Oasis Carnival Band Launch Photos

Triniscene is first with photos of Oasis Band Launch, you can see their previews album on facebook HERE.

Greeze- Han Is That You?

A comment left on my post "Skullduggery's Prices" led me to do some investigating of my own:

Empath has left a new comment on your post "Skullduggery Prices":


Cally, I will have to take back my wrods after an internet search nearly made me think twice!


I was quite interested in Greasehan, but a friend noted that he was certain that he had seen that costume before...lo and behold a google search found this...the EXACT same suit used as a base for the costume...
http://www.listicles.com/wp-content/upload/moneysuit.jpg
all down to the hat! I am very disappointed ....this cannot be compared to Macfarlane (even though his costumes use local materials...they are all made from scratch!). shame....

And here I was thinking Skullduggery's "Greeze-Han" dress and suit were made from paper money, coated with waterproof material! I guess Bikini, Beads and Feathers (BBF) costumes are not the only ones coming from China!

Money Bunny and Pimp Costumes can be found HERE:

Which brings me to the argument that critics have been lambasting BBF bands with is that the BBF costumes are not being made in Trinidad and we are destroying our culture. So, if BOTH sets of costumes, BBF and "Marse" are importing materials or whole sale costumes and embellishing them with extras how is that different? Trinidad does not manufacture feathers or beads but we surely do not manufacture money suits, tattoo sleeves, skull stockings, plastic chains and skulls either! ....Food for thought.

Well, we can take comfort in knowing that in BOTH "BBF" and  these "marse" costumes some elements ( like the headpieces, back packs, wings, leg  & hand pieces), and in some cases full costumes, are still made in Trinidad....right?

Trini Revellers 2011

"Tales of Merrie Old England"

PLANET ROCK - Harts Carnival 2011

Gosh you know when you are in the throes of band launching season when these mas bands start advertising and giving you sneak peaks and sending your heart all pitter patter with the mere glimpse of teal feathers!

Harts doing what Harts does best! "Planet Rock" launches on August 14th!

PHOTO SOURCE:

Gerald Hart

2010 DC Carnival - Machel Montano Live in The City

Machel Montano Live in the City.

The words say it all.

Kermit D. Frog here, it is DC Carnival Friday night and I am walking past RFK Stadium toward the riot of sights and sounds that heralds the most highly anticipated event for the carnival. The fact that Machel Montano, one of the premier soca artistes in the world, is in concert in Washington, DC is not solely the cause of the hype since he has performed in DC in the past. 2010 however is special because Machel has been on hiatus for most of the year and apart from only a handful of performances (literally), his electrifying stage presence has been missing from many of his customary venues and despite the collective pleadings of his fans, his presence in concert has been very rare. When it was announced that he and his entire HD ensemble would be putting on a show for DC Carnival and simultaneously launching his new album, “Album 34”, I immediately circled the date and eagerly awaited what I hoped would a presentation of epic proportions.

I arrived around 11:45 p.m. and the size of the crowd at the all-inclusive Cotton Mill Project (CMP) entrance initially gave me pause, but after a wait lasting no more than 10-15 minutes, my ticket was taken, I was searched, wristbanded, and ushered inside where a large crowd had already assembled and were in the process of getting their night started correctly. My first priority was food and after entering, all I had to do to find some was to simply walk straight ahead and follow the road to the food tents. After checking out the various culinary options, I decided to go carb-heavy and feasted on Italian and it was mamma mia good. While eating, I was able to survey the entire scene and I was impressed with the layout I saw.

Looking across the venue from the stage left side, the CMP section occupied part of the center stage area with the bar located immediately to the left of the stage. There were also 2 big screen projectors on this side of the party which afforded clear views of whatever was on camera. These screens could be seen all the way from the food in the front, to the restrooms in the back, to the dance area in between, so essentially if you were anywhere on the CMP side of the fete you were able to clearly see the stage, the screens, or both with little or no effort. The food was situated on one side of a paved road that led from the CMP entrance into the venue while on the other side of this road there was a small grassy hill leading down to the main CMP dance area in front of the stage. Separating the CMP side from the general admission side was a line of metal screens which were tall enough that if you were right up on them, they would have certainly impeded your view but that was never a problem because while the crowd was thick, it never became packed to the point where you felt like you had no space to breathe, let alone move. The area was beautifully decorated with hanging lanterns strung between the trees and when the warm breeze blew, you could almost imagine that you were in Trinidad at Carnival time. Apparently this sentiment was shared by many of the other partygoers as the excitement permeating the fete was as strong to the taste as were the drinks being poured at the bar; ahhhh, the bar.

