Makeup Artistry By Kirk Thomas, The Review

With the popularity of Kirk Thomas soaring after last Carnival season this year my makeup appointment on Carnival Tuesday was even earlier than last. In spite of the hour I had to be at Crobar there were ladies there before me as I met some who had a 2:30AM spot just finishing up when I arrived. There was a delay owing to some previous tardiness by a client so I was pretty happy to have an early appointment because the 15 minute wait did not really affect my schedule at all.

Once again I loved the location of Crobar that Kirk used this year, there were some other makeup artistes who were also doing faces at the same location as well, because it is pretty close to Stanmore Avenue where TRIBE departs from. And once again I was TOTALLY in love with what he did with my face! I am not going to show you the  state I arrived in or even the transformation that took place when I left but I was so excited over my look I was bouncing in my chair when my face was done. Best of all is that I was able to tell him the look I wanted and he was able to give it to me, making sure I was satisfied.

It is not only about having gorgeous eye makeup or gems, the face is literally transformed using makeup techniques leaving you wondering who is that much improved stranger staring back at you when you are done:

Before

During 

After

Before

During 

After 

Ladies On the Road 

Still Going Strong At Night!

These Ladies were shy about their "before"

I was also pretty pleased with the longevity of the makeup; Kirk used a primer called "Absence" that was supposed to control the sebaceous glands to prevent oiliness during the day. Technically I cannot say if the glands were controlled completely , however personally my face was not a total oil slick, even under the hot sun. One of the bloggers I met asked how was did my face remained so "dry", this at midday when the sun was at it's most brutal. And, I was removing my face gems when I got home, they held up ALL day so I was pleased that the investment in professional makeup translated into a well made up face all day.

Of course Kirk would be my makeup artist of choice for 2011( I am hoping he has room for me as I know many ladies were booking him for next year even before the end of Carnival 2010! ) as another Carnival leaves me TOTALLY  happy with the work he did. I saw many, many ladies with gorgeous faces on both Monday and Tuesday so send in reviews of your makeup artist; were you pleased, how did the makeup hold up? Email :trinidadcarnivaldiary@gmail.com.

Many thanks to the lovely "models" featured in today's post who allowed me to use their photographs!

TRIBE 2010 Review (3)

First time playing mass... first time in Tribe!!!

HI Saucy... From the day after Tribe's launch in July I was DAILY viewer of your blog so I decided to share my first experience with you..

Costume

Silk of Rajasthan.... LOVED IT..

Monday

After arriving at the Hilton around 9 am ( I requested an early check in) and being told that my room would not be ready until 3pm...I passed some time at the Rituals in the Hotel lobby until it was about 10am. According to Tribe's booklet that was inside of my costume box, that I read cover to cover MANY times, it stated that the band's "Parade Time" on Monday was at 10:30am.

Consumed by anxiousness I left the Hilton around 10:15 and made way by foot down to Stanmore Avenue. I got there around 11:00am..(stopped to talk to friends along the way)

when I got there I was supprised to see that the band was still stationed at Stanmore ave. now being the amateur that i am, i told my friend with me which was her first time in Tribe as well that "I am pretty sure we'll leave in a few" and so we did...

As the trucks moved...a smile from ear to ear appeared on my face.. this was It... it was the start of my very first Carnival Xperience...

Chippin 1,2,3 and Stop 4,5,6,7,8... chippin 1,2,3... and so on.... I was a little perturbed by the lengths of the stopping in between.. however it gave me time to look through the band to spot anybody I knew.. because it was just the two of us... also I didnt know how long the stopping was suppose to take but eventually I realised it wasnt suppose to be THAT long..

Paid no mind to it.. we made our way onto Charlotte Street... I ran into a few relatives and was having a blast... my girl and I soaked up every moment...we palanced, we chipped, we screwed the light bulb and we had a time...but all this action and we were in the same spot!!! (infront of the hospital)....

A little while after, things started to move.. then announcement came on to move to the right of the truck.. and with much compliance my "group" and I moved... RIght.. it was time to cross the "STAGE"

"People are you readdy, we Palancing in this Parrtyy!!!" I started jumping from the time i heard that... 1,2,3,4-- and they let us go... jump jump.. wine wine.. every piece of energy I had in me came out with the wine/s, jump/s and side to side palance I did... we crossed and I said to my girl.. this is the best feeling ever!! and its only Monday!!!

then I looked @ my watch!!!!

It was AFTER 2pm!!!!!- we both had our body paint appointment @ Murray Strt. for 3pm so we made a decision go leave the band, head to Hilton check on the room and head down for the paint and the join the band after... walked back up to Hilton to be told that the rooms were being cleaned and there is a 1 hr. wait... hungry and already tired we went down to the restaurant for lunch... we had the "dreggz" of the buffet and got a call by the time we were finished that the room was ready..

Now. rushing ....we got ready and made way to murray street.. arrived ontime, got the paint done and then to our DISMAY the guys tells us.. I hope you all not playing for the rest of the afternoon or else the paint will run off because it needs to set... we complied and went back to the Hotel and had a little R& R for the rest of the afternoon.

Before going to bed i set the alarm for 5am and said to myself....TOMORROW IS THE DAY!!!!...

Tuesday

Beeep , beep @ 5am--- hit the snooze button- didnt get up till 6:30....

although the booklet said tuesday's parade time was at 7:30 my girl and I realsied they meant 1hr - 1hr 1/2 later!!!So we got up got ready and got some b-fast at the restaurant.... we went back to the room to put on the costumes.. heading out from the room to the car park, we saw masqueraders in their BEAUTIFUL costumes heading down to the Savannah.. the excitement built up in me..

We got down to Tragarete rd. around 8:30 am...the band was still there..we quickly looked for our section, which was apparently non existent. the sign lady was there with a few persons behind her.. we went to the front of the band and met up with a couple of friends who said they were standing on the side but @ the front to see everyone and when Silk of Raj. came on they would join.... so we stayed with them for the VERY LONNNGGG period of time until our section came up.. we quickly joined in and chipped along park street.. however the wait on Charlotte street just like Monday was the WORST!!!!

I mean this was my first yr of playing mas but I just wanted to tell ppl.. "get in yuh damn section!! so they can stop wasting time organizing ppl in sections..so we can cross!!!" Finally it was time.. but i was thirsty as hell because the drinks truck left us and turned onto Keate Street.. and well the wait from keate street till the judging point was about 45 mins.. so I went to a vender to buy a bottle of water... $20.00 for a bottle of water!!! Yes.. $20 for a DASANI!!!

I was a bit hesitant to pay that price but then the announcement "Get ready Silk of raj. its your time!!!" came on, so I dashed the money at the lady without question and found myself behind the sign lady... as soon as the guards released their hands... all my previous complaints as listed above DISAPPEARED!!! It was the Best feeling of freedom I have ever had !!! The side to side palance and the onlookers cheering.. it was FANTASTIC...

