Destination Crop Over Prices

So yesterday I posted the first photos of Baje's costumes available through Triniscene's Destination Crop Over package; here are the package prices:

Party Package:
Booze Criuse $317TT/$50.00US
Baje $100TT/$16.00US
Caution 10 2 10 $220TT/$35.00US
Wadada $300TT/$48.00US

Flights and Accomodation$4725.00TT/750US (per person Double Occupancy)


Costumes $1000TT/$159.00US

Isle De Caribe

Deep Blue

Destination Crop Over Costumes!!!

Triniscene has the first photos of costumes from Baje International's 2007 Crop Over presentation "Lost Tribe":

The costumes are available through Triniscene's Destination Crop Over package which is now open for booking. These costumes cannot be booked anywhere but at Triniscene at the moment.

You can also reserve your party package, airfare and hotel which has now been upgraded from Time Out at the Gap to Sea Breeze Hotel (nice hotel on a nice beach!).

These costumes look cute, for some reason I am liking Isle de Caribe with the simple headpiece, the costume to me is just perfect for one day of revelry in Barbados . I cannot understand why a costume called Deep Blue looks purple in the photos, it is a tad too scanty with the too few beads and the headpiece looks a bit like Fan Coral from TRIBE's "What Lies Beneath". My only criticism is that I am not liking the design of the bras with the double straps. Other than that I cannot wait to see the rest of the costumes when Baje International launches their website on June 1st.

Wiki me!!!

I often check my referrals to see how visitors find this blog; most of you probably have it bookmarked or know the web adress so it shows as "unknown" on my sitemeter. Most times I do see referral links from other websites such as a search engine like google (it even shows what search criteria led you to this blog), email links and even links from other bloggers who have me as a link on their blog. Well imagine my surprise when I saw a link from wikipedia and followed to trail to discover that Trinidad Carnival Diary is listed as a link under the Wikipedia entry on Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

Now Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that is written by volunteers and links can be added by anyone so I don't feel too special but I just think it is quite cool that someone thought to link my blog! Thanks who ever you are for the little "big up".

Ms Universe Costume Competition

Since Trinidad and Tobago has no delegate at the Ms Universe pageant this year (drama with the pageant organizers putting their foot down about lack of sponsorship by Government) I have to admit the whole build up to the pageant holds no interest to me whatsoever. This is a huge departure for me as I am an avid Ms Universe fan, always following the press leading up to the event on websites such as Global Beauties and in fact I went to the Ms Universe pageant in 1999 the year it was held in Trinidad.

Apart from evening gown one of the fun categories for me is National Costume, especially since when it came to our delegates of the past Harts provided the National Costume (recent times have seen this change) which were always elaborate Carnival costumes which to me is quite apt seeing as it is "National" costume and what could be more fitting than an ode to our national festival Carnival!

Remember this winning costume worn by Wendy Fitzwilliam in 1998 which was perfect for her in every way:

Or this one worn by Amanda Jardine:


Heidi Rostant wore this costume in Greece:


And Nicole Dyer's wining costume the year the pageant was held here:

So it was somewhat bittersweet to view photos from the costume competition of Ms Universe 2007 which was held yesterday as Trinidad and Tobago had no fabulous costume on show yet I still wanted to see the costumes! Of the photos that I did peruse some were nostalgic to what Trinidad and Tobago usually represents while others failed (what happened to Antigua and Barbuda?) Of all the costumes this one is my favourite as I am getting a Myths and Magic vibe from Ms Brazil's costume, check out them wings!:

Brazil


Panama


Paraguay


Antigua and Barbuda


Aruba


St. Lucia


Uruguay



For the full gallery of National Costume photos you can visit Global Beauties or the Ms Universe official website.

Good news though, we will be represented at the Ms World pageant by Valene Maharaj (last seen modelling a Fireman costume). Here is wishing her luck in that pageant, pity there will be no costume competition, however! Ah well, there is always 2008 to look forward to.






photo source:
Global Beauties
Trini Pulse
Harts Carnival

Facebook the Carnival Network!

So after joining Facebook to check out the TRIBE Myths and Magic group after my post "Eager Beavers" I unwittingly succumbed to the lure that is this social networking phenomena and have stuck around much longer than I intended to; it's quite fun actually but I digress. To my surprise I have bounced up Facebook profiles of many bloggers as well as those who visit the blogs over on "that side"; several of you guys have joined, created your own little personal space as well as groups. You all are not wasting time connecting socially and globally!

It should come as no surprise then that there are a few groups that have already started up about Carnival! There are three TRIBE groups; Myths and Magic, TRIBE and TRIBE Carnival, two groups for Island People (one is Island People Mas and the other Island People Carnival and one group called "I will be very present on the road for trini carnival 2008" which is gaining in popularity every day. Another Carnival related group is Crop Over 2007, and I have even seen a few groups created for D.C. Carnival such as Basement Knock'rs and Panisha Mas.