In my opinion, the bar at an all-inclusive fete sets the tone for the entire night. The entertainment (DJ’s, performers, etc) is of course a major component and while quality food can put a fete over the top, a well stocked and well serviced bar can do more to sway opinion more than any of the other facets previously mentioned. On this night, I would grade the bar a solid B and while it did not merit an A grade, its performance, considering the crowd and its location, was commendable. There were times during the course of the night when the bar was especially crowded and the wait for drinks was long; longer than it should have been for such an exclusive section. Also, towards the end of the fete the selection of available liquors did become somewhat reduced but these are issues common to all but the most first-class of bars (think along the lines of the Fatima All-Inclusive) and despite these universal shortcomings, for most of the night the drinks flowed well and the masses never seemed to be without drinks in hand for very long. As is required in the District of Columbia, the bar closed at 2:00 a.m. but this hardly slowed the party down because by that time, we were all fully engaged by the concert and the excellent performances taking place on stage.

Once the live show kicked off around 12:30 a.m. and for its 2½ hour long duration, I cannot for the life of me remember exactly which songs were performed when. I remember seeing the performers on stage and when I look back at my pictures I see hands waving and people wining but, in my memory, the exact details are somewhat fuzzy. This is neither because of alcohol nor any other form of chemical impairment, it is simply because the experience was too overwhelming to attempt to analyze. You had to just live in the moment, in the city, and be thankful that you were there. If asked to name the colors you saw just as a volcano exploded right before your eyes, I wonder how many you would be able to describe. Maybe you would have been so caught up in taking in the awesome awesomeness of the moment that all of the specific details that your brain no doubt saw and recorded would be coalesced into a overall feeling of wonder and amazement quickly followed by breathlessness (after all, a volcano is erupting right before your eyes so of course you are doing your best Usain Bolt impression and are probably running like hell). This is the situation in which I found myself tonight; the fete was so sweet, I had to add water. Although I knew I was in Washington, DC partying hard in an RFK Stadium parking lot, I didn’t feel like I was in the U.S.A. In fact I had the distinct impression that if I closed my eyes, I might reopen them only to find myself in Jenny’s Car Park in Port-of-Spain, with the same wildness going on all around me. It was at this precise moment that I realized what impressed me the most about this night. It was that this fete felt more like a Trinidad Carnival fete than any I have been to outside of Trinidad.

Those of us who travel to Trinidad every year for carnival know exactly what a good carnival fete feels like. As you approach the fete, you can sense electricity in the air and you can clearly see a look in your fellow partygoers’ eyes that says come hell or high water, we are going to have a GREAT time! You can smell the vendors cooking food and you can feel the impossibly deep bass and hear the crystal clear highs emanating from the sound system from a few blocks away. Inside the fete the patrons are nicely spread out (except of course when they want to group together and wine en masse), the bars all over the venue are doing a brisk business, and when a warm breeze blows after you buss a particularly satisfying wine on a young lady in a white pants (tight of course), you experience a feeling of satisfaction very similar to the feeling that I am feeling right now and even though I know in my mind that I am in DC, in my heart I am really in Port-of-Spain.

Tonight, while the fete was raging in front of the stage, the patrons who did not feel like taking part in that jamming were enjoying themselves either wining on the side or simply watching the show from the hill. Tonight, there was something for one and all in the fete from the front-of-the-stage jammette to the chill-at-the-back-chipper and everyone in between, but no matter where you were, you were definitely enjoying the night and when the festivities ended at around 3:00 a.m., I turned to head home wishing for more, but grateful that I had been here to be a part of this wonderful night.

As a concert, Machel Montano Live in the City was a rousing success! The DJ’s did an excellent job of establishing and maintaining a vibe and the live performances were definitely on point especially Machel with his almost 2 hour long show. Maybe the bar could have been a bit bigger and maybe it could have been situated more towards the back of the fete so as to reduce crowding but nonetheless, overall drink services were handled quite well and even the food was good.

Synergy is defined as the working together of two or more things to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects and, in one word, there was never a more accurate description of what I witnessed here tonight. Individually, all of the different components functioned well but on this Friday night, they combined to produce a fantastic event that more than lived up to its hype. It was an excellent concert and in my opinion, only minor tweaking is needed to make this a top-shelf event and I look forward to next year’s edition.