After passing the judging point at the Savannah my cousin came up to me and said stop walking so slow.. we need to get to the park to catch a blanket...so check my girl and I speeding toward the park with my few relatives and friend in tow ready to get a blanket.. lo and behold!!! NONE AVAILABLE..

With no energy to get angry, we found a spot at the northern side of the park and had the DELICIOUS lunch with gr8 dessert.. however every other bite had a crunch with the amount of dust flying round.. but that was ok. We had food from the international booth. whoever catered... NICE :)

Ok so my belly was filled and ethnic fatigue started kicking in... I saw a girl with a cardboard box and begged her for 1/2.. once I had the piece of box, my girl and I took a 45 mins sleep ......Then music to my ears.. OK Tribe lets go... "leh we go down the road, go down the road.. Carnival in the air..."- Patrice Roberts..a faint cheer spread throughout the park and ppl started getting up.. I got up washed my face and shook the few specs of grass off of me and I was READY!!!!

We made way though St. Clair, Tragarete rd.. and then Ariapita Ave.The wait on the ave was the worst but that gave me time to GET ON BADD!!!I said to myself.. its the end of the day.. and all I had was the time remaining, its time to use this stopping to my advantage.. I chipped to the top of the band, made way back down to the end and back up to the top!!! It was fantastic.!!!

The security really showed their purpose when it started to get dark as stormers saw an opportunity to get into the band.. however access was QUICKLY denied!!! As we crossed the judging point by Adam Smith Sq. i realised that this was the end of Carnival.. I soaked up everymonent with my friends and relatives.. and made way back to Stanmore!!!

Despite all my complaints about the stopping and everything about Tribe.. I WILL play with them next year again!!! The security was Xcellent as well as the music and the overall VIBE of the band..

Thank you Tribe for Making this Carnival Virgin's first time experience a tremendous one!!!

TRIBE 2010 Review (2)

Hello Saucy,

I'm a huge fan of your blog and felt compelled to provide you with my feedback of Tribe for 2010.

Registration

What a nightmare! I stayed home on the first day of TLC registration with 4 top pick costumes in mind. As I tried to "pay" on line, I repeatedly received an error message. Yet one by one the costumes were sold out! When Tribe finally advised that the servers had crashed and registration would cease, the majority of costumes were sold out. I sent an email to Tribe that night expressing my frustration and asked them to advise of recourse in the situation. The second day of registration, I again received an error message when trying to pay. I eventually was able to register in Eri, but still sent an email to Tribe as I would have liked to switch to another section. I was advised that my request would be sent to the production team. Email after email and call after costly call to Tribe revealed a big fat nothing. Tribe never responded to me, and I had to call them to find out I was stuck in that section.

I was particularly pissed off as a relative of mine was able to "pre register" herself and a large amount of friends who were not TLC in a section.

Costume

My costume was picked up for me and when I arrived in Trinidad immediately tried on the costume. Quite honestly the costume was pretty, but overall the band looked lop sided. Some sections looked fresh and new (ie Loulan, Charmeuse), and sections like Eri and Lazuli looked, well, dated. In addition, the head piece was not balanced. It constantly fell forward and I had to deal with stones in my eyes.

Service

I've always been a supporter of Tribe for it's service and attention to detail. To me, it's worth the money, especially for security. Lunch was tasty as always and drinks were great.

Review

Overall Tribe is my number one pick for bands because the vibe is great and service is excellent. I do hope the band does a post mortem and review feedback from outsiders as well as masqueraders. The registration fiasco in my eyes has hurt the band's reputation and registration for 2011 has to be overhauled.

TRIBE Feedback

Each year post Carnival I always do my "Dear TRIBE" letter, as I did last year, pointing out areas that as a masquerader I think could be improved for the overall benefit of everyone. Since my critique will be the same as in 2009... TLC registration needs to be revamped, size of the band is overwhelmingly too big, more toilets needed at the lunch stop I will not rehash those points. Suffice to say that many of those concerns were not addressed for 2010, hopefully they will be for 2011.My letter today has to do with the attitude of the section leaders who cannot take criticism over their designs, the ones who found their way on the blog to personally attack me because of my personal opinion concerning their costumes.

Dear TRIBE, I have been your biggest supporter from day 1, I have always defended the band and my decisions for choosing to play with TRIBE so much so that I have been labeled as biased. My credibility has been attacked by accusations of being paid by TRIBE to write this blog as well as that I only give TRIBE  favorable reviews because I get a free costume with the band. As we both know this is not true and the year 2010 has seen me, your biggest  supporter, become enemy # 1 in the TRIBE camp.

In spite of all that I still played in the band this year, as you can see I rise above that pettiness because as a paying masquerader I  do not put the fact that I write this blog ahead of myself to get any leverage; see how cooly I accepted the fact that my section was last this year? I expect the same considerations that are given to all masqueraders  who spend their hard earned cash on a costume and I will choose to support whichever band I see fit until I am turned away, victimized or  discriminated against for the fact that write this blog.. .and, well that will be a whole other topic!

The gag order you put on me and this blog is fruitless as you can see, the fact is TRIBE news is BIG news and you get enormous publicity every time I write something about the band. Case in point is the huge boost in  popularity Spice received by the controversy surrounding their numbers that was hotly debated on this blog; the truth is there is nothing like bad publicity. So for 2011 you need to ease up on hounding staff members unfairly and incorrectly accusing them of giving me information. There is nothing you can do in stopping information getting to me because it always does from all over; people just LOVE to talk and they just LOVE to talk to me! Relax, roll with it and enjoy the fact that your band is getting talked about constantly and you band will have even more demand for 2011, don't you think?

As for certain designers in the TRIBE camp getting upset over my costume review for 2010, as designers they really need to grow up!  I am just ONE person with a point of view, surely that point of view did NOT cause the band to lose masqueraders because the band sold out anyway. I do not have any personal agenda against or dislike for anyone, as they seem to think. Being a masquerader for so many years, I know what costumes I like from what I do not like, that may not necessarily be  the same as someone else but alas those other people just do not happen to have a blog to express their opinions. Not to mention the older I have become the more discerning  are my tastes in costumes.

I have never flinched when costume prices increased year after year, I have always justified paying the price for the costume I want because I have a holistic approach to what the value of the costume means to me. However I think for the price of costumes in 2010 the actual product was not up to standard; I mean really who sat down and approved some of those costumes in a costume critique is beyond me. Some of the designs looked unfinished and like and afterthought and was no way in line with the standard set in years before. I was happy to see ,though ,that post band launch some costumes were giving a sprucing up so that tends to make me feel that some designs were indeed rushed.

So, as stated many times before good designs get great reviews, bad designs will get the reviews that they are due regardless of the fact that the band is TRIBE. One would hope that honesty is appreciated more than ass kissing, which I never do for the record, and that the critique would only help to position the band as being a leader in not only good service but also good costume design seeing as the actual product of the "ultimate all inclusive experience" was not so ultimate for 2010. The saving grace for me this year was that I absolutely loved my costume and that I had a great time on Monday. I know certain things were beyond the band's control on Tuesday however the size of the band is certainly a factor to be considered for 2011. Ideally I would hope the band actually DOES split in two, that would make things very interesting indeed!