For all those on Facebook check out one of the many Carnival groups or create your own if your favourite band is not represented and fall een yuh section!!! We getting ready for mas again connecting over the world wide web!!

p.s. If I have overlooked any other Carnival related groups it is not intentional, I have not gotten around to checking out all the Trini groups on Facebook so let me know which ones I might have missed out on.

Pan legend turns 80

The following article is re-published on the blog by request;it first appeared in yesterday's Express and the full article can be read here. Happy birthday Neville "Cap" Jules!

Pan legend turns 80
Dalton Narine

Sunday, May 20th 2007

Neville Jules turns 80 tomorrow. At the Duke Street panyard, even the young players call him Cap. They see him around Hell Yard, a shrine to pan, but can't fully fathom his weight. Founder of Trinidad All Stars, Jules led the band and arranged its music for 25 years or so. In either capacity, Cap wasn't easy. If he were alive, badjohn Big Sarge would tell you he owed his failed confrontations with his nemesisto band discipline. And Invaders, the Harps of Woodbrook, can testify, though begrudgingly, to his groovy road music. As sweet as a lickin'.

Cap migrated to the States in '71, and many a band was glad, not for him, but for that. Their leaders had figured the road would be clear of Jules' stylish arrangements. They were fooled. For the past several carnivals, Cap has been back in the thick of Jouvert. His music, too. You can't miss it. You can't miss him, either. He wears a letterbox mustache the colour of Chalkdust goatee. And it's a rare day you catch his smile hanging out for all to see.

I'd wager no one who'd heard Cap's "Theme from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly" would dismiss this year's Jouvert experience. Ennio Morricone's tense score pulls you into the hearts of the film's characters. But Jules' playful adaptation had you chipping inside their soul.Not surprisingly, the band won every Bomb competition.Yeah, like the grand, old days.

Emerging from the bamboo era, and following a stint on Shango drums up Laventille Hill, Jules played the first melody on pan, a four-note ping-pong. (Ah-ah! They always say, never argue pan and religion.For, every soul has got an interpretation of how things went down in both Books, the Bad and the Good.)

The melody was abridged from King Radio's "Do Re Mi". Jules shared his discovery with Fisheye, the panman who played the song when the band, then Cross of Lorraine, celebrated the end of the big war on the streets in fine style.

One of pan's elite pioneers, Jules introduced the tune boom, a biscuit drum with four notes, to fatten the music like a box bass. Later, a caustic soda drum captured the full-bodied effect he'd aimed for. Further experiments led to the "Chaguaramas bass," which carried the lowest register of the day on 55-gallon drums. Jules also invented a pan to simulate the strumming of the cuatro. Furthermore, the Grundig, or cello pan, was his, too.....................................

Africa Unfolds

Masquerade 2000 launched their 2007 Nottinghill Carnival presentation "Africa Unfolds" this weekend. Here are photos of the launch courtesy the bandleader masquerade2k who regularly visits the blog (click on the photos for larger view):

MASAI WARRIOR






EGYPT THE LOST CIVILIZATION






KENTE WRAPPED IN PRIDE




NUBIANS AND WARRIORS




DANCE FOR FREEDOM




AFRICA'S PRIDE




Adult costumes cost between £80-£100 and the frontline costumes are £160. I was informed that at the launch the sections Masai and Egypt generated the most interest with 62
costumes and all 10 frontlines of Egypt sold, only 8 more spaces were available as of yesterday.
For more information on costumes and registration visit Masquerade2k's myspace page. And for video clips of the launch check out these Myspace Links:

Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Clip 4
Clip 5
Clip 6
More costume photos:

TIC 2007

So yesterday I visited the Trade & Investment Convention 2007, normally not an event I would readily visit on my own but we did receive invitations at work and the hubby wanted to go so we slipped on our "buyer" pass and went to check it out. There were over 200 Exhibitors on display at individual booths displaying their products and services to potential investors and buyers, it took us several hours to visit them all. Included within the exhibits from many Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers and Service providers were International companies from Costa Rica, Canada, United States of America,Guatemala,The Netherlands, Grenada and Brazil.

Now I am sure you are asking yourself what does a Trade Convention have to do with Carnival, well at the Brazilian contingent booth there was an exhibitor showing a Carnival costume, in addition to other products, which were manufactured in Brazil and open for purchasing! I took the opportunity to examine the costume myself, sorry no photos as I did not walk with the camera, and the entire costume looked just as good as any we produce in Trinidad for our Carnival. It consisted of a bra which is not a "regular" bra but made of a wire frame covered in sequins and beads, a belt, wrist and foot pieces as well as a headpiece. The cost for the costume, $400.00US!!

The lady showing off the costume did not speak much English but did give me her website address where costume enquires can be made. Brand Brazil is the website but when I checked it out at home I did not see any section for purchasing costumes. However some research of my own turned up another website where you can purchase Samba costumes online called Samba Collection.Obviously Brazil has recognised that there is not only interest but a market for their product and is using the Carnival brand to their advantage. Some of the Samba costumes end up in Carnivals around the world while others are used in entertainment, as advertised by this website.

