guaridan on October 30th or November 3rd. I would scan it but, not looking to mash any toes!

Trini Revellers Mas Camp

Yesterday afternoon I made my way to Trini Revellers Mas Camp to have a closer look at the costumes as well as to get an idea of prices. While there I enquired as to when the website will be up and was told tentitively by today.

The Mas Camp is located at Gallus Street at what appears to be the downstairs portion of someone’s house. There was no air condition, I have to point this out since it was a HOT day yesterday, but it was the first mas camp where beverages were on sale!

I counted something like 26 or 27 sections; most of the Costumes were displayed at Trini Revellers Mas Camp, even the special sections that had private mas camps located elsewhere. I was informed that the all sections with the exception of one is offering all-inclusive as an option. Some sections are all-inclusive only while other sections have both the option of costume only or paying additionally for all-inclusive.

Upon closer inspection of the costumes I have to say that while the ideas and drawings of the costumes I had seen prior to the launch were fabulous, somehow the execution failed to deliver and as a result some of the costumes look ok, some could be that much better with some adjustments and some were just downright dreadful.

That being said, I do like “Declaration of the Rights of Man”, “Les Aristocrates”, “Royalty”, “ Les Fetes Gallantes de Versailles “,“Royal Court De Versailles” and the blue and white section with the mask (cannot remember the name!).

It was my luck that Kyle Matas, the young man who designed and is producing the section “Royal Court De Versailles” was at the mas camp adding some touches to his costume display and we had a long chat. I have to say, without bias, that “Royal Court” in my opinion is the best looking costume in the band. While it may not look too much like a “costume” to some people, the details and accessories that go into making the costume is beautifully done and the prices are reasonable for what you are getting at between $2600.00 to $2950.00.

What you cannot see from the photographs is the detail on the corsette; made from peu de soie fabric it is laced on the sides, decorated with appliquéd lace both back and front and has rhinestone straps. The bottom piece of the costume can be adjusted with less fabric or even a shorter skirt if you prefer; the costume can be tailored to any request. In addition the frontline costume with the huge headpiece is sold out, all ten of that special costume are gone! Little details such as a diamante bracelet, ring and the option of a marabou feathered fan or rose “bouquet” all add up to making the costume really stand out from the rest. Kyle informed me that he wants to deliver an ultra-premium all-inclusive experience with champagne, a French themed menu catered by Tony Romas as well as having servers on the road!

Prices for the rest of the sections range from $1550.00 to $2950.00 and the downpayment is $400.00, with one of the more popular sections being Rugeri's "Paris is Burning" which is priced at the lower yet still offers an attractive costume. Hopefully the website will be launched soon and everyone will have access to the costumes with a click of their mouse. From what I have seen so far, the band on the whole looks interesting and it will be anyone's guess as if to they will retain the band of the year title for 2007.

Conquering the Gym

Well, it was not a bad as I expected; I am a bit sore in my legs and it hurts when I laugh, but other than that so far I have yet to feel the full effects of my first offical gym day for the Carnival season.

Seems like everyone who is serious about getting fit for Carnival have decided to hit gym by now, so it was packed! However, as a "newbie" I still got attention from the trainers, and let me say the guys are MUCH easier on you than the females; my "lady trainer" kept saying "You are strong, you can do it...10 more!"

Realistically to achive my goal I will have to go to the gym at least four times a week as my procrastination has robbed me of time! I also need to get in some additional aerobic activity since I am one of those people who prefers aerobics classes, or even walking, to the treadmill and bikes. My session went like this:

Aerobic Activity:
Treadmill
Bike
Step Machine

Abdominal Work:
Crunches
Sit Ups
Twists with Pole

Weight Training:
Leg Machine
Calf Machine
Arms/Chest/Back Machine

Aerobic:
Treadmill

Cool Down:
Stretches

I have no idea of all the names of the machines, so forgive me for saying "leg machine" etc. The worst one has got to be the arm/chest/back machine and my lady trainer pushed me the hardest on it too!Hopefully the soreness does not set in during the day so I can make it back to the gym his evening. I am feeling pumped though and I slept like a baby last night!

My husband says I need time to "rest" my muscles so that they can grow...err, yeah right! He was totally disregarding the trainer and not doing any aerobic activity since he has decided he needs the weight traning more; I don't think he is going to be training me even though he believes he is the expert. I think the hubby fits the character "the wanabee trainer" to the T.

So for all those who have started or are starting the gym soon, good luck to you all!

Imp and Bat Sold Out!

Well, at least the MALE costumes are sold out. Seems like the men are not sticking when it comes to their costumes this year; both Imp and Bat Male costumes are sold out per TRIBE's website.

I guess of what's left those sections were the best of the lot; I like Imp Male actually, it is a much better costume than the male Dame Lorraine which I was quite surprised sold out first ( the poor men in that section must have signed up just to be with their significant other's!).

Who wants to take bets on which Male costume will sell out last?

Cow Mas is cool except for the horns, but men don't really care for headpieces anyway, Pierrot is a bit too "girly" in the colours, can't say I know any man who will willingly wear PINK for Carnival and Majorette, well I guess the sequined vest is just a tad too sparkly for the guys!

My bets are on Pierrot Male selling out last!

Trini Revellers

The mas camp is open for registration from 1:00PM to 6:00PM, however the website is still not up! When last I called for information regarding the website I was told it would be up "soon", maybe "soon" means sometime this week.

In the interim, I plan on making a visit to the mas camp "soon" to check out the costumes up close as well as to get an idea of some of the prices. I also see Islandevents.com has put up a gallery of photos from Trini Revellers launch; so for those still awaiting the website launch, I guess these new photos will have to suffice until then!

Hitting the Gym!!!!

Ok, better late than never right? I have procrastinated enough and today I am starting the gym since the weather lately has been un-coperative for my walks and ruining my "fitness regime"! Hopefully when it stops raining I will also tackle Lady Chancelor Hill, mix up gym days with walking up that hill.

I realise that time really is flying! Soon it will be January and then it's all over, too late to think about "getting fit" for Carnival. So my plan is to continue eating healthy (I have been learning all sorts of new ways to cook pak choi, cabbage and melongene) and couple that with my walking and now the gym.

Funny enough the Trinidad Guardian has a nice description of the "gym characters" in today's fitness section, thankfully I fall into none of the following categories:

Gym characters

Most people who frequent gyms take their training seriously. They are committed to their respective fitness programmes and are focused on reaching their various exercise goals.

A well-equipped commercial gym can undoubtedly change your body and increase your fitness level once you apply yourself properly. However, as in other workplaces, you can find quite an assortment of funny and irritating characters in the gym arena.

Today I thought it would be a good idea to have a lighthearted look at some of these characters.

Read my list carefully and you might recognise one of the following characters in your gym.

THE SCREAMER

This is the guy who screams with any weight he is pressing or squatting, whether it is 50lbs or 500lbs. While it is quite understandable that when you are handling heavy weights a grunt or shout may naturally escape your lips, there are some men who grunt and scream even if they are only pushing ten lbs. They then proceed to drop the weights on the gym floor with reckless abandon, hoping that the noise would then draw your attention to how hard they are working out.