Enjoy the pictures peeps, Kermit has left the building, ahm, I mean parking lot.

Mud Palancing is next…..

2010 DC Carnival - Machel Montano Live in The City - Addendum

Greetings peeps, Kermit here sending you a little follow up note to add to my commentary on the Machel Montano Live in the City fete. I always begin writing my commentary for an event after I edit the pictures because once I see the images I recorded, they sometimes trigger additional memories and impressions of the event and these go a long way toward guiding the shape and flow of my words. Then, once the muse is upon me, the writing goes fairly quickly as I simply try to capture what I am feeling and to record it as completely as I can. There have been times after I send out my email that I remember some point I wish I had made or some comment I had intended to make but forgot to include and usually I just sigh and say “oh well” but today as I was re-reading my e-mail, I realized that I had inadvertently made a omission that I could not just shrug off; I had never named the people responsible for making this night happen. I did not mention that the promoters were Gresham Enterprises.

This is an especially egregious error on my part because their event in 2009, DV8 DC, was such a lightning rod for criticism and many people, myself included, were extremely verbose with their displeasure about Gresham’s presentation that year. Now here we are in 2010, Gresham redoubles their efforts and hosts a concert event that was a major success and they get no mention in my write up. This is completely unjust on my part because for as much as their efforts were roundly criticized last year, they now deserve to be lauded for their hard work in 2010 and, sadly and regrettably, I failed to do so and for this I apologize.

It was absolutely not my intention to deny the Gresham folks their hard-earned and richly deserved kudos for a well planned and well executed event and it is my hope that if you, my peeps, didn’t realize who to thank for the great time you had on the night of June 25, 2010, you do now.

Big up Gresham Enterprises for a job well done! I am looking forward to being WOW’d by your next venture.

Age of Aquarius

YUMA is now on Twitter @yumavibe 

and they are now on 

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/yumavibe

Take note folks!

Are you a YUMA?

The introduction to YUMA took place with a speech by Terri Leigh Bovell which lasted 6 minutes! It is all on video so you do not have to miss one word, however let me point out some of the salient points:

• YUMA will provide BOTH the Intimate and Ultimate experience in one band ...if you hear me laughing at that statement it is only because that is a direct jab at BLISS/TRIBE , too funny!
• The band is catering for 2500 masqueraders
• YUMA's website will be interactive and registration will incorporate new ideas and technologies.
• Social media will be employed for marketing YUMA; facebook, twitter and blackberry.
• The band is all inclusive with snacks being served all day and other surprises.
• Wayne Berkley is the Design Team's mentor.
• YOUNG in YUMA also stands for Young At Heart!
• YUMA is an Exclusive Inclusive band

Viva Las Vegas?

The Trinidad Express has a read worthy Carnival Feature  today by Deborah John (never even knew she was into Carnival!!!!!!!!!) if only because there is a teaser of what Oasis has in store! Check out the full article HERE.  Please note that GEMS did not have a full launch, that was a MEDIA LAUNCH. The only Carnival Band to launch to date is  Woi!! Mas's Skullduggery. 

And some more information, from the article on what to expect from TRIBE and Bliss:

The band Tribe is trying an interesting experiment for 2011. But then with over 7,000 members they are big enough to do it.

The concept is simple and as bandleader Dean Ackin explained is an attempt to cater to the various tastes of the Tribe customers. They determined this after running a survey among their masqueraders earlier in the year. The band will be split into two separate entities. One remains with the name Tribe, the other is called Bliss. Both bands will present Warrior in 2011. However the Tribe presentation has 12 sections and with some 4,000 masqueraders will depict The Way of The Warrior . Yes, its BBF for the women says Ackin but the male costumes will see a lean to historical and traditional type costumes...costumes like Viking and Samurai... "These are actually fantastic and I am quite excited about them," he said.

The Bliss presentation with six sections caters for roughly 1,500 masqueraders, will be more on the fantasy side and will depict The Warrior Within. It sounds a bit puzzling but Ackin says this will "improve manageability and maneuverability on the road, thereby significantly enhancing the Carnival experience."