I am liking the theme for 2011, hopefully we do get stellar costumes and not so many bruised egos giving me ( little old me!) the "stink eye". Good luck and looking forward to the start of band launching season "Warriors".

TRIBE 2010 Review

This was my first experience in Tribe, and after hearing many glowing reviews over the years I decided to see what this hype was about.

Costume collection

It was probably the smoothest I have ever encountered in my life having played mas in several different bands. It was a well oiled machine efficiently run, and almost military like in its execution. This to me left a very good impression on me as to what to look forward to on the road.

The costume for the most part was well made with the exception of the head piece which was a bit problematic for me.

Large headpieces are nice but, securing it on your head is quite another issue which i think is something designers need to look at becuase many masqueraders with large headpieces (myself included) had problems with it blowing off, or falling down on our faces. some were able to handle this with grace, while others were not so lucky...

Carnival Monday

The vibe in the band was good. I have a tendency to roam on my own to see what happens throughout, and I have to say the band seemed very organized on Monday. Drinks were flowing, people were having a good time, and everything went well until we passed the savannah stage and passed the cipriani exit .TRIBE was stuck for about 45 minutes…this gave me a good opportunity to have a look at the band, and it was only then I realized how truly massive it was. It stretched for miles. I would estimate that there were about 4000 people on that day. In the back of my mind I dreaded what Tuesday would be like but say what I was having a good time! Copious amounts of water and Gatorade for me to drink, so I was good.

One thing though, a friend of mine told me that he encounted a small skirmish with security who almost put him out because the tribe insignia on his id band ,was rubbing out, and he was accused of having a false id. Immediately I had a look at mine and the same thing was happening. I wondered if I too would be accused of having a fake ID, and also wondered how many other masqueraders if any had the same issue. I think this is something the management of tribe needs to look at, if only to ensure that their masqueraders are not falsely accused and have to suffer embarrassment of being potentially thrown out. They are actually opening themselves up to some serious litigation.

Back to Monday…

The rest stop was nice, food was decent and plentiful and most importantly tasty. For me sitting under a shady tree in Jackson square to re-energize was better than resting my backside on some random pavement somewhere. However there seemed to be no real indication as to when the band would get going again, the rest was overly long and I was most tempted to take a power nap.

Anyways, the band continued along onto tragarete road and down pole carew street onto ana and ariapita avenue…that was when I felt ram cram. I spent most of the time outside the ropes than in, trying to get some breathing and wining room because it felt like a Jamaican bus during rush hour!! Sardine like!!. When tribe got to the avenue I stayed a bit and left to meet my pick up as I was already too tired.

Tuesday

That was a whole debacle in itself…I am not going to get into the details of why I met the band so late but all I have to say is thank god I was not stuck on charlotte street. I met the band when they were at memorial square (well at least my section) and it was messy to say the least. Cramped, hot, sweaty and pushy people everywhere. I tried to make the best of it however when it came to finding a drink truck??? They did a Houdini on me!!! I could find none, all gone….so I had to rely on 6 dollar inflated price blue waters to keep me from fainting in the sweltering heat. Perhaps the band needs to look at keeping 3 drink trucks on keate street or something…so that at least masqueraders can get their drinks in close proximity to the band

The dj’s tried to keep the vibes going and that they did, but when you expend energy you get thirsty not so??? So waiting for over an hour in 1 spot jamming and nutten to drink will eventually make you frustrated as hell…and that I was.

Again, I spent most of the time outside the ropes than in the ropes walking up and down looking for some shade.

Eventually the band got moving. I was glad yes but then things got a little worse after the “get in yuh section call”. I won’t blame the band for this, but I would criticize some of the masqueraders themselves. People got in their sections yes, but almost everybody wanted to cram to the front and to the left where the cameras were and they didn’t care if you had a large headpiece, a front liner or if you were an individual or if you had on a floor member costume. Oh jeez, I mean not everybody can go to the front right????

After a while I got exceedingly frustrated and anybody who pushed me, male, female, dog, cat or rat, got a reactionary shove once I was shoved. Imagine a male masquerader tried to push his way in front of me, when there was no room, and when he shoved me to move back had the audacity to smile and say thanks?!?? *woosah moment.*

Anyway the only relief I got was when the individual and then the frontline was allowed to parade in front of the judges first, which was just fine for me. I had room to play myself. And even then, before they let us go infront the judges, I was being jostled by other masqueraders to get to the front. I think there is a big difference between exhuberance and outright unmannerly behaviour, and surely some of these ppl were just plain unmannerly. I could understand excitement and anticipation but taking that to a point where it causes discomfort to others? Methinks not.

The band took a total of 1hr and 35 mins to cross but I wanted to see all the sections and I could tell that there were a lot of thirsty, tired masqueraders…Loulan, poor masqueraders….everybody and their tantie with costume or not, wanted live palancing…that’s all I will say about that.

The rest park by the time I got there was a mess, no room to sit, garbage strewn everywhere despite the fact that there were ppl there to collect discarded containers. Food collection was relatively easy and like Monday the food was also tasty and plentiful, loads of starch though but as I said it was tasty and well cooked

Not enough toilets tribe!!! And well serving ppl lukewarm Gatorade does not cut it either!!! I didn’t even bother to venture near the pampering center or whatever it is called as it was incredibly crowded as was to be expected but I would have preferred if there were more toilets available for people to use.

For the most part I just relaxed until it was time to move again.

It wasn’t bad though this time around, until we got to pole carew street , there were people lining the streets creating some incredible congestion in the band and it became somewhat uncomfortable, and again found myself outside of the ropes. As we got close to the avenue it got worse and by then I had had enough so I said my goodbyes and left

Conclusion

I would give TRIBE a B for overall experience, but if they don’t do something about their numbers they are going to self destruct. It is true that they have created a hype that makes them a very popular band among the masquerading public and everybody wants to play with them but sometimes things get to a point where it becomes too much to be bearable..I doubt very much that tribe would want a logistical nightmare on their hands so I suppose in their post mortem they might have to look at ways of further reduction of numbers or creating 2 separate entities.

To be honest in all my years of playing mas I never exhibited loyalty to a particular band and this experience in tribe wouldn’t make me start either. Lets see what happens at band launchings for 2011.

Theme 2011....

So, sources have indicated to me that TRIBE will be playing "Warriors" for Carnival 2011.

Somehow I am excited by the theme, I do hope there are a lot of ethnic looking, multi coloured, feathered, beaded and gorgeous costumes for both men and women that incorporates less bling and more organic materials! This could be a pretty interesting theme, looking forward to the interpretation.Can you just see it now?

Rio Carnival 2010

Spice 2010 Review (4)

Ok, so my review of Spice will be restricted to my costume collection experience since others have already reviewed the road.