THE GYM BUNNY OR POSER

This woman comes to the gym with matching gym outfits and handbags, moves from machine to machine without breaking a sweat and then after 30 minutes on the gym floor goes to the changing room and re-appears in a new outfit for her aerobics class.

THE MIRROR INSPECTOR

This is a male or female who feels it is his or her duty to ensure that every mirror in the gym is in good working condition. Sometimes when they are on the Stairmaster, they have the potential to put themselves in a deep state of hypnosis with the great degree of admiration they have for their reflection in the mirror. In other words, they become legends in their own minds.

THE BIRDY BUILDER

This is the guy who is never seen in short pants. He always trains in a track suit pants and only does upper body work. The end result: He comes out with a big upper body and skinny legs, very much in keeping with the look of Big Bird or cartoon character Johnny Bravo.

He also flexes his biceps, while taking utmost care to hide his calves, when engaging you in conversation.

THE CELLULITE QUEEN

While it is quite understandable that a woman may develop a fair amount of cellulite on her legs, this person should also take the necessary steps to wear the appropriate clothing to the gym and spare other members the pain of having to view legs that should not be

in mini-shorts, but in more selective gym apparel.

Anjée takes her training seriously and isn’t on the gym characters list.
Photo courtesy Brian Chin Leung

THE COLOGNE KING

This guy needs to understand that perfume and sweat do not mix well; he should avoid trying to use out the entire contents of the bottle in one gym visit. A nice bath, accompanied with a good quality deodorant and clean gym wear, is usually all the preparation necessary for you to make your grand entrance into the gym

arena.

THE WANNABE TRAINER

This guy is neither an instructor or trainer, but he knows everything about training and feels compelled to show you the “correct” way to do every exercise, even if your form is flawless. As a result, you have absolutely no time to enjoy your own company.

THE AEROBICS QUEEN

Even if she arrives late for her class, she manages to wiggle herself into the frontline and then feels it is her duty to indicate to the instructor how much time he must allot for actual aerobics training and how much for floor work.

THE COMPLAINER

This person finds everything in the gym to complain about, ranging from the gym fees to the fact that she is tired of seeing the instructors in green polo jerseys. If the gym was too clean, she would probably complain about that as well.

It takes all types to make up this crazy world we live in and whether you are at work or in the gym, you are sure to spot a character that will bring either a smile or frown to your face. Keep training.


©2005-2006 Trinidad Publishing Company Limited

Gerard Kelly....

In keeping with the vein of Kiddies Carnival, another band launches today. Gerard Kelly will present his 2007 presentation "Wonders of the World" at a family day, complete with face painting, bouncy castle and horse rides for the kids as well as performers such as 3 Canal and Surge advertised to attend.The band launch takes place from 2pm to 7 pm at the Jean Pierre Complex.



Gerard Kelly is also producing a section in Dream Team called "Tempo" and you can get further information from his website on both projects, however no photos of the kiddies costumes are posted as yet.

Rosalind Gabriel 2007

Rosalind Gabriel's website has been updated with her 2007 Children's presentation "Many faces, one Nation". Each costume has a huge "face" depicted on a backpack and from the drawings when you look at the costume without focusing on the masquerader it looks like a giant costumed person; very nice effect. As usual the costumes are fantastic, but pricey.

The very elaborate section Faces of Elizabeth is $1595.00, my favourite "Faces of Shahrazad" is $1695.00 and I see this year she has a section reserved for "teen girls" called "Faces of Mother Nature at $1695.00. When you consider that adult all-inclusive costumes can be had for the same prices of some of these children's costumes they are expensive, but having seen Rosalind Gabriel's costumes before I know each costume is beautifully made, well crafted, very creative as well as the kids do get full use of the costumes. They participate in kiddies Carnival each weekend starting from February 3rd 2007, as well as their big parade on Carnival Saturday AND on Carnival Monday and Tuesday!! In addition, Rosalind provides her own music truck on the road and the option for parents to participate as she designs a costume for those wanting to accompany their kids on the road.

To her credit each year Rosalind Gabriel has sponsored costumes to the girls and boys of St. Mary's Home in Tacarigua. From her website it states that the 50 costumes are rotated each weekend of competitions so that at the end of Carnival each child would have been afforded the opportunity to "play mas". St. Mary's Home is an orphanage and they welcome donations; last Christmas I donated toys, books and foodstuff and it would be nice if those of us who reside in Trinidad can also make an effort this Christmas to donate something, no matter how little, to these children.

For those of you with children who would like them to play mas in 2007, have a look at Rosalind's website as she is offering online registration. And even for those without children,you can simply enjoy looking at the costumes as they are not only beautiful but show that at least with the youth, the creativity in designs of our Carnival costumes is still there.

Diable

Mas Jumbies revolutionary take on J'ouvert "Diable" is soon to be launched. The website will be updated tomorrow, but I do have a preview of what to expect. In the words of the designer, here is a description of the costume:

This is the 20 member special section titled "The Silver Horn Devils". She wears the optional long sarong, a short sarong is standard. The masks are fully lined with padding and are quite light being that they are made of cardboard. Ventilation is also provided by the large face opening and the back which is covered by fabric strips. You wear what you want under the sarong and necklace that way you are free to dress up or down; red and black body paint is freely available.

This section costs TT $300.00 and represents the Gownsmen and Presidents from the Devil & Dragon bands of yesteryear. The materials used, cardboard and cloth represent the Juve mas that is still played. The section is both for men & women, the men don't get the sarong nor the necklace, they have a different version and they have an apron instead of the sarong.

Enclosed is also what the basic TT $200.00 unisex headpiece looks like.

Special section character "The Silver Horn Devils"



Basic headpiece



I have to say the costumes look less like J'ouvert and more like what you would expect for Tuesday mas. I like the fact that you have options for either the long or short sarong as well as the large or regular headpiece; though I think the special section is fabulous!

If I were playing J'ouvert this is a band that I would play with, not only do I like to see young designers making a venture into Carnival, I also like the fact that the costume is something more than just a T-Shirt. I really like the fact that the focus is on the Mas as art.

My initial thought when seeing the long sarong option is that it looks too "clothed" however, the fact that you can wear any matching top or bottom makes it interesting and the long sarong is optional so you can always get the short sarong. A skimpy bikini top paired with the sarong makes the costume very sexy, and for those who want more coverage you can wear a vest.

There is a story behind each of the band's sections, and for the story of The Silver Horn Devils please visit Brain Wong Won's BLOG; it's a good read and he goes into much detail of the concept behind the band "Diable".

2007 Soca Watch

Hey, Toronto Lime has some new, 2007 soca or your listening pleasure. Check it out !

COTT Winners

Shurwayne Winchester was the man of the night at the COTT Awards taking home the top honour of Song of the Year. I am also quite pleased to see that Luta, Morel Peters, won Calypso of the Year. Morel has been a friend of my family before I was even born!. Triniscoca has photos from the event for those interested.

Island Events.com has a full list of the winners and also a review of the performances that I missed after leaving:

Parang of the Year
Francisca Allard- Yo Me Voy de Parranda

Soca Parang of the Year
Damien Joseph and Melinda Joseph- Chinee Parang

Jingle Of The Year
Machel Montano- You (for Courts Trinidad Ltd.)