Each band will have their own parade route and band management on the Carnival days but one thing won't change is that all the usual services to masqueraders for which the Tribe band has become famous will be very much in abundance. "Those of you who enjoy the "organised bacchanal" can continue to "palance" in Tribe..the 'ultimate' Carnival experience. Those who desire a much smaller band with the same high quality product and service as they have become accostumed to in Tribe, now have the option of Bliss, the 'intimate' Carnival experience," Ackin said. The Tribe launch is July 24 at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

Yummy YUMA

YUMA Presents ZODEACK

Carnival Jumbie beat me to the punch with her very comprehensive review on YUMA's costumes, which you can read  on her blog, link here. I agree with many of her sentiments in regards to the two teasers we got to view last evening,  so my review will not dwell on the same points that Carnival Jumbie made in regards to Aquarius and The Oracle. I love The Oracle, it is purple, my favorite colour and that back pack is to die for even though I know there is an even bigger option still to be revealed!

It was nice that YUMA provided us with a preview of both Frontline and Backline (regular) costume options as Media Launches tend to show only one costume option, most often the Frontline which is the WOW costume. As is the trend with designs by Richard and Anthony productions, which seem to be getting grander over the years, their hallmark is stunning headpieces and lots of jeweled pieces, I am retiring the word "bling" for this Carnival season, personally.

To be sure you will see Richard and Anthony's stamp on these costumes and may even recognize design elements from past creations,since they have been working on many of the costume headpieces, back packs, collars, foot pieces and wrist embellishments that you see make up a whole of other costumes in other bands. For instance Mystery of  Loulan, Threads of Morocco and Osage had headpieces designed by Richard and Anthony; bet you did not know that!

The good is that you can be sure of a certain standard from this design team but the caveat is that the costumes always look a tad bit familiar. I can see a bit of Greece in Oracle's backline and the headpiece for Aquarius bears a passing resemblance to Caspian Sea, Spangled Cotinga and Caged Canary for me . However I do think that they have added some distinct pieces to this seasons designs that I am loving, The bra/corset/waist cincher effect of The Oracle is lovely, I would definitely wear this costume and the fabric on the back pack, love love love! The controversial netted dress (yes even I can find it selling online) I think was very skillfully used on Aquarius's backline, I liked the draping on the bra and waist band, and the frontline is certainly in your face sexy but I do have the same reservations regarding the dress as Carnival Jumbie does. Lovely to look at, concerned about fit and practicality on the road, if you are wearing that dress you are certainly limited to the level of "jamishness" you can partake in !

For me I cannot wait to see the rest of the ZODEACK,  as we can look forward to other designs from the entire YUMA Design Team which comprises of Crystal Marcus, Gina Maingot and Lee Aleong (in addition to Richard Dookhdeen and Anthony Hall), I am interested in just how literal an interpretation (or not) of the horoscopes we will see in translation to costumes. Honestly, I was not expecting such a contemporary version of the Zodiac from these preview costumes but I was told that each star sign will have a different element upon which the costume is designed. It could be a translation of colour, gemstone, animal or association, like with Aquarius the aqua blue colour ties in the theme and The Oracle uses the peacock feathers as "eyes". I get it, even if I have to wrap my mind around it a little longer to "see" the Star Sign. Scorpio better be red hot!

And, I will end my review by saying it was VERY interesting that Spice chose to release that photograph of the Jubliee Diamond Signature Line, which also used the very same rhinestone netting, 24 hrs before YUMA's big reveal. I find the coincidence even more curious when both bands are using the same supplier , like I said before.. carry on! 

Let the battle of the BLING (ughhhhh), make that the fabulous jeweled costumes begin!

YUMA Media Launch - The Pics

I apologise in advance for the photo quality, unfortunately the lighting was not the best and the obstruction of a pool between where we were standing and the stage prevented full on photos, however I did manage to get some good shots for your viewing pleasure:

Check out the full album HERE. And if that net on the section AQUARIUS looks familiar, well, I will give you the story tomorrow! I am still reeling from that "media launch" which turned out to be a gathering of the pretty, popular and who is who of socialites in Trinidad! 

Oracle Frontline & Backline - Aquarius Frontline and Backline

It's Coming... Are You Ready?

Tickets on Sale at TRIBE Mas Camp and from Committee Members from Thursday 15th July.

Mas Camp Hours

Monday-Friday: 12pm-5pm

Saturday: 12pm-4pm

Ltd. Advance TLC / Masquerader tickets - $260

(Available until Monday 19th July, 5pm. One ticket per masquerader. ID required for purchase.)

Ltd. Advance $320

Secured parking available.