Upon arriving on Spice mas camp before 12 on carnival Saturday already displeased because collection for overseas masqueraders was so late, my friends and I were issued numbers and escorted into the ballroom. Even after being some of the first to arrive we endured a 3-4hr wait before we finally collected. We were told that the reason for the long wait was that the online systems were down and the payments had to be processed manually. Fine, no problem. Stuff happens, so we sat patiently and waited our turn. Unfortunately however, some impatient folks who came in after us did not feel the same way and decided to disregard the number system and place themselves in front of everyone who had been waiting patiently. This, predictably, led to some chaos. After FINALLY making it through the chaos we were allowed to enter the space for collection. 

My friend in Isis collected her Isis costume and was pleased with everything except the bra size which was off (she requested a B and received what looked like a DD) When she inquired about it she was told she had to return the next day to exchange the top. Huh? Not sure why, but determined not to fuss she agreed. Same time the gentleman with my receipt returned with a backline headpiece in his hand and a box on his arm. Before he could open the box he apologised for taking a while and explained that he had some trouble finding my costume. I informed him that it was a frontline costume and he went back to look again, apologising and saying that must have been the reason.

 His second trip back produced a FL hp which he handed over with more apologies. While investigating the hp he opened the box to show me the costume and to my surprise, there looking back at me was a bl belt and bra. Once again, I had to 'firmly' inform the gentleman that my costume was FL and NOT backline, and def not a mixture of both. More apologies and a few minutes later he returned with a booklet and a confused look on his face. He opened the page to the prototype and asked if that was what I had been expected. Well.. yes, that's what I paid for, of course its what I expected! He walked off to consult with another comittee member and returned to tell me that my costume was "on the way". HUH?? "On the way from WHERE?" One look on my face sent him off to talk with the bandleader to "find out what was going on".

 He returned with more apologies, an explanation about the costume being "stuck in traffic around the savannah", a request that I return the next day, and an apologetic band leader. Several apologies and assurances that my costume would be there "bright and early" sunday morning, and I collected my headpiece, wristband, etc, and left confused and somewhat frustrated.

Upon my return on Sunday morning I explained to the gentleman at the door that I was there to collect my costume and nothing more, so I was immediately escorted to the collection area without any wait. My friend got her bra exchanged with no fuss, but I was not to be so fortunate. After explaining the situation to one of the young ladies helping with collection she took my receipt to a committee member who then took it to the band leader who brought it back to me with MORE apologies. This time I was told that my costume was on the way from Chaguanas. HUH????? "What the hell is it doing in Chaguanas when it was around the savannah yesterday? Did it go for a drive?" More apologies, more assurances that it would be there within the hour, but at this point all of this meant nothing at all to me. I received the same the day before and was not at all comforted by the apologetic smiles and explanations. (Up to now no answer about why it was in Chaguanas and not at the hilton) .

Hours later I returned to the Hilton to find the place in chaos with people trying to purchase/collect costumes last minute. Refusing to wait another minute I located a comittee member and explained the situation and requested that he located the band leader since I would deal with no one else at this point. His response to me was "does she know you by name?" HUH???? "If my costume is not here she WILL know me by name, trust me!!!" Off he went into the ballroom to locate the band leader (they were not letting customers in at this point) and he returned FINALLY with my costume. Opening the box had me (almost) forgiving Spice for my 3 trips to the Hilton and 2 different stories as to why it was not there when it should have been. A family member who was with me however commented that the glue on the costume seemed to be "still warm" and seeing that a few pieces seemed to have not been stuck on completely, they might just have been right. Another rumour that I heard going around the ballroom from some of the ladies helping with collection was that I was the only FLer in my section that wanted to remain in the advertised monokini the others wanted to "switch out". (something I overhead while watching them play 'pass the receipt' on sunday morning) Whether or not that is true is no excuse for me to have to wait until Sunday evening to receive my costume, especially after I registered since August.

 In the end my costume was beautiful and I loved it, despite the few minor changes made (a different shade of pink, which I loved, and a backline cape which I didn't bother to wear). It was also a bit heavy, because of all the stones covering it, and my hp was my biggest gripe as it kept literally falling over or flying off my head on the road. The fit itself was fine, but the feathers themselves seemed to weigh down the cardboard holding it together. I did however receive extra pieces, a backline belt and foot pieces which I wore instead of the regular ol' boyshorts, and that I definitely appreciated. The road was decent and I ended up having a ball. But please Spice, do something to reinforce your headpieces, and don't give ANY of your masqueraders the run around for a costume they're paying hundreds of USD for, months in advance. A little notification about the situation would have been better than 3 trips to the Hilton and poor excuses.

Spice 2010 Review (3)

So for carnival 2010 it was decided that I go leave my Pulse8 carnival band and try something new. So after reading up my reviews on www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com and hearing from people that played in diff bands in 2009 etc etc we decided to join SPICE. It is an all inclusive band that had a ok first year in 2009. bla bla bla etc etc etc here's the summary

Registration

So when we decided on the "ISIS" section I think it was only 4 fellas playing for sure. Then the day to register a couple girls decided to play also. Unfortunately the females were already advertised as sold out. Couple calls to spice PR oman (who we knew from before) and we eventually got through with the extra costumes required. In the mas camp itself it was smooth sailings. Couple complaints though - 1) no male prototypes in the mas camp (2)No visa in the mas camp steupssss (3) you couldn't touch female prototypes in mas camp . Nothing too serious and we were in and out in 30 mins (real thing to sign though and had to swipe link card separate for all the 7 people registering . And like they does pre order everything down to size cause when I was there there were only about 2 size 34 pants left and very few SPECIFIC sizes left .Same thing with the females - like they does order a specific number of SIZES in each size way before carnival. So instead of catering for say 100 men and 100 women the does cater for 30 A cup women , 30 B cup etc etc etc . Not sure if thats the best system but watever yes

Collection

Ah breeze Carnival Friday. We reach , we pay , we talk shit with all 4-5 people we had to deal with. All 4-5 people were polite and friendly and we were out in 30 mins. Some partners who when later had to wait lil longer but again , this part of review just focussing on my experiences . MY costume was pretty well made. The waterproof thing for pockets was nice but too much velco there cause them thing was hard to open so hardly anyone I knew used it (maybe woulda come in handy for car keys though).

D Road

Monday I meet the band 11:30 thanks to my jouvert experience and I met up with band couple hundred meter from where they started (supposedly at 9) . Now by this time those who reach at advertised time were not in best of moods cause they had a long wait without music or rum or security . Maybe 9 in kinda unrealistically early ...... ok I take that back . NINE in morning after jouvert IS TOO EARLY. FIX THAT SPICE !! Tuesday start time might also need to be revised .Oh yeah and where the azz  people was supposed to park to meet ah band Charlotte Street ??? Maybe ah lil clue in the package would help. And who knew about them shuttle from King George Park? If you shuttle to venue how you was supposed to reach back. maybe the car parks by Despers could be rented out .. maybe. Like Pulse8 spice doh give we no Monday wear so iz all kinda thing on the road Monday . The music trucks were generally good.MerryPerry was my fave except for when they try to play effing techno on the road for them 5 min interval every few hours. "I gotta feeling" is ah big song but I rather hear ah Nigel and Marvin, Iwer or Preacher before I hear TECHNO on the F***ING road carnival time . But guess machel, kes and sherwayne does do it in their sets so who iz me - I'd exercise the right to go to the "assassin truck" behind them .