Gospel Song Of The Year
Jadee- Baptize

Jazz/World Music Composition of the Year
Mugal Patassar and Pantar- Dreadlocks

Rapso Of the Year
Karega Mandela- Give Thanks

Ragga Soca of the Year
Maximus Dan and Samuel Jack- Fighter

Chutney Soca of the Year
Veerendra Persad- Doi Festival

Chutney of the Year
Rikki Jai- Mortor

Treasured Licensee
Republic Bank Ltd.

Golden Achievement Award
Leroy Calliste Black Stalin

Pan Song of the Year
Kerron Boodoosingh, Mark Loquan, Zan and Destra- Colours Again

Classic of the Year
Colin Lucas- Dollar Wine

Groovy Soca of the Year
Shurwayne Winchester and Sean Noel –Don't Stop
Calypso of the Year
Luta- Kaiso Kaiso

Reggae/Dancehall of the Year
Bunji Garlin, Mario Campbell and Tony Matterhorn

New Male Songwriter of the Year
Clyde Headly

New Female Songwriter of the Year
Shakti Rampartap

TSTT's Peoples Choice Song Of The Year Award
Machel Montano- You

Female Songwriter of the Year
Destra Garcia

Publisher of the Year
Jabberwocky Publishing

Song of the Year
Shurwayne Winchester's Dead or Alive

Songwriter of the Year
Shurwayne Winchester's Don't Stop

The COTT Awards

Last night the hubby and I made our way to Queen's Hall for the 8th annual C.O.T.T. (Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago ) Awards. Upon arrival at the venue, we walked a short red carpet with a steelpan accompaniment, were given a program of the night's event and kept supplied with beverages (my diet went askew since I indulged in a few glasses of red wine) during the cocktail reception at the foyer of Queen's Hall.

Many of the popular soca artistes, as well as musicians from other genres, made an appearance last night, freely mingling with invited guests, Officials from the Goverment Ministries as well as persons from the corporate sector. Machel Montano looked outstanding in a pin striped suit, one of the best dressed males at the event in my opinion; he later informed us attendees that his mother accompanied him as his "date":


Machel Montano at the COTT awards

I have to speak up though on the few persons who were dressed in jeans and apparel more suited to a nightclub than an award function, especially when most patrons were dressed in semi-formal or formal wear. Apart from certain artistes whose mode of dress reflects their persona, regular patrons attending these events should really put some effort into dressing as the occasion demands.

After cocktails and hors dourves, we were seated and the show began at the scheduled time of 8:00PM. Following the National Anthem was entertainment by Destra, sporting a new hair style, knee high boots and a micro mini; she performed a rendition of "Colours Again" with the Lydian Singers:


Destra opens the show

The first awards of the night soon followed for Parang of the Year, Soca Parang of the year and Jingle of the Year, the latter was was won by Machel Montano for his jingle "You" used on the "Courts" advertisements:


Machel collects his award

I was quite surprised to see Christopher "Tambu" Herbert singing gospel with the Reverend Angela Williams, he has a very good singing voice. After awards for Gospel Song of the Year and Ragga Soca of the Year, which was won by Maximus Dan for "Fighter", the audience was entertained by the Shiv Shakti Dancers and Rooplal G:


Dance by Shiv Shakti

Soon after, awards were presented for Chutney Soca of the Year and Chutney of the Year then it was time for Machel Montano's performance of "Dance With You". That woke the crowd up a bit, as always Machel delivered a stellar, if more sedate, act with Tisha and Jade "dutty wining" to the delight of the audience. Here is a clip of Machel in action:



For a larger view of the video clip visit My You Tube page:

Work demands necessitated my early departure from the Awards, but not before the Black Stalin was honoured with the Golden Achievement Award. Unfortunately I was not there for the winners of the "big" awards of Song of the Year and Calypso of the Year. But I am sure the daily newspapers will have a list of all the winners, as many media houses were quite well represented at the event.

Island People IS listening ...

Or maybe that should be reading! Just last week Tuesday I did an update on what sections were sold out in TRIBE and wrote about wishing that Island People would update their website to show what sections were sold out so that I do not have to keep harassing them with phone calls.

Well, today I noticed that the website is updated with this information! For website registration it appears that Oasis, Goddess and Defenders, Sacred Sands,Oasis and Jewel of the Nile are sold out. However all other sections are open, providing they have YOUR size available.

Silence on home for Carnival 2007

Seems like everyone is awaiting an answer as to where exactly will be Carnival's "home".Today's Opinion Letter to The Trinidad Express is as follows:

What, we wonder, is preventing the Government from providing a straight answer to the question: Where will Carnival be staged in 2007? Next year's Carnival dates - February 19 and 20 - are known. In fact they have been known for years, so when the Government made its declaration that this year's Carnival would be the last to be centred at the Grand Stand of the Queen's Park Savannah it must have been well aware of the time frame it had set itself, both for the demolition of the old venue and the building of a new, state-of-the-art replacement.

In fact, when Prime Minister Patrick Manning made the announcement he was dismissive of the traditional Carnival site, sneering at it as "a horse shed" and raising expectations of a bright new world for the staging of Carnival 2007's many competitions. The competitions have become integral to the Carnival celebrations although they are not essential to them, Carnival still taking place in the streets and at other venues, even if not a single official competition was to be held during the entirety of the appointed season.

Nevertheless, locals and visitors alike have become accustomed to Carnival's competitive face and, besides, the new centre was not to be a solo-use only site but one that would be used for the benefit of the entertainment communities in Trinidad and Tobago of which Trinidad and Tobago, given its population size, has a fair number. Citizens' concern over not only the Government's apparent inaction but prolonged silence on the issue is understandable.

Either the Government has the humility to inform the population that it has overshot its building bolt and cannot now accommodate a new Carnival centre or it must let us in on its plans to still break down the old and set up the new in the months that still remain, the civic proviso being that this enforced rush must not mean the country is paying more than originally budgeted.

The truth is an ongoing problem with this cash-rich but increasingly planning-poor administration which has a cavalier attitude to its own time schedules, as if time is not money and the money is not the taxpayers', even if it comes directly out of their pockets or, as in the case of the oil revenues, it comes out of those productive holes in the ground that are part of the national patrimony.

Crime ...................

The brutal murder of teenager Parmanan Persaud this week has not only shocked many persons living here, but even those living outside of Trinidad are numb to the fact that their sweet Trinidad and Tobago has lost it's paradise state.

Even though I did not address the murder on my blog, I mean how I could really deal with a topic so sensitive on a forum where all I talk about is Carnival, Modest Goddess has written about it and also has an on going commentary since the tragedy. If you would like to comment or read some more information on what happened please visit Moddess Goddess and Manicou Report.

In light of this latest murder, I know for a fact that many people are scared, worried and concerned that crime is not being addressed properly by the powers that be in this country, and justly are apprehensive about their personal safety for Carnival. All the claims that crime is decreasing by the Government are not supported by the fact that almost daily the newspapers report a murder.

Now I have read that an increased police presence will be mobilized for Cricket World cup, which got me to thinking that it is the same with Carnival, why can’t it be like that for the rest of the year? To be honest with you, during the Carnival period is the only time where I see police and army patrolling the streets, or on the roads at night and in large numbers too. So, the Government can see the importance of protecting foreigners for Cricket World Cup and Carnival (not saying that they should not) but for the rest of the year the same measures are not implemented to protect the citizens that live here!