D Krewe Mas Camp Moves

D Krewe is setting up shop on Ariapita Avenue, just after Ana St on the left if headed west or diagonally across from Tulip, take note of the new location! All these mas camps are moving and shaking.

YUMA Media Launch

The world will be formally introduced to debut Carnival band YUMA this evening at their media launch which  takes place at a private residence, hence the reason the address has been digitally removed from the Invitation photographed below. 

If you look closely you can get hints of what the theme will be ! Tune in to @carnivaldiary on Twitter from 6:00PM for live tweets and pics from the media launch.

Spice Signature Line....

Hey Spice

Crew...Last week we gave the media a sneak peek into our presentation

for Carnival 2011 and we are very happy you love the costumes!...This

week we are giving you our fabulous Spice Masqueraders a first look

at one of the many surprises we have in store for you for 2k11...Spice

has once again raised the bar in costume design as we will now be

offering three options for selected sections...the Regular, the Frontline

and we introduce to you (for the first time ever) the level above

Frontline...."The Signature Line"....here is your first look at

"Jubilee, the Signature Line" from our "Diamonds are Forever Cluster

Interesting!  I would have loved to see that costume on a different background, white on white does not show the detail.

That "Signature Line" reminds me of Mystery of Loulan's three costume options, the Regular, The Frontline and the Premium (Individual) costume... carry on!

The Way Of The Warrior

Are you ready for TRIBE 2011??

Social Media and Changing the Carnival Communication Game

It baffles me sometimes that Carnival Bands are so out of touch with the new way to communicate with their supporters, masqueraders and potential masqueraders in the 21st century that they remain silent for virtually the entire lead up to band launch season, and sometimes after,so much so that we forget they even exist! With more competition it is now becoming a case of the Carnival Band that makes the creates the most noise (read social chatter) gets the most attention. And it has nothing to do with seeming to appear desperate by reaching out to your masqueraders via all the avenues available, if you don't start selling what you have to sell and make an indelible mark among all the competition out there, pretty soon it will be too late to get people buying, especially when no one knows who you are and what you have to offer.

Take for instance Skullduggery (Woi!! Mas) who have admirably worked the Social Media to their full advantage. And while traditional media also serves the purpose as well, they have understood the importance of merging the two and bridging the gap between the connection. Go over to their website and there is a dedicated Press section where you can find digital conversion of articles that have appeared in the local press. If you do not live in Trinidad and as a consequence were never able to pick up an actual newspaper and read the articles yourself, there it  is available to you for your reading pleasure. Not to mention as a blogger it is pretty cool to actually have photographs, video and even press releases right there on the website so that if need be I can use them on the blog as well.

I also commend them on their Facebook Group (though it might be time to upgrade to a fan page). Businesses need to understand that one of the best aspects of using this form of Social Media is that you can get instant feedback and it is an excellent forum to communicate with your customer. You do not build a Facebook Group or Fanpage then disappear, having zero communication with all your fans and supporters even when they are writing on the wall looking for information. At Skullduggery there is rapport, the band leaders and designers communicate with their masqueraders, fans and supporters constantly. We have video and photographs being shared as well as lively debates taking place. Seriously, this is one of the most active groups on Facebook and it is all being done by a brand new band which is getting tons of press! Skullduggery is also the ONLY new band on Twitter and one of the few that update overall. 

Other bands that have upped their social media game is TRIBE, go to their website and they have now added button links to their Facebook, Twitter AND a brand spanking new  YOUTube channel which is being used to share a series of videos leading to a build up to their band launch. TRIBE has a website that does not go dormant after Carnival as well. It irks me that some bands still have their 2010 website up with not even a change to the front page since Carnival has passed. Your band launch is coming up, how about a note to let masqueraders know that, like Harts who have a popup with details on their band launch. Why are we still seeing information on costume distribution or in some cases the link to the website is dead! 

Apart from Skullduggery, TRIBE and Pulse 8 the other bands are virtually dead in the social media world. Right now I believe Island People is in a coma, YUMA is still to get their name on people's lips, yes I am still getting "YUMA who? what is that?", Spice has increased their coverage on Facebook but they have seem to forgotten Twitter and their website plus there is a list of bands that have zero social media presence. Does anyone even know if Brian Mc Farlane is bringing a band for Carnival 2011? The thing is that traditional media is great for a one time blurb in a newspaper that will get thrown out the next day, with Social Media there is content online available for years! Trust me, wayback machine can uncover a world of information on lots of Carnival Bands that no longer exist. You leave your tracks virtually and we, savvy users of the internet, can follow you.