Organization

The food organization was okish. I'm sure menus probably tasted better than others (I doh eat much on the road ). But probably  more tents, chairs and ENTRANCES could be provided . SO why the hell must standard bearers take ah rest so often on the road ? Like they can't just give the standard to someone else who not tired. And why is it that for long periods of time the standard bearer for sec 3 be 50ft behind the one for sec 4 .?Like nobody in the organization notice that. And why must the band get so spread out soo often. if ah truck in the back stop they cant stop the front truck from going up too fast to keep the band in ah order . Come on Spice its 2500 people not 800 . Why the rope people couldn't keep up with the first few sections soo much????? When all the "extraction Crew " operating as the "GATE" to cross a stage for section number ten the people in section #1 does be quarter mile down the road with not ROPE and NO REAL SECURITY . Arapita Avenue was the wuss wuss - not only Spice fault but the security there just has to be MUCH BETTER. Also when section #1 ready to cross ah stage maybe ALL the trucks could announce that the band gonna cross the stage cause sometimes people in the back out of section didn't realize that people in the front were crossing a stage .

With all that said SPICE was still ah good band -I get drinks right through, good dj, goood vibes for ME on the road. But now I would point out a major peeve that has to do with a friend of mine

COSTUMES

The FL in ISIS had some big plumes all over head piece. It's the ADVERTISED headpiece on the website and even on the front page on the official spice handbook. It was a HUGE headpiece. People pay real money to carry around this huge head piece - I think it was too big but say what if thats what people pay money for FINE. So sometime for whatever reason SPICE decided to make the headpiece "lighter" , "Smaller" or easier to carry . People who pay for the oversized head pieces were only told this when they went to collect. WTF !! Is only prob 10 FL people you had to contact to inform about CHANGES to ah costume they PAY for . Mrs SPICE PR WOMAN - least you coulda do was call, give part refund something. And then to go on the road and see ah bandleader with HUGE plumes modeling for all to see is like rubbing salt into the wounds . And y'all also made changes to Caspian Sea FL without telling people before hand what yall were doing BIG STEUPS . If I pay for ah 30ft long living room table whoever better bring me ah 30 ft living room table (doh tell me after, you cut it short cause it cant fit in my house ) . People pay money spice and I want to play with y'all again but I want the costume I register for and what I see in the mas camp and thats only FAIR .

Dats all for now!

Harts Carnival 2010 Review

Another Carnival has come and gone, and yet another Carnival experience. My heart was set on playing with Spice because the service was great from registration, to collected, to the road experience. However, the whole Pay Pal issue and me having to run down Spice to find out about my registration did not sit well with me; so I made the ultimate decision to change bands. Band of choice: Harts, section of choice: Brazilian Fiesta (Orange). Now I have heard the stories of Harts being uppity, and me with my dark self I was worried. But I always say it is up to the person that to the experience worth while.

REGISTRATION AND COLLECTION

I must say registration was an ease. I did mines online since I currently reside in Arkansas. The day after I submitted my registration online, I was contacted via email to confirm that my registration was received and that my selected costume choice was secured. The only thing I did not like was that after the money was withdrawn from my account, a second transaction was done to make up the difference for what was not taken out during the currency conversion. Since it was nothing more that about $14.00, I made no fuss. Anytime I sent Harts an email regarding costume options and remaining balance, I received a prompt reply answering all my questions. Collection was also an ease, paying off my balance and making sure I had everything took about ten minutes. When I saw my costume, I fell in love.....not only was my head piece humongous, but the costume itself was beautiful. My only problem I had with my costume was after having a baby three months prior, my breasts was slightly too large for the bra but I came prepared with some bra extenders...so that and all was small thing.

CARNIVAL MONDAY

The band left promptly from its designated location at 10:30 AM. Music was nice but I did not like the fact that they played each song twice in a row before going on to the other one. I must say that Harts knows how to party, I do now know how these people found they way on top of roofs and walls as any building along the route was subject to be dance on. That one I cannot blame on Harts, as some homeowners were having problems with this. After making circles (yes I said circles) we finally stopped for lunch at the square (sorry I don't know the name of it), and it was every man jack and woman jack for themselves to find a space to sit and eat. I was apart of "D Rum Shop" and the selection for lunch was beef pelau, which just was okay. I am not a big drinker but their selection was some of the best, and the bar never buss. The only thing I could not understand is how you don't have coconut water (the ultimate chaser). The rest of the day was okay, the only thing making it exceptional was the motivation from the crowd, the fact that we circled a block before we moved on was quite irritating and the stopping for long periods of time drained my energy.

CARNIVAL TUESDAY

By the time I met up with the band they were crossing Park and Frederick Street. We chipped all the way to Queens Park and the only time they started to play palancing music was right before we crossed the "stage." Getting people into their respective sections was a hassle as they did this about 15 minutes before crossing, and it was quite annoying to hear the announcer repeat all 25 sections (with a detailed description of the costume) about six times in an attempt to get everyone situated. After the Savannah it was a free for all, stormers had a time enjoying the experience that I paid for. The route became a drab, and after a while I became quite bored with the band. If it wasn't for the masqueraders who kept the energetic vibe going, I do not think I would have enjoyed myself as much. Lunch on Tuesday was very disorganized, as it took almost half an hour before we could get lunch. It also pissed off to see that people who were not apart of D Rum Shop eating lunch and enjoying drinks that I paid $700.00 for. Another issue that I had was the as the stormers stormed, security selected who the wanted to storm and who they wanted to put out the band. In my eyes a stormer is a stormer and all should have been put out, aint no pick and choose about it.

I must highlight this (since I see it as unfair and not putting the mas player safety first):

I played with my friend from Haiti and during the course of Tuesday, she strayed from me some how. Now keep in mind that this is her second time in Trinidad and she does not know Park street from Princess Town. Went to the first truck and informed the security that I needed to make an announcement to find a person. He directed me to the second truck. Gone to the second truck now and ask another security personnel and he took me to the mike man on the truck who said that they did not do announcements (mind you all day they paging people and what not). I flipped the mike man off, verbalized and expletive and as I was walked off, a female security who was apparently aware of the entire situation came to me, apologized for the rudeness of the mike man and took me to the proper truck (holding my hand throughout). Now the man on the third truck assured me that he would make the announcement.......lets just say that I am still waiting. Now how fair is that to me?