On one hand I am glad that for the past few years Carnival has been relatively safe, take a read at this Guardian article to understand what I say when I say “relatively safe”; not saying that crimes do not occur, but the protected service tries their hardest to keep the smear of illict activites from staining the "freedom" that is Carnival. For instance, pick pockets come out in droves at certain fetes so you have to mindful of this and not walk with a wallet, stash your cash on your person securely. But if a fight occurs at one of those large fetes like Brass Festival, police officers step in to terminate it before it escalates into something serious.

In that sense they are working to keep criminal activity to the minimum. It’s the same with J’ouvert, now it starts later so there is less chance of something like a robbery happening under the cover of darkness, and there are lots of police on the streets for J’ouvert and on Carnival Tuesday as well which provides some comfort and hopefully keeps the criminals on their toes .But on the other hand, I continue to live in Trinidad after Carnival is over; when the visitors have returned overseas with their departure the “security” of the police is gone as well. We do not see them on the streets or on the highways in the same numbers as for Carnival. After Carnival is over the madness continues. Well maybe not for all because the rich folks in Trinidad live by a different standard; I know for a fact that areas in the West like Goodwood Park benefit from ROUTINE police patrols, not private security, but the POLICE!

I know the idea that Carnival is the “safest” period to visit Trinidad is not shared by everyone, just ask those who were robbed during the festival, but take it from me it is.As I would advise anyone coming to Trinidad for Carnival, be safe. It sounds simple, but to keep yourself from being a victim you have to be smart, use common sense and try your best to avoid situations that can put your life in jeopardy. Avoid walking with the flashy cameras and video cameras on the road, do not walk around with a lot of cash or “advertise” that you are a foreigner. Choose your fetes wisely; all-inclusive fetes are becoming increasingly popular not only because of what they offer but because of their safety record. Most, if not all bands provide security on the road on Monday and Tuesday, however do not stray away from the band alone; always stay in groups, even if going to the toilet. Make sure you have transportation organized going and coming from all the events you plan on going to and especially for after playing mas. No one wants to be caught alone, in a skimpy costume, half drunk on the streets as Carnival is winding down.Although the Government and protected services try their best to make Carnival safe, we too have to take responsibly for our own safety.

TRIBE Open for Registration this Saturday

Just got this email from TRIBE:

Open for registration this Saturday!



Due to numerous requests, the Mas Camp will be open this Saturday 4th November only

between the hours of 12:00pm to 4:00pm.



Regular Business Hours: Monday to Friday from 12:00noon to 6:00pm.



Costumes are available in the following sections:

Cow Mas

Imp

Pierrot Grenade

Bat (female only)

Majorette



Accepted forms of payment are Cash, Linx or Cheque.

More Trini Revellers Photos

Interesting observation I made when looking for photos from Trini Revellers launch; apart from carnivalscene.com none of the online photo sites such as Island Events, Triniscene,Trini Crew,Island Mix, Lizzard Blizzard or Trini Pulse featured any photos from the launch while they have galleries of photos from all the major bandlaunchings thus far.

Have they failed to realise that Trini Revellers is the reigning band of the year (for the third time I might add) and as such I would think that their launch would attract more interest than it was given! Not that I have anything against Genesis, but that launch was poorly attended, not to mention the entire band comprises a total of masqueraders that would fill ONE section in Poison, yet photos from the launch showed up on several of those photosites.

Anyway, Trini Jungle Juice has provided photos as well as a review of the launch; gallery 1 and gallery 2 can be seen by clicking the highlighted links.

Boots Pics!!

I have been getting emails asking for information on Natalie's boots and funny enough I even got requests for photos of what they looked like,when someone (Jamette) was kind enough to send me photos that she took yesterday. Those are her sexy legs modelling the boots.

So here are some photos of the boots that Natalie did for Island People's launch, all of these are displayed at her store Vamp on Mucurapo Road St.James.

"Jamette" modelling the boots worn with Raiders of the Desert:


These are Natalie's boots that she wore with her costume for 2006, Island People's Fairies:


Matching boots for the section Jewel of the Nile, note she has two styles here, one with beads and one without:


Sacred Sand:


Harem Dancer/Arabian Nights:


Raider's of the Desert:

Island People is Not Sold Out.

Sections are still available at the mas camp as follows:

FEMALE:
Arabian Princess
Harem Girl Pink
Nubians (regular and frontline)
Taureg(regular and frontline)
Cacti (regular and frontline)
Sahara Jumbie (regular only)
Raiders of the Desert

MALE:
Arabian Prince
Sultan
Taureg
Sahara Sunset
Cacti
Mirage

Please note that even though sections are still open for females all bra-sizes are not available. One of my friends registered in Taureg last week only becuase she was a B cup. So, if you are interested in any of these sections check with the mas camp to see if they have your size first.

New Venue for Carnival 2007 will be revealed soon

Today's Trinidad Guardian has reported that the Minister of Culture, Joan Yuille Williams has plans to inform the public of the new venue for mas; I am waiting with baited breath on this one, though I am liking the idea of using the paved area of the Savannah for panorama :

BY CORDIELLE STREET

A new home for next year’s Carnival festival is expected to be announced soon. A source said yesterday that Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Joan Yuille-Williams has received a definitive proposal from the National Carnival Commission (NCC) board for a new venue.

Yuille-Williams recently announced Government’s plans to forge ahead with the controversial $400-million Carnival Cultural Centre, which is expected to replace the Grand Stand on Queen's Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain.

Environmentalists, artistes and some citizens have protested the plans for the cultural centre, which at one time was said to cost as much as $750 million.

Carnival stakeholders have also confirmed submitting proposals for alternative venues to the traditional Queen’s Park Savannah, which was the home to the Parade of Bands and Panorama.

Newly re-elected Pan Trinbago president Patrick Arnold said yesterday his organisation submitted plans to NCC for a new venue for Panorama months ago.

He said they received positive feedback on the proposal to shift the festival to the western end of the savannah, using the paved area obliquely opposite Stanmore Avenue.

“The board examined it; they liked it and they can even entertain the idea of hosting the Parade of Bands there,” said Arnold.

He insisted that a decision on a venue needed to be made as soon as possible, because Carnival Monday and Tuesday, 2007 will fall on February 19 and 20.

However, National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA) president Wrenwick Brown said utilising any part of QPS may not be part of the picture.

Both Brown and Arnold admitted that the latest buzz is that QPS may be completely off-limits, a situation with which Brown, for one, is comfortable.

He said there were benefits to keeping the Parade of Bands moving fluidly throughout the streets of PoS, and insisted that the public understood that the savannah stage was simply a judging point.

NCBA also submitted their choice of a new venue, but Brown refused to disclose their alternative.

“We are not going out of Port-of-Spain,” assured Brown.

Meanwhile, the launch of C2K7, scheduled at the end of this month, has been postponed.

NCC Chairman Kenny de Silva confirmed the delay, but was unable to supply a future date for the celebrations.

Attempts to contact Yuille-Williams proved futile yesterday.