You no longer need to wait until a TV station shows a clip of your band launch, you can post the whole thing on YouTube and why invite so many media personnel to get ONE photo of your band launch in the newspapers when you invite only ONE blogger and get hundreds? Making the frontpage of the Express or Guardian is excellent post band launch, but really how many people are going to see it and for how long will that one image be relevant to the masqueraders who want more, more photos to pour over? While getting your band featured in the newspaper  helps some of these bands are not even drawing attention to even get that nod. I am positive that Skullduggerry would not have gotten so many features in the Express and Guardian if their very existence was not being talked about virtually everywhere.

So here are some tips for the bands that need to hire a dedicated Social Media Employee to take advantage of all the benefits that they provide in marketing your band to all of us that live in the virtual world:

1. Clean up your act on Facebook and start communicating. The worst thing is to be looking for a Carnival Band on facebook and come upon multiple Groups and Fanpages not knowing which is the OFFICIAL group to join for updates and information. Simply, create ONE and only ONE page for your Carnival Band, get rid of all the other groups and update, update, update! It makes no sense to have a group that is dormant. Get interactive and start communicating with the members who are asking questions.Share information like pictures, videos and even teasers. The only way to know if you are successful is to see how many people are writing on your wall, if your wall hasn't had anything written on it but an unanswered question since February 2010 you are in trouble! And don't just use the page to blast information, take time to answer people's questions.

2. Update your website, please!  Not everyone is on Facebook or it can be blocked at work so your website is also a primary source of information. Use the opportunity of having a static address on the world wide web to give hints and teasers to the 2011 theme, add photographs and video from Carnival Monday and Tuesday of your band on the road and most importantly advertise your band launch on your website; brilliant idea which is hardly ever done.

3. Respond to emails, and respond in a prompt and timely manner. This is a personal pet peeve of mine, the emails lost in cyber space! So, I am interested in getting some information on your band but cannot call. I choose to send an email instead asking some questions that I am eager to get answered , and what follows is me checking my inbox for days on end never to receive a reply. Frustrating!

4. Get Tweeting! I have to admit I was very slow to embrace twitter and even now I do not tweet as much as some of the other bloggers. However I have discovered that Twitter is very effective in getting short bursts of information out over a period of time, keeping people in the loop. It worked with Skullduggery and Spice's Media Launch. At the former Afro Chic, Carnival Jumbie and I were all tweeting live updates with photographs and at Spice's media launch you had photos of the costumes on twitter before anywhere else.As bloggers it is great that WE are doing this, but what is stopping a Carnival band from having someone doing  their own live tweets at their Media and Band Launches?  Not to mention that it is useless following Bands on twitter that are yet to make one tweet.. chirpless! Think about it! 

5. Start a blog. This is for all the Carnival Bands that think Trinidad Carnival Diary is biased. What is stopping you from hiring someone to start doing your own blogging?  I think it would be pretty cool actually, even if it is just a blog integrated into the existing website. Then when you are sick of seeing too much coverage here of any one band, you can go check out the blog of your favourite band. The problem there of course would be having the blog be relevant, current and with topics of interest but it really is not that hard. If you want advice, call me! 

Crop Over Update , ISLAND FUSION & TRIBE Party Package

Island Fusion burst unto the Crop Over scene in early May and set tongues wagging almost immediately. Marketing themselves as having “developed from a fusion of the five creative minds”, the band’s Directors- Toni Thorne, Rhea Mapp, Jamilya Browne, Danielle Brome and Sade N. Jemmott- have been busy revolutionizing the way people view Barbados’ J’ouvert celebrations.

Promising the ultimate Foreday Morning Jam (J’ouvert) experience for Crop Over 2010, Working assiduously to fulfill their mandate, which includes exposing markets outside of Barbados to local culture in a youth-oriented manner, ISLAND FUSION has even caught the eye of the premier Carnival band in Trinidad and Tobago- TRIBE. So much so, that the Foreday Morning Jam experience with ISLAND FUSION is an official element in the ‘TRIBE goes to Barbados for Crop Over 2010’ package promotion.

“Having TRIBE approach us to be a part of our family our first year on the road was very encouraging and we’re pleased to have them, as well as our several other international members, with us”, another Director said, “we hope to build on this for the future, God willing.”