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

All in all Harts was just OKAY. Would I ever play with them again: maybe but it would not be my first choice of Carnival bands. I could not help but feel a certain "vibe" from other masqueraders and the photographers, lets just say that I was not the first, second or third choice when it came to Harts photographers. Crap, I know I am not the skinniest (shoot I love my baby fat and how it made my bumper spread) or the lightest thing alive but I do think my personality was vibrant enough to take a couple photographers. The feeling was very uneasy and it made it uncomfortable at times. The other thing I do not understand is why parade beautiful costumes that no one can see other than the Savannah crowd....I would have loved to parade and get on bad for spectators along the Avenue or even down town. But now I know that Harts is not the band if you are looking to do this. I still cannot get over the "stares" that I felt as I paraded through the band, but you know what I could care less because I pay my money and I played my mas.

Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2010 Photos

These links are for all of you anxiously seeking Carnival photos online, and if you have any links to share please leave a comment:

http://www.facebook.com/digiceltt?ref=pymk

http://www.degrind.com/photos.htm

http://www.zorce.com/zorce_gallery/v/biglime/carnival2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/izatrini

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kibwe

http://www.toronto-lime.com/pictures/index.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liam_shane/sets/72157623451190606/

http://www.mayarobeach.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37791102@N00/sets/72157623337230953/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23654434@N07/sets/72157623455890014/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=193697721034

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37791102@N00/sets/72157623328389369/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34164041@N00/sets/72157623449967536/

http://www.carnivalscene.com/

http://www.trinisoca.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=201145

http://www.triniscene.com/tsv7/galleries/

http://www.trinipulse.com/entertainment/galleries.php

http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/junglejuice.php

http://www.block868.com/gallery.html

Spice 2010 Review (2)

After playing mas with IP this year all of my friends decided they didn’t want to play with them again so I was like cool but once you all know we not getting into TRIBE so after realizing I was right we settled on Spice our section of choice was Moroccan Heat, firstly the halter mess as some ppl were calling it wasn’t bad at all it was HOTTT at least to me an I saw most ppl rocking it without any problems one or two made it into a regular bra seemed okay but I preferred the original design.

GOOD

From registration to collection was a breeze for me very good service always whenever I sent an email to make enquires it was answered within the hour maybe I was just lucky but again this is my experience, phone calls made were greeted with a pleasant and patient voice on the other end. Honestly I cannot say how long my collection took to me the collection is all a part of the fun in carnival I love the vibe u get when you go and u see people who you will see on the road. We were told to try on our bras as they had to adjust the straps for the neck piece because all were the same length and also my sisters belt was too large that did not take long to fix I would say the entire thing took roughly a half hour to forty-five minutes. I think the wait came in us having to wait for 4 persons to try on also to pay off our balances. Monday was great and Tuesday was even better the whole experience to me was one I would relive tomorrow with my sore muscles even. The WEE WEE truck was clean very clean seemed like they cleaned them very regularly and were stocked with the feminine necessities. The food wasn’t bad either there was a variety to choose from unlike another band where you have to eat what they give or nothing at all. The taste of it wasn’t bad either but I guess it’s according to the individual. All in all I do not have much complaints those I have were minor things. My sister is an extremely fussy person and she is giving Spice top marks and says she plans to play with them again

BAD

The meeting time was too early on Monday they told us to come out for 9:00am but we moved off somewhere around 11:00am they need to make the meeting time a little later because that’s what ended up happening anyway. They also need more food tents as someone mentioned some of the lines were really long not that I was in any of them but they were. A couple bartenders were apparently annoyed that they were in the bar and not on the road I know Spice can’t control that either but I’m just saying. A friend of mine almost got into an altercation and this chick came over and was like “Put him in his place you pay for that!!” I was cracking up on the side was very funny. Last but not least the sun was just too hot and I could not drink enough water but then again Spice doesn’t control the climate J Spice 2k11 here I come!!!!

Spice 2010 Review (1)

Here is my Spice review. Right off the bat I will give them a B

I have played with Poison, Legacy, Harts and Island People so I have a lot to compare Spice to.

First off the costume pickup payment for online masquraders was CRAZY. I had to resort to all types of trickery to get my costume on time.

They had a ballroom at the Hilton and our pickup was supposed to be at 12pm. Of course I got there late and my crew and I received number 70 something.

They were calling number 6. We got out of there 3 hours later but passed a chick 20 CND to piggy back on her low number. The actual costume pickup was a breeze. My waist band was to small so instead of making me wait to get it fixed, the girl just gave me a new 36 waist band. I like to wear mine low like a skirt.

When we left there must have been 300 people in the ballroom. I see they meant well but didn't plan properly for online or overseas masquraders next year I know they will learn their lesson. Now my husband isn't Trini and he said if we would have arrived EARLY and got one of the first numbers we would have had no problem. He is all about being efficient good thing he plays mas with me becasue on Tuesday his bright ideas help us all out.

Once getting home my costume was FAB. Everything looked identical to the prototype, including the headpiece. No skimping anywhere. Now of course some rows of beads were becoming unstuck. I always walk with my glue gun so that was no prob. My husbands costume was beautiful as well and looked very manly. He especially loved the head piece no sun burn for his head this year!

Monday mas was great. NO MONDAY WEAR though. You had to pay for a Spice T-Shirt and boy shorts if you wanted them. That was a bummer since I"m used to getting a little something extra from playing with IP.

The only bump I encountered was the security really doing their job and looking at EVERY SINGLE wrist band when we got to the QRC grounds. This caused a crazy bottle neck at the entrance AND when trying to leave. Food lines were long as hell but there was a great choices for meals: Italian (Lasanga, Spagetti and Meatballs), Arabic (rice, lamb and potatoes), and Creole (mac pie, lentils, rice and stew chicken). And they ran out of some food options but that was fine I went to the Italian line and got the food right away. Couldn't get alcoholic drinks until we were rolling on the road though but that was fine plenty of water and Red Bull in coolers around the grounds.

Tuesday we were a little late to catch the band but I knew they would be stuck on Charolette street and we wouldn't miss breakfast. Breakfast was doubles (yum) and bake with ham along with fruit salad. Drinks were being served at this time as well. I took this time to walk thru the band taking photos of everyone looking fresh. Frontline Wings of Isis HOT HOT HOT. Individual Greece (Rinell) beautiful. Frontline Rubies were also beautiful. My band looked HOT. Crossing the stage was nice. Lots of room to Palance and Palance I did. I loved the fact my section wasn't so crunched up and packed.

After crossing the stage my husband and I collected our friend meal chits and headed to QRC to secure some nice seating. This was his idea of course early bird get the worms before they run out of worms. Once we got there no lines, only the few smart folks who left the band early to get food. We also got a nice table and bench setup under some shade. After being done eating I had time to touch up my makeup and my crew's makeup. I walked around some more taking pictures. We left after the DJ announced it was time to leave for more fun on the road.

I left the band at this point to go watch IP and Tribe. I caught up with them later and crossed the stage at Aripitia. Not before walking thru Harts where people were LITERALLY hanging off of street signs (that band is really a good time band). I first took full advantage of the cool down bus first to fix myself again. All in all good vibes with Spice, great music (mix of oldies new stuff and other). I talked to some of the designers and let them know I will be back next year either frontline or individual. Everyone was nice no girls giving me the stink eye as they do in other bands. No one bothering my husband because the THINK he's white (not he is Puerto Rican).