©2005-2006 Trinidad Publishing Company Limited

Dream Team's Website is up!

I was wondering what was going on with Dream Team, seeing as other bands have launched after them and their websites were up and running soon after. Well the wait is over, for those who were waiting, you can now view the costumes and prices at the newly updated Dream Team website.

The professional photoshoot has done the costumes justice I might add, they look much better than at the launch with a greater ability to see the details. My only question is, where are the male costumes for some sections? I see prices for the males but no photos, unless you click on the link to the individual website for the specials sections that have one where you get more photos of the costumes including the male.

Prices seem to be consistent, ranging from $2245.00 to $2295.00 for backline, $2895.00 to $2995.00 for frontline and males at $1895.00. Of all the sections, I am liking Luna Rhythm the best, followed by Exotic Rhythm though I cannot understand the reason for the cape on the latter costume and Chutney Bacchanal which was not one of my favourites at the launch, but it does look good in the professional photos.

Image Nation presents "Jungle" for 2007

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email this morning on a band which will be making it's debut for Carnival called Image Nation, their presentation for Carnival 2007 is "Jungle". Although it is their first time bringing a band the designer has done designs for "2 Peas and a Pod", a band which entered the Carnival scene in 2006.

To me, it's always great when new bands providing alternative options for Carnival are highlighted since it seems that only the "bikini and beads" bands get all the attention and all the criticism as well. The fact is, which I have been saying all along, there are bands that cater to all tastes and individuals. Those who want bikini and beads by all means find a band that provides that, however do not overlook the fact that bands like Image Nation making a contribution to Carnival as well.

With that said, from the following information provided Image Nation intends to give masqueraders not only an all-inclusive experience, but it is being deliberately catered to only 1500 masqueraders to keep a sense of "community" in the band. Click on the image for a larger view where you can read all about Image Nation and their philosophy behind their presentation "Jungle":

And here is a first look , as well as some information on the costumes from the 11 sections of the band (click on the image for a larger view)

Some more information on Image Nation and their presentation Jungle for 2007, from one of band leaders:

"1.We are doing a large medium sized band which for judging purposes is no more than 1000 people. We want to pamper our people, providing them with the best in service and treatment. we are doing eleven sections at an average of sixty paying mas players per section. To this we will add another 100 to 125 performers and 40 costumed staff and other non paying partners like sponsors. This should top us out at around 800. There will be security and other service people that will add another 75 to 100 people to the whole. Moreso we should have about 10 individuals, which along with the costumes, especially the shields, will give the band the look of a large band.
If the band sells exceptionally well and early we may be able to add more paying patrons.

3. the price range averages at $1800.00 and there will be a separate and different costume for Monday

4. music will be two disc jockeys. we are also looking to have live performers with the djs. they will perform on the trucks with tracks. we are also looking at a 'riddum' section.

5. We will have the full range of drinks - water, energy drinks, juices, sodas, coconut water, soft drinks, malts, shandy, stouts, beer, gin, vodka, whiskey, rum, baileys and alize along with drinks mixed for the jungle theme.

Our track record and experience is one of providing a superb carnival, but that as you will see is only a small part of the whole."

Contact information:
Addresses/Mailing - 39 Buller Street Woodbrook, Port Of Spain, Trinidad
Website: www.imagenationltd.com
email - imagenationltd@gmail.com

Trinidad Junction

Based on all the advertisements already on Carnival Junction for costumes wanted with a few for costumes to be sold, I know the word is out there that the site exists. However, very few people in cyberspace are aware that Carnival Junction also has a "little" sister, the website Trinidad Junction.

The creator and manager of the two websites is a young, Trinidadian lady by the name of Nikkia Reveillac who came up with the idea for Carnival Junction this year when looking for a Carnival costume "late" in the game. Now she has developed Trinidad Junction to highlight Trinidadian talent, being a dancer herself, focusing on different genres such as art, poetry, music as well as dance, with interviews and features of Trinidad artistes on her website. I have been following the website from it's inception and to date have only seen it growing steadily in content.

I am quite pleased to see that each day more artists are contributing to Trinidad Junction since I know that Nikkia feels passionately about having a space where other talented individuals, like herself, can be highlighted. To be honest I always knew that Trinidad had talent but I was unaware so many of our people are out there, overseas, doing well for themselves in fields such as dance and art. I read Trinidad Junction, and The Junction Blog, every day.

So hopefully everyone who visits my blog will take a peek at Trinidad Junction, if only to feel proud that we Trinis have so much talent and help spread the word to other artists who might not even know that a forum like this exists. Hats off to Trinidad Junction for doing an excellent job so far and continued, increasing success for the future.

Camouflaging Imperfections

Carnival Jumbie (Diva) highlighted an excellent product on her blog recently called Dermablend which is used to cover up skin imperfections such as stretch marks, vitilligo and varicose veins as well as skin blemishes and acne scars. Her review is quite comprehensive and she has even road tested the product for Carnival, check out her blog for more information and tips on where to get the product locally.

For those who do not have access to Dermablend as it is somewhat expensive and only sourced at certain cosmetic outlets in Trinidad, Sacha also has a product that promises to deliver the same results. I have never used Sacha Camouflage but did accompany my friend to their outlet on Wrightson Road two years ago so that she could get colour matched for Sacha's Camouflage makeup. According to her it worked perfectly as she wanted to cover up stretch marks for Carnival and has been using the product every Carnival since then.

So, for those who want to play mas in thongs and have worked out at the gym all year hoping to go stocking less only to be plagued by stretch marks on body parts you never thought they would appear, either one of these products can be your solution to "perfect" skin.

As Diva says, if you don't have it fake it!

Mr. Montano

If it is one man who can send me into a total, unbridled frenzy come Carnival time it is Machel Montano. Seriously, when he performs onstage I loose every bit of self respecting dignity and scream his name until I get hoarse, much to the amusement of my husband who sends me into a frenzy for the other 363 days of the year, and I get so high off his music it's like the drug of Carnival. It's as if my body has a mind of it's own when he opens his mouth to sing, discovering moves that I never thought I could accomplish without years of yoga training and nothing gets me in the mood for Carnival more than seeing Machel perform live.

Each year I wait to hear what new soca he has for the season, and each year he never fails to up the ante! Always something new to add to the mix, though I thought the year he brought Junko was a penultimate! I remember the first time I saw her perform with Xtatic was at Jamboree's fete at Pier 1. By that time I was used to the acrobatics of Machel's "Power Puff Girls" so I was expecting another raunchy performance by them, but then he stopped his set and said "Where my girls them?" and a spot light hit the top of a scaffolding high above the stage where Ms. Junko was wining ON HER HEAD. Yeah, jaws took a long time to be scraped off the floor after that introduction. Outside of Carnival I am nothing close to being a Machel fan, I see him from time to time when he comes into my office and apart from a polite smile I go about my business as usual, his power over me is only when he is onstage.

Since the V.I.P. stand came falling down at his concert many years ago I have yet to return to another of Machel's concerts. At that time I was actually in V.I.P. , luckily not on the stands, but being involved in that tragedy where I saw many people injured left a sour taste in my mouth for any type of large concert like that. I prefer to see Machel perform at a fete where I can get up close to the front of the stage and where these isn't a massive crush of people who can get too crazy over Mr. Montano for my liking.