With a mission to “take Crop Over by storm”, Island Fusion guarantees top quality service, the best vibe and long lasting memories for the very affordable price of $120 BDS/ $60US. As envisioned, the band is relatively small, approximately 300 persons, in order to offer an intimate environment, focused on presenting a quality product to each reveller.

For more information on the ISLAND FUSION ULTIMATE J'OUVERT/ FOREDAY MORNING JAM EXPERIENCE for Crop Over 2010:

• visit their website: www.myislandfusion.com;

• join their Facebook Fanpage:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pages/Island-Fusion/120382644640475?v=info&ref=ts; and

• follow them on Twitter: @myislandfusion.

Click To Enlarge

Crop Over Party Packages now available!

Four parties for US$300!

Baje Paint Party - Fri 30th July

Island Fusion All Inclusive J'Ouvert - Sat 31st July (a.m.)

Bliss All Inclusive - Sat 31st July

TRIBE Cruise - Sun 1st Aug

Package includes party bus to and from Accra Beach Hotel & Resort.

Limited travel packages and costumes are still available.

Contact cropover@tribegetaways.com for more information.

Carnival Updates

It's a new week in the crux of band launching season and it is a busy one!

Since I know the guys from YUMA enjoy reading my blog, this one is for you. On Thursday, July 15, YUMA will be holding their Media Launch to formally introduce the band to the public. Something to look forward to as I am positive we will get a preview of their costumes AND finally learn the name of their  Carnival 2011 presentation. Hopefully after the Media Launch we will finally start reading about YUMA in both the social and traditional media! I have been reliably informed that YUMA is going to be bringing about innovations in what our usual expectations are for Carnival as masqueraders, starting with the media launch and extending to their launch and website. Interesting! 

On Sunday Oasis is holding their band launch at Sauté Trinbago, for those who cannot afford the $400.00 ticket (self included) Triniscene will be streaming the band launch LIVE. I am not too sure if I will attend this one to be honest, I CAN choose to tag along and go to this band launch with Triniscene. However I am  acting as a bit of a DIVA this year and if Oasis did not  personally invite me, I am thinking why should I go? Skullduggery did not invite me to their band launch either, however THAT ticket was only $100.00 which I would have happily paid and lucky for me I have a very good friend (not affiliated with Skullduggery) who scored some complimentary tickets and was generous enough to share the fortune. I can very well stay in the comfort of my home and look at Oasis Band Launch live along with you guys as I certainly will not be paying $800.00 to go to a band launch otherwise! I have a Carnival costume to register for in a few weeks people!

And before you read that and say "Who the hell does this Saucy think she is that Oasis must invite her?" let me clarify my position. I have no problem paying for a band launch I feel like attending, in this instance the ticket is way too expensive for a brand new band, in MY opinion.  I do not know who is attending at that price. The only way, therefore I would attend is if I was invited, plain talk. The way I see it is that I am not attending the launch to eat their free food and guzzle their drinks, at a band launch I never have time to enjoy the party because it is a job, though I am always excited to see costumes. I go, I get pics and information, I update live and I leave as soon as the show is over so that I can upload photos and do my review. In the case of launches like TRIBE and Island People it is an all night affair. I think that for the unsolicited publicity that consequently follows it is worth more than the price of a ticket not so? Not to be boastful or anything, but the first pictures from the majority of band launches can be found on Trinidad Carnival Diary, as well as on Facebook posted by me and the first review is usually mine. When the newspapers publish ONE photograph I have already uploaded hundreds for your viewing pleasure.So yes, I think I have earned the right to be a bit of a Diva this year, especially since the payback for the free publicity in lots of cases is ire at the Sauce!

Speaking of costumes,  a little birdie whispered that this year TRIBE has done their best work EVER, I was told that costumes are opposite of  what has been done for the past two  years and that there is  so much "creativity".  The supposedly stand out costumes are done by Super Mo Mo (Monique Nobrega) , Sandra Hordatt , Peter Elias, Val and  Solange Shaw Gopaul's follow up to Mystery of Loulan is "sexy as hell". My source informed me that  even though they loved 95% of the costumes there are still a few that are not "fresh" or "wow" and that as usual the men have not been given as much attention to detail.

Well if that  didn't just raise the bar on expectations for TRIBE and Bliss! Both Bands, TRIBE and Bliss, will be doing the Warrior theme, with different interpretations as to the type of Warriors I was told.I am waiting to see exactly how fabulous these costumes are as I have been hearing the same thing from many people! Counting down to next week Saturday!