Oh one more thing. Lots of augmented girls in Carnival this year. My husband said this year was the year of the silicon. Mas boots aren't the best accessories anymore it's silicon boobs and silicon booties!

Im out till 2k11 (Trini Princessa aka TriniBaby)

Island People 2010 Review (3)

The Costume

I played backline Chandsitarie. Initially, I wanted a frontline costume because I love huge headpieces but these sold out quite quickly. Why, I do not understand as there were probably only about 8 frontline costumes in the section on the day! The bra was lovely- very intricate beading and detail with lots of gemstones and mirrors to reflect the moon and stars concept of chandsitarie. This costume stayed true to the theme and was not spoilt by unecessary feathers! The detailing on the belt was also fantastic and we received LOTS of lovely bangles as handpieces. The headpiece was also well made and sturdy. I felt that at times less glue and more stitching should be used on the belt as in the heat (and even before I left) bits were coming off the costume. I was supplied with a clear plastic strap which I thought was not sturdy but it held up my DDs in spite of all my jamishness on the road. The sari detail of the headpiece could have been attached with a larger bit of velcro. All in all, 9.5 out of 10. I loved my costume! I felt like a princess.

Collection

It took us 10 minutes flat to collect our costumes during the week. The ladies were also able to engage in a bit of banter and we were asked whether we wanted extra goodies for our goody bags (nice!). It was only when I arrived at home I realised that my neck piece was missing- this was replaced on the Saturday with minimal effort although the customer service agents were a little bit more busy and less friendly!

It would have been nice to have water or some beverages available as it was hot! 7/10

Carnival Monday

I admit I loved the idea of the wrap and what people did with it amazed me- I saw dresses, dhotis, hot shorts, even gladiator sandals with that bit of cloth. More forewarning is needed however so we can at least accessorise the cloth! Some people were prepared with brown and purple boots and the like. Very nice touch. The band looked less like jourvert although some gold hot shorts would have been nice.

I only got to the band at about 12 pm and could not believe that lunch was not served yet. Someone said pizza slices were handed out earlier. The lunch itself that was "catered to be tasty and lean" was not so tasty. It was very carb heavy (both rice and pasta) and lacking in veggies (only some corn on the cob). Granted, you can't please everyone but the food could have been better.

I am an equal opportunities Carnival Baby and I loved the back of the truck which played some nice chipping songs. The vibes was great- no"stushness", it was real bacchanal and a sense of festivity. My only complaint was running out of water and the lack of ladies' drinks like Baileys, Hennessey and the like. Not everyone likes Johnnie Walker Black. At one point there was no coconut water, no water, no gatorade, no hydrating drinks whatsoever. Dangerous. Given the heat.

All in all I had a great time.

Carnival Tuesday

Some costumes that looked fantastic in the booklet looked less so on the road- Bindi was one of those for me. The red costume and Nakashtra (black) did not stand out and Chutney Bhaav looked like the yellow cloth we received for Carnival Monday. :(. Mudra looked really cute, and Taal was sexy as hell! Sonia Mack's section was on fire - those Kalpana costumes made me jealous. I think Island People were very original

We waited for ages to cross the Savannah as did everyone but the band was very lively and there was a good mix of men and women to make the ramajay and palance nice! Lunch at the Oval was a very good idea. We got to eat, put our feet up and use the bathroom. Talking of bathrooms, I used the WEE WEE truck and I was NOT impressed. It stank and consisted of basic portaloos which had no mirrors. Hello! Us ladies need to fix up. Island People, please spend the money and use Andyloos.

Afterwards it was much more palancing although water and drinks ran out again. That is not on. There was also no after party as promised.

Security also started drinking and wining after a while and forgot they were there to keep masqueraders safe "is carnival tuesday we can't have a good time too" is what I heard. I compared this to Tribe security who were lined up tightly. I also saw a child performing a security function. What the heck. Is that legal?

Overall, I would say 10/10 for atmosphere but 5/10 for service. The band is probably too large to be manageable and to give people a premium experience. Every year it's the same complaint- customer service sucks. The masqueraders and the designers make the band. The persons doing logistics needs to begin a complete overhaul. But I am in there again next year! Vibes too nice.

Island People 2010 Review (2)

Costume

I played in Taal Frontline with a backpack.. My costume was gorgeous it was well worked up including my bra which was “the own bra option.” I must thank Tisha Neilson who offered to cover my black bra because I was not finding the right shade of purple. The backpack was not exactly what I expected (somehow I thought it would have had wires lol lol lol) but it was gorgeous. The brighter royal purple and the fuchsia pink look fabulous in the sun and I would admit I love

Collection

I collected my costume in less than 5 minutes on the first day of collection and there was just a trickle of people. The goody bag was enough nothing too elaborate

What annoyed me was the wrong spelling in the booklet…..”incourage” “ad here”…IP spell check was tooooo much

What was funny in the booklet…….they suggested you get a “me 2, bmobile off course”……IP big plug for the sponsors

Carnival Monday

The Good

The vibes was nice nice nice, plenty jamishness, the dj was on point and the performances on the road was mad.swappi, shurwayne Winchester , Zuki and Tim Tim (Zuki nearly fall off the truck lol lol lol lmao). The pholurie and chutney sauce was a hit and a big hit too

The Bad

The cloth was not a good idea in my humble opinion, I didn’t know what to do with it but I must admit that there were some very creative people in IP. The 5 o’clock lunch was TERRIBLE

The Ugly

Why the hell ¾ of the band needed to be by DJ Trevlyn truck…..ok I know that that was the truck with all the performances but gosh whole day alyuh screaming for Trevlyn sooooo. Then there was Busy Signal, beginning was on point but the dancehall vibes in meh soca is ah big no no no no no. Ok then the band run out of water……I had to ask if WASA was limiting the water supplied to the band

Carnival Tuesday

The Good

Ah the big day had arrive, jamishness palance palance gosh it had serious vibes, costumes were beautiful, taal was hotttttttt, mudra was also adorable, japuir, the yellow, white and the black also looked stunning, morgandi although very simple was “dressed up” by several masqueraders, bindi was nice too, the other costumes was kinda blank but chutney baav was my least favourite. Frontliners came out deck down with boots and makeup.

I loved the security details at the savannah where they allowed frontline with backpack to cross then other frontliners and the backliners but as usual there are some people that don’t care about these logistics hmmm.

The Bad

Salty Peleau and once again they run outa water oh gosh I really had to ask if WASA give alyuh ah limit.

Young ladies Trevlyn truck was not the only truck gosh

The Ugly

Why did IP run down the avenue early in the morning so hmmmmm I had to wonder if that was to get in front of Tribe to cross the stage

The tooooo wild

Ok Island people have some ridiculous women that turned the snack truck into the slack truck…..a strong handsome man winning on the truck and some women wine on the man till they pulll of the dhoti hmmmmm pure slackness lol lol lol and what was worst the group of men standing nearly that was laughing get pants too lmao but they fell real bad and the women involved was vicious with it.