I am still waiting to hear what Machel has new for 2007, apparently those who were at his concert at Miami Carnival already got a taste to wet their appetites. Sadly, all I have to do is wait until his new music is launched in Trinidad.In the meantime here are some videos from YouTube of Machel performing with Walker and Machel at Bacchanal Wednesday. Those should brighten your Sunday morning. And you can also check out his My Space if you are a huge fan.

Vive La France

Another private section from Trini Revellers will be having their launch tonight at Cro Bar, this one is called "Vive La France" and it is being produced by D Harvard Section & Young Revellers. The website is now up with photos of both versions of the costumes.

Red, white and blue is not a colour combination that appeals to me for a Trinidad Carnival costume, however I see the relevance to the theme and in this case it looks a little less "Fourth of July" than expected. I was privy to a sneak peek of the photo shoot that was done earlier this month and from that preview I have to say I like the Tri Colour costume, though it looks less like the other clothed sections from Trini Revellers and more like something I would expect from Poison. In that, I can see it appealing to the masqueraders wanting "bikini and beads" as opposed to the other unique designs I have seen for Trini Revellers. For those wanting a bit more coverage D Harvard Section's "Celebration" fits the bill.

I am quite surprised at the prices, to date I think these are the cheapest I have seen an all-inclusive section (on par with Rugeri's "Paris is Burning)! It should also be noted that they also offer online registration with Senvia AND a section DJ.

Young Reveller's section "D Tri Colour" is priced at $1650.00 for the female costume, with backpack option costing $2050.00 and the male costume $1295.00:


D Harvard Section has two costumes, the female "Celebration" at $1550.00 and the male "France under Napoleon" at $1295.00:




Both sections are all-inclusive, which includes the following per the website:

Section DJ - Hocus Pocus
Monday - Security, All Drinks (Scotch, Rum, Vodka, Beer, Wine, Chasers & Coolers, Coconut Water, Water) Snacks

Tuesday - Security, All Drinks
Breakfast (Corn Soup, Pies, Sandwiches, etc.)
Lunch, Snacks

On Carnival Monday we will promote the wearing of a
t-shirt that will be provided and our theme for Carnival Monday would be "To France with dat"

Contact Information

Mas Camp: 637-7248

Tony: 678-2919
Gerry: 680-4513
Miguel: 678-6124
Stefan: 682-7583
Gavin: 767-9936

Email: info@dharvardsection.com

Website: www.dharvardsection.com

Mas Camp: 10 Crystal Heights, Diego Martin
Hours of Business - Mon to Thurs 6pm - 8pm
- Friday 6pm - 8pm | Sat 12pm - 6pm

Les Fetes Gallantes de Versailles

Last evening I attended the offical mas camp opening of a private section from the band Trini Revellers. The section is "Les Fetes Gallantes de Versailles"and the section mas camp is located on 17 Anderson Street, St James. It's the street behind Smokey & Bunty and you cannot miss it, there is a well placed sign as well as you can see the costumes displayed from the streets.

I arrived at the mas camp early since I was headed to an afterwork lime at Trotters, so I don't know how much of a "fete" it turned out to be after I left. Everything was well organised for this launch; the costumes were well displayed, flyers were available with information on the costumes and I was even presented with a CD of photos. In addition there was a live D.J. who kept the soca pumping.

The costumes are attractive, different from the "norm" in that there is no large feathered headpiece or typical beaded belt, the back of the bottom piece is reminicent of a "saucy" little skirt that can be worn long or short. Purple is not my favourite colour for a costume, but the purple and orange combination in this one was done well, I think the design will appeal to both old and young as their are options for a whole suit, two piece with long beads or a skimpy two piece with short beads. My only question is why is the parasol of a netted material? I would think a bonus to carrying it around all day would be to shade you from the sun, as it is it offers no protection and only adds a "cuteness" factor to the costume.

Prices range from $2250.00 for the whole piece option, $2450.00 for the two piece, $2650.00 for the bustier and $1950.00 for the males; the section is all-inclusive .

Bustier Option:




For more information and photos please visit the website.

Contact info:
Telephone: (868) 628-1881
Email: info@lesfetestt.com
website:www.lesfetestt.com

Revolutionaries:
Halcyon Prescott (868) 620-5847
Tosca James (868) 792-8772
Lester Weekes (868) 741-9800

Saucy Wow ......2007!!!

I have heard my first soca for 2007 Carnival, I guess I was living under a rock because this morning was the first time I heard "Bicycle Wine" by Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon! On first listening I think this is the best soca she has come out with for years "Put yuh feet to the pedal, yuh waist to the base......Pedal back, back back..Pedal front, front, front!!" The song made me feel like it was Carnival Tuesday yes! And you know I cannot wait to see her perform THIS one live!

Another song I heard was "Miss Elias", I believe that is the name, by Impulse and there is a new song by Fireball but I did not catch the name. All I have to say is finally, we have new soca on the air waves! Someone left a comment that Machel also released three new songs at his concert at Miami Carnival, well I am waiting to hear those as well.

It was as if I was injected with the Carnival spirit this morning! Just this week I was lamenting not hearing any new soca and today I was hit with it full in my face, one behind the next. As you guys can tell, I am not even feeling the "jingle bells" and Christmas Carols that are playing ever so softly on the radio right now. I like Christmas , I love getting presents but I don't go all out like I do for Carnival.

There is no baking, cleaning obsessively, buying up a storm ...no people, I get my black cake from my mom, pre-order my pastelles, get my ham and turkey from the Deli at Hi-lo already cooked and once I have drinks I am good to go! So it will be soca blasting at my house (if I am home) on Christmas day!!!

My Boots are Ordered!

Yesterday afternoon I made my way to Vamp boutique on Mucurapo Road to see Natalie about getting my boots made to match my Fireman costume.

Seems like the word has gotten out that she did those fabulous boots the models wore at Island People's launch because to date she has over 25 orders for custom made boots. And, from masqueraders playing in both Island People and Tribe.

I decided to get gold, mid calf peaked boots which she will then decorate to match my costume with red and gold trim and beads. Natalie also offered me the option of a wedge heel or regular flat boots with a one inch heel, I chose the regular boot with the one inch heel. The cost for my boots are $300.00TT or $50.00US. She also does more elaborate boots with appliques and lots of beads, those cost $475.00 TT, but although well decorated it is easier for me to reuse the less decorated boots that I chose by simply removing the trim and beads. So, for me, the $300.00 boots have more potential to be worn again for another Carnival.

The whole process yesterday involved getting a drawing of my foot, then measurements of my calf, height of the boots, ankle, arch etc. When these boots are made they will only be able to fit MY foot perfectly, and I will also be able to wear Dr. Scholls gel insoles with them as they are made to accommodate insoles.

Now I left the decorating up to Natalie, with no specific instructions of how I wanted it done, to me she is the "expert" and all the boots I have seen her create have been perfectly matched to the costume, so I have no fear that she will give me what I want. In addition she has been quite a busy bee, and has designed boots for all the sections of Island People!