Personally after examining the costume up close I honestly think it was just as good as any costume manufactured locally (well the ones that are still made here!) and I would love to see the day when you visit a Trade Convention and see a booth with Carnival costumes from Trinidad and Tobago on display. It is about time our local costume manufacturers recognise that mas is big business and there are buyers around the globe who would pay for the product. So here is hoping someone takes the leap of faith at the next Trade Convention (there is one in Curacao in September and TIC 2008 takes place May14th to 17th) and advertise the mas production skills to the global market; since we have "borrowed" many an idea from Brazil's Carnivals this venture is one I think is worth aping!
Photo source: www.sambacollection.com

Vintage Saucy

Yesterday saw me playing truant and staying home from work, so I decided to do some cleaning and lo and behold stumbled upon some Newspaper clippings I had of the few times I appeared in print. Among the archives is this gem taken at the launch of Tantra a special section in Poison 2001 which was headed by my friend Darlene Beddoe and her partner Giselle Joseph. That's me in my Tantra Baby T chatting with Paul Richards:

Click for Larger View

This was the second time Darlene was involved in a section, her previous experience being under the banner of Galvanize with Marlon, Tisha and Wyatt in alliance with Rocky when they brought a very popular special section in Barbarossa. At the moment I cannot remember the name of the costume but Sandra Hordatt was the designer and Leasel Rovedas was photographed wearing the costume which made the front page of the Express Carnival magazine that year.I do recall being at the mas camp on Carnival Friday helping them hot glue decorations to the costumes however!

After that first foray into mas the trio split, Rocky remained with Barbarossa and eventually migrated to Poison, Galvanize went to Poison and are now a part of Island People and Darlene also went to Poison and is rumoured to be bringing a section with Pulse 8 for 2008. So there you go people, a little Carnival history and a glimpse at how long I have been involved in this whole Carnival drama outside of being a masquerader; I have helped made costumes, promote sections and seen the inside of a mas camp one too many times over the years and I am quite privileged to have had the experience.

Who Say Outback ?

Even though I am still waiting for my email (apparently it got lost!) the hubby did get his so this one is for all those suffering from lack of a good fete since Carnival like myself:

A PREMIUM DRINKS INCLUSIVE EVENT
(Scotch, Vodka, Rum, Beer, Wine, Chasers)

Special Ltd. Advanced $220

Ltd. Advanced $250

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH COMMITTEE MEMBERS ONLY!

I am also hoping somehow the date for Band Launching will be revealed on the night of the event... one can only hope ent?!

TABOO speaks!

The bandleader for TABOO,one of the many new bands to debut for Carnival 2008, left this message in the comments of the post entitled "TABOO....The Band":

I have just come across this blog. I am the TABOO BANDLEADER. I am glad to hear all of you who are interested in the band and the theme.

Firstly, I am a child of the 80's and I must admit that the 80's was tacky, but you must admit we had fun in your tackiness.We just decided that it was time that the vision of Carnival evolved, bringing something new and fresh to the smorgasbord.
The costumes are symbols of 80's pop culture, translated through our Carnival costuming.

Some of the Sections include:
MOONWALKER
PURPLE RAIN
THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO
VOGUE
PRETTY IN PINK
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Now we also highlighted the local 80's scene with:
SOCA BAPTIST (roadmarch of 1980)
CARNIVAL IS COLOUR(tribute to Minshall's band of 1987)
and also we have a section based on the World Cup efforts of the strike squad in 1989.

I am an experienced designer firstly, and the chances are, that you have already played in a costumed that I had either designed, produced, or assisted on already.
I have worked with ALL the major bands(and some of the smaller ones) in T&T. I have also worked in Caribana, Crop Over, carnival in DC & Cuba and also in Sao Paulo & Rio (BRAZIL). I am also an assistant designer at Calvin Klein New York.

I am willing to answer any questions that concerning TABOO, or the presentation that you may have.

ADDAE

First of all it is quite a pleasure to have a Band Leader actually visiting this blog and talking back; I really appreciate the comment that you left ADDAE and decided to share it with everyone who visits the blog.

My questions for ADDAE of TABOO are

1. Is the band going to take the "traditional" route with costuming in bikini and beads or will it be more Avant Garde, say a nod to Minshall and Mc Farlane?

2. When is the band launching?

3.Who are the other persons involved in TABOO ?

4. Why should a masquerader chose to play with a new band such as TABOO over more established veterans in the business?

ADDAE I do hope you will return to answer my questions and I also invite other persons who may have questions of their own to leave a comment with their query as well.

Play De Mas

Louis Saldenah's Caribana 2007 presentation "The Rainforest" will launch this Saturday, but the offical launch for Soca101's special section "Women of the Amazon" will take place on June 9th:

Venue : Trilogy Entertainment Complex
83 Kennedy Rd @ Clarence
Brampton, ON

Music : Riyad, Lost Soul, Mystic Vibes, WIB, X-Factor,D'Ultimate Sting, Almighty Rish & King Cobra

Admission: Starts $10

For more info: soca101@gmail.com

Costumes Will Be Displayed Live by Models