Editorial in Vogue, March 2010...

Now all you need is the Amazon, leather, tribal body paint and a bow and arrow! 

Comesse, Mo-Vay-Lang and Bobbol

These sections were not shown at Skullduggery's Launch last Sunday but they are very much part of the presentation. I would have loved to see the translation from sketch to prototype:

Comesse

Mo-Vay_Lang

Bobbol

Greece Is That You?

We can certainly tell that this costume is a Richard & Anthony production, it looks very much like Greece from Spice 2010 ! The section  is called "Passion" from Wassi One's presentation, Miami/Broward Carnival 2010. 

click to enlarge

Skullduggery Prices

Video of Skullduggery Mas Camp on Opening day.

These prices are All Incluisve

Baa-John $2,295.00

Bacchanal Woman $2,695.00

Bamboozle $2,895.00

Blight $2,495.00

Bobbol $2,800.00

Bol'Face $2,495.00

Comesse $2,800.00

Greesehan' $2,695.00

Horn $2,695.00

Horn chile $2,295.00

Jagabat $2,895.00

Maco $2,495.00

Mal Yeux $2,495.00


Mamaguy $2,695.00

Mo-vay-lang $2,695.00

Ratchifee $1,995.00

Sketelle-ton $2,895.00

Skullzman $2,695.00

Soucouyant $2,695.00

Two Face $2,600.00

Vai-que-vai $1,900.00

Wara-hoon $2,400.00

Kadooment Divas Are Back for Crop Over 2010

click to enlarge

http://kadoomentdivas.blogspot.com/

Which Band Launch Do I Go To? Your Choice!

August 8th seems to be a very popular date on the Band Launch calender with BOTH Spice and YUMA choosing that exact day to launch their Carnival 2011 presentations. And while I do want to see costumes from both bands, neither one is budging on changing their launch date.

So, that leaves me in quite a predicament as there is only one of me and two events to attend on the very same night! Reality is that I can only go to ONE band launch on August 8th, so how do I decide? This is Spice's third year and after their Media Launch I know many of you want to see the full presentation. YUMA is promising to  be a major player, with costumes that I MUST see in person (or so I was told).

Do I flip a coin here to make the decision? Actually, since YOU bloggers and readers are the ones that have the most interest in seeing costumes apart from myself, why don't you vote? The band which gets the most votes will be the Band Launch I attend personally, the other will be attended by a representative of Trinidad Carnival Diary, so do not worry you will still get lots of pics!

Cast your vote now:

DC Carnival 2010 - TRIBE Ignite

Welcome peeps, Kermit here reporting from Tribe’s Ignite, the Thursday night warm up for the 2010 DC Carnival weekend. The night is cool but if tonight's party is anything like last year’s, I expect to be sweating profusely within a couple hours. This year, the party is being held at the Fur nightclub in downtown Washington, DC and upon arrival, I noticed that the crowd was a bit light for such a large venue but I know my people, and I suspected that the majority of the attendees would show up closer to 1:00 am and so they did. One minute we were chilling and liming and the next thing you know, a fete materialized from seemingly out of nowhere and everybody was wining hard hard hard.

There was not much out of the ordinary for a Tribe fete; the women were plentiful and beautiful, the music was excellent, and everyone present had a great time. The bars were well staffed, the drinks were strong, and there was never a long wait to enter the club. Just about the only detraction from the party was that, due to DC regulations, clubs close at 3:00 am so the party ended just as it seemed to really get going. Aside from that, the fete was definitely a hit as you will see when you browse the album.

Enjoy the pics peeps, it is now DC Carnival Friday and Machel is next!

Woi! Mas Presents Skullduggery The Dance Of Deceit

For all the weeks that I have been using Skullduggery as the name of the band, I was recently informed that the band is actually "Woi! Mas" and that the presentation is entitled Skullduggery-The Dance of Deceit!.

Woi!Mas comprises of  some familiar names in Carnival; Earl Patterson (former Band Leader of Masquerade), Noel Aming, Kevin Crosby (Crosby Sounds), Ruthvin Thompson and Peter Samuel.

Skullduggery will have 16 Individuals, one King and one Queen when they compete in Carnival for 2011. Registration for Skullduggery begins today, Friday July 9th at 5.00 pm at the mas camp ; 40 Alberto Street (behind Frankie's).


Registration fee is $800.00.Skullduggery Mas Camp Number: 868-498-0219