I got a peek of the sketches and she is using feathers on the boots for the section Goddess, beads to match Le Soleil Brule and a host of other unique ideas for the other sections. Natalie also told me that she is doing boots for Warrior Spirit in Tribe, among other sections, and shared her ideas on what those will look like as well.

My girl friend, who is also playing in Fireman, will be back to Trinidad on December 18th, so I made sure to ask Natalie if she will be able to order her boots then and she informed me that December is not too late. A down payment of $200.00 is needed upon ordering your boots with the balance payable upon collection.

For those who want to get in contact with Natalie her number is 868-736-8455 or 868-622-8429 or you can email her at vampstore@yahoo.ca.

Natalie only returned from London a few days ago so if you were calling or emailing her before and got no response, she is back now!

Deciding on my footwear and actually ordering them is one less thing to worry about for my Carnival preparations; now I only have to get stockings, make up, body jewelry and my Monday wear over the course of the next three months! It may seem like I still have a lot of time, but the Carnival divas know that we are getting down to crunch time now, November is almost here, after that it is Christmas and soon it will be January with February fast approaching. Time to start preparing people!

Chutney

Ronnie and Caroline Mc Intosh have a special section in the band Legacy called Chutney, which incidentally is the costume that I happen to like alot.

The website is now updated with photos of both the male and female costumes and prices of $1995.00 female and $1795.00 male. The section is all-inclusive and includes Monday wear!

Contact information for both Trinidad and New York can be found on the website.

Red Ants in Blue Range this weekend

Trinigyal I am not really into fete promotion, but I looked on the other websites that are into that genre and did not see this advertised so I am posting this flyer JUST for you:

Click on it to make it bigger:

Flying High

Ok, I was NOT going to say anything but I am pretty pleased about having my first article published in a regional magazine thus I will gloat a little!

For those of you who do not know I have dabbled in writing in the past; I have written articles that were published in both the Vox (Trinidad express) and the Trinidad Guardian's Magazine and I also pursued English as my major, with written communication being one of my favourite forms of expression, as you can tell by my dedication to this blog.

Still, it did come as a surprise when I was approached to write an article about Trinidad Carnival for the in flight magazine of Caribbean Star Airlines "Altitude". I must also thank triniscene.com for supplying me with the photographs that will accompany the article as well as Alison and Michele for believing I could deliver what they wanted.

Look out for my article which will be published in the December issue of Altitude Magazine.

Bliss in January

It is official my first Carnival fete for 2007 will be Bliss, TRIBE's 2nd annual all-inclusive event which will be held on January 13th 2007.

For 2006 my first Carnival fete was Island People's Amnesia, a fete which I have enjoyed immensely in the past but failed to meet my expectations this year, so I am giving Bliss a try for a new experience.

This year Bliss was held at Jamboree Park in Valsayn (I hope they keep it there again so I can literally walk out my door and be there feteing in 10 minutes tops!) and I heard from friends who went that there was a variety of food to choose from, with a wide array of delicacies from Arabian, Italian and Caribbean Cuisine to a Soup station and even a chocolate fountain which I sampled at Amnesia the following week and it was awesome!

Carnivalscene.com wrote the following review of Bliss:

Yet again fast on the heels of a fabulous event we had the privilege of attending TRIBE’s first All Inclusive BLISS. Well if heaven wasn’t jealous, we certainly were. Check out our review below

VENUE: Jamboree Park, Valsayn

PARKING: Valsayn North,

TRANSPORT: Within walking distance none required.

Our Carnivalscene crew arrived at 3:45pm just before the start of the party. Jamboree park was transformed into a very ethereal venue, well in keeping with the theme of BLISS. Greeted by ‘Moko Jumbies’, patrons (who were there promptly at 4pm) were ushered down a walkway (after using the ecard, first time in a carnival fete in T&T) enclosed by white cloth and filled with a white mist, to be greeted by the lovely Digicel female angels who presented them with a Digicel ‘rag’ as a memento.

Upon entering to our left, we were pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of food provided by the BLISS committee, all very professionally and meticulously laid out. One booth for special mention would be the fruit booth, with its wide assortment of delectable fruity delites; strawberry, watermelons, grapes, pineapple, portugal and many more, great idea for masqueraders watching their weight. All in all though, it has to be said that the variety and amount of food provided was positively heavenly or sinful depending on whether you were already able to fit into your costume or not.

Again we saw the Fresh Zone booths at the entrance to the restroom area. A great hit with the patrons (this reviewer especially enjoyed the hand massager, marvelous..!!). As in previous fetes, the restroom area was kept meticulously clean, this seems to be a trend in the All Inclusives this year, keep up the good work.

I have definitely kept the best for last. Very nice job by the couple playing the harp and the violin over that loud music (and yes they were playing not faking it..!!). An Ice Sculptor made a very exquisite ice glass for the cans of Red Bull to reside in (on speaking with the Red Bull representative, patrons were supposed to be served some concoction from the glass, but it had a hole L). When I thought there would be nothing else I saw the Ice Sculptor on a platform carving an ice angel surrounded by what can only be described as angels (too bad TRIBE isn’t playing ‘Heaven’ cause that costume was very nice). These lovely ‘angels’ were circulating in the party, generally mingling with us lesser mortals J and having a good time.


ENTERTAINMENT:
DJ playhouse started the fete nice and easy, bringing up the pace according to the amount of people in the fete and the amount of alcohol consumed by the patrons. When, the sun set, enter HI Fidelity and Less Than Zero, pressure !! Their specific purpose was to whip the crowd into a frenzy (mission accomplished). Rest, drink, eat…..while Xtatik setup on the stage, Finally, the Prince of Soca, Machel Montano entered the stage and as usual, delivered a very energetic performance, teasing the crowd to ‘heavenly’ heights. During his performance, he actually got assistance from a crowd member willing to demonstrate his latin salsa moves, while Machel sang a tune (completely in Spanish, well done Maestro), great performance from them both. Very soulfully, Machel sang acapella style, ‘We not giving up’, dedicating it to the TRIBE committee for a job well done. After that rendition, Machel proceeded to raise the energy level of the crowd, making them ecstatic with ‘heavenly joy’. Exit Machel, back on with the DJ who mellowed the ‘vibes’ of the fete giving patrons a chance to relax, eat some more food, drink more beverages. All playing while Atlantik setup for Destra. Onto the stage she came, with helium filled ballons being let off into the air (don’t think many people noticed and not very environmentally friendly L). As usual, Destra performed with great style and panache, letting the masqueraders know that she was in fine form for Carnival 2K6. Little hiccup, Destra introduced Maximus, who regrettable was nowhere to be seen. Not skipping a beat, she continued to perform carrying the crowd until 11:30pm.

Only negative for this fete was, nowhere to sit and eat, venue was a bit too small for that, maybe the TRIBE crew will revisit the use of Jamborree Park next year.

For a first time, this fete gets a ‘heavenly’ 8.0 out of a possible 10 stars

And you can find photos of the event at Carnivalscene.com and triniscene.com.

I have to add that for those considering Amnesia it was a good fete. The space at Pier 1 was maximised to full advantage but in the early evening it seemed that everything was a bit too spread out as people tended to converge in pockets around the venue and you lost that "party" atmosphere. When the performances started however all the action was upfront and the crowds filled the area of Pier 1 where the stage was located. My other criticism would have to be that the food, choices were too limited and for the price I paid, which was $450.00 I expected more to be honest. Other people also had that complaint so I expect for 2007 that issue would be addressed. There was lots to drink, however, including cocktails, Johnny Walker Green (which got me sick) and champagne. I missed out on a massage since I had no idea that patrons were being pampered like this, which goes to show you need to pay attention to all that is being offered at these swanky all-inclusives.

Check out the photos of Amnesia on triniscene.com!

Mas Updates

Island People's in-house costumes are still available in Sahara Jumbie (back line), Nubians (female) , Raiders of the Desert (female ), Cacti and Taureg. That means guys can only get costumes in Sahara Jumbie, Cacti and Taureg and frontlines are available in Taureg, Nubians and Cacti. Interestingly both Island People and TRIBE have just 5 sections left!

D Krewe's website is www.krewecarnival.com and not www.dkrewecarnival.com as I posted before. The error is not mine since the latter website is also posted on the keychains they gave out at the mas camp!The new website is not up as yet, but please update your bookmarks!

Another all-inclusive section from Trini Revellers with a website "coming soon" is D Harvard Section. Hopefully these websites will be up soon seeing as Trini Revellers has not updated their website as yet.

MAS Jumbies

2007 Carnival will see another new band making it's debut, but this time it won't be "pretty mas", but "dutty mas". The J'ouvert band MAS Jumbies will launch on October 29th according to the band leader and designer Brian Wong Won who is also an artist and maintains a very detailed blog about Carnival and his new project for Carnival 2007.

For more information about the j'ouvert band please visit Brian's blog as well as the website Mas Jumbies where you can learn about all that this band has in store. From everything I have read the intention is to bring back the spirit of traditonal old mas and the costumes will be treated as "artwork".

This undertaking sounds very interesting and I am quite curious to see the costumes. From the beautiful artwork displayed on the blog I can only imagine the vibrancy and talent that would be infused into the presentation since the costumes will also be part of his art exhibition which will open on Feburary 6th 2007 at the Horizon Art Gallery in St. James.

Masquerade Photos

Trinicrew.com has photos from Masquerade's media launch last weekend. I believe they compete as a medium band, and their presentation for 2007 is "Golden Heritage - A Tribute to Mas". The offical band launching will be held on November 11th at the Anchorage. From those photos I even see they have an "Indian Mas", which inspite of the headpiece looks pretty good:

5 more sections left in TRIBE

Well another section in TRIBE has sold out, the next one gone is Jab Molassie . It's a nice costume, I even like the tail, but I am not liking the headpiece. If the headpiece was done similar to the frontline' s, a scaled down version maybe, to me it would look more attractive, however it is sold out so I guess lots of people liked it. That leaves 5 more sections open, I am taking bets on when the entire band will sell out.

On another note, I wish Island People would kindly indicate on their website what sections are sold out as well. It would save me from having to harrass them at the mas camp yet again to get an update for those persons who do not reside in Trinidad.

Carnival Time Again

The Trinidad Guardian has a nice encapsulated review of the band launchings which occurred over the weekend:



Statuesque Ria Nelson portrays Back to Africa, a tribute to the late George Bailey.

Photo: Lester Forde



Leggy Tiffany Williams and Terry See Tai portray Viva Zapata from a winning Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars presentation.

Photo: Lester Forde

Carnival 2007 is well on its way, so much so almost all the popular mas bands have launchd their presentations. Among the main players still keeping the public in waiting is Brian MacFarlane with his presentation of India.

Last weekend saw main Band of the Year contenders, defending champion Trini Revellers and Legacy unveil their presentations, as well as Stephen Derek with a media launch at The Mas Camp Pub.

On October 14, Legacy launched Hiawatha at The Anchorage in Chaguaramas, with a huge crowd in attendance and, on Wednesday, Masquerade and Chris Humphrey showcased Golden Heritage—A Tribute to Mas at the Cruise Ship Complex.

Legacy’s Hiawatha is based on a native American Indian theme, Hiawatha being the title of an epic poem written in 1855 about a fictitious American Indian personage of the same name. The band will pay tribute not only to that civilisation but also to our local traditional Red Indian mas form.

The Legacy launch kicked off at the adjacent Tsunami Beach Club with a VIP/media reception. Walking through the entrance, which had been transformed into a wigwam, the specially-invited guests were greeted by a group of masqueraders dressed in authentic Indian costumes and presented with feathered necklaces.

Guests were treated to a complimentary premium bar and hors d’oeuvres in anticipation of the special showing of Legacy’s 2007 costume designs. A total of 22 sections were displayed, bearing catchy names like Apache Fire, Cherokee Trail, Laughing Water, Indian Summer, Seminole Nation and Soca Warriors.

Judging from the enthusiastic response, the audience was well-pleased with Legacy’s offering for 2007. The showing of costumes was repeated at the public event at The Anchorage with a similar show of appreciation from the large audience.

Of special note were the sections Pow Wow and Rainbow Dancers which were displayed by bodybuilders Richard Noel and Gabby Gonsalves and which elicited thunderous applause and screams of delight from patrons.

Legacy road music band Caribbean Traffik Jamm put on a high energy performance showing that they are more than ready for the upcoming Carnival season. During his performance, Iwer George paid tribute to bandleader Mike Antoine and the Legacy team and had patrons following his every direction as they partied into the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Masquerade/Humphrey media launch was also attended by a number of past and present bandleaders, and sponsors, the latter representing corporate citizens like Digicel, National Flour Mills and Ansa McAl Motors.

With special tribute paid to past Masquerade designer/leader Wayne Berkeley, who was in attendance, also at the launch, and receiving tokens for their contribution to mas, were Shane Lee Heung (son of Stephen and Elsie Lee Heung), Raoul Garib, and representatives of Irvin McWilliams, Lionel Jagassar, Stephen Derek, Peter Minshall, George Bailey and Edmond Hart. Other prominent people seen were Michael Headley, Donna Cox, Marita Laurent, Frank Martineau and Lennox Toussaint.

According to Masquerade co-designer Chris Santos: “Golden Heritage—A Tribute to Mas is a tribute to the creative minds and designs of the golden era of Carnivals past as we look back to the many memorable and prize-winning presentations of such greats as George Bailey, Harold Saldenah, Edmond Hart, Stephen Lee Heung, Wayne Berkeley, Irvin McWilliams, Raoul Garib and Peter Minshall, interpreting their creation with a modern twist.” Gregory Medina and Elwin Johnson are the other designers of Golden Heritage.

The Masquerade/Humphrey band will have its public launch on November 11, at The Anchorage.

Legacy’s Mas Camp on Carlos Street, Woodbrook, is open for registration daily from noon to 8 pm. Costume designs and registration information can also be obtained from their web site at http://www.legacycarnival.com

To jog your memories, here are the two sections modeled above from the band Masquerade in drawings:

Back to Africa :


Viva Zapata:

India, The Story of Boyie

Brian Mc Farlane will be launching is 2007 presentation "India..the story of Boyie" on November 30th 2006.

His website has been updated with a new frontpage with this information, and I have to admit I cannot wait for his launch! I am excited already and I have yet to see a costume.

More details to follow soon.