My summary of it all

All in all with all the ups and downs of the two day I felt like my costume, what I ate and drank and the palance that I palance was well worth $4600.00

Now I’m like a roast chicken recovering

Trini Revellers 2010 Feedback

I am writing this on behalf of my mother, who was driven to tears in frustration because of the absolute horrendous level of nonsense that occurred with respect to her Carnival costume. I am trying very hard to keep this civil, although strong language will be used. I would appreciate not only a positive response, but some action to be taken, not only on behalf of my mother, my aunt and my cousin who were paying members of your band, but for anybody else who was part of this horrible crime.

Imagine, Carnival Monday comes and goes and a section leader, representing your band has yet to distribute costumes to masqueraders? This is what happened to my mother. In fact, I should start earlier. My family members went to collect their costumes since last week, and were told to return Saturday afternoon. They went back Saturday afternoon, still no costume, but were given a t-shirt and told the costumes were to be delivered on Sunday. An agreement was reached where the costumes would be collected in the band MONDAY, As in Monday, same day as J'Ouvert, same day as Carnival Monday itself. Monday comes and goes, the section leader, ERIC RICHARDS is no where to be found.

MONDAY kept getting worse. The all inclusive lunch that was promised could not be called lunch, not at the price of the costume. One cold, stale bake and shark is not lunch, not to sustain the kind of energy one needs for carnival. I know Bake and Shark is expensive, at about $25 per sandwich, but you and I both know that is a poor excuse for lunch, especially for a costume that should have at least $100 budgeted for food. A proper caterer could have produced a more fulfilling meal for that price. Substandard service, hustled down at the last minute by someone too cheap to do the work for the band correctly, that is what that was. I also heard stories that, just like parts of costumes were missing, parts of the carnival kit were missing as well, including one's drink bands, as my cousin related to me the story of one woman who had to go through a full interrogation and raise hell on earth to get a drink that was already paid for in the cost of her costume. Really? That's the kind of service that people deserve for the money that they earn and choose to spend playing in your band? All that was needed was for whoever distributed the costume to double check that all parts of the costume kit were included in the package, in front of the customer, before handing over the items.

Please remember that to have people in your carnival band is not a right, but a choice, and at the rate that this man, ERIC RICHARDS is going, he's ruining your credibility with carnival players. Word of mouth for the ridiculousness that went on this year will kill your membership list severely.

TUESDAY's lunch was no better: Provision and fish or pork, once again, delivered about 4 pm in the afternoon, after the 3rd judging point. Who eats provision while doing any aerobic activity? Do you want to put your bandmembers to sleep? Furthermore, if I were a masmember, I would have hit the roof at that point because I do not eat fish from strangers (after choking on a supposedly boneless piece of fish when I was younger) and I don't eat pork. Once again, poor planning. Consultation with ANY catering company would have told this man that this was a bad idea, and given a simple and more effective meal that most people would have appreciated.

As for the costumes, my family members were missing costumed bottoms up to Tuesday morning. Upon cornering ERIC RICHARDS he produced some bottoms, which were the wrong type, as specified by the registration form. My aunt is one who prefers relatively modest costumes, and the short-of-a-length bottom offered by ERIC RICHARDS were definitely not what was requested on the form. How do I know? I was there when they asked about the options for parts of the costume, like we do every year. My family is the type to ask to see samples of what a bikini bottom looks like versus what bicycle shorts look like. If my aunt requested a specific bottom, she knew exactly what it was supposed to look like and trying to force something else on her is dishonest.

BUT, THE MOST DISGUSTING PART OF THE WHOLE DEBACLE? WHEN MY FAMILY MEMBERS WENT TO THE MANAGEMENT OF TRINI REVELLERS TO COMPLAIN, THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE MANAGEMENT COULD NOT DO ANYTHING, BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSOURCED TO AN EXTERNAL PARTY, AND WAS NOT A "TRINI REVELLERS" SECTION.

EXCUSE ME?

WHERE WAS THE DEPOSIT PAID? TRINI REVELLER'S MAS CAMP

WHO'S BAND WAS THE SECTION REPRESENTING? TRINI REVELLERS

WHEN BEING JUDGED BY THE NCBA'S JUDGES IN REPRESENTING BAND OF THE YEAR, WHAT SECTION DID THE BAND BELONG TO? TRINI REVELLERS

SO PLEASE, EXPLAIN TO ME HOW A SECTION THAT IS UNDER THE BANNER OF TRINI REVELLERS, THAT ACCEPTS DEPOSITS AT THE HEADQUARTERS AND BEING JUDGED AS PART OF TRINI REVELLERS IS NOT A PART OF TRINI REVELLERS?

I know that every outsourced section must pay Trini Revellers a portion of the money received (approximately $1000) per registered member for the right to be part of the band. Please don't deny this fact, I have confirmed this from multiple sources and it is correct. So, by the action of receiving this $1000 payment, as well as by the three questions and answers above, you, the Trini Revellers organisation, are also responsible for the complete nonsense that occured. How you handle the disgrace that is ERIC RICHARDS is an in-house matter, but he needs to be dealt with. And, as an action of good faith, a good portion of the money taken for the cost of the costume needs to be refunded, preferably from ERIC RICHARDS' pockets, but from the whole organisation. While a good time is not guaranteed with the purchase of a carnival costume, the receipt of the whole costume, relevant wristbands, and a reasonable and fulling meal is part of the agreement upon purchase. TRINI REVELLERS FAILED TO DELIVER ON THIS AGREEMENT, THROUGH IT'S AGENT, ERIC RICHARDS, WHO REPRESENTS THE COMPANY THROUGH HIS AGREEMENT TO PAY $1000 PER COSTUMED MASQUERADER FOR THE USE OF THE TRINI REVELLERS BAND AND SECTION.

As a result, I want action: I want action to be taken against ERIC RICHARDS, whether it be in-house or in court. Not only has he delivered a horrible product, but he did so under your name, damaging the reputation of your company. The people affected are going to say they are never playing with TRINI REVELLERS again. In taking action against this man, I want my family members to be compensated for not receiving the goods they paid for: costume, appropriate food and unlimited drinks. Not one of your committee members, managers, or owners would appreciate this level of garbage being forced upon people who supported your band by purchasing your costumes. So why are you encouraging it?

Island People 2010 Review (1)

This was my first year playing with IP after 2 consecutive yrs in Tribe (and yes I have a TLC, but don’t ask lol).

Good: I absolutely LOVED my costume. Played in Bindi and found this costume to b superb..the best costume I’ve played in ever! It actually made me begrudge my past Tribe costumes..like really Tribe, y’all could’ve done better hehehe.

Security was on point as well. I’ve never played with IP b4, so I have nothing to compare them too, but I really saw the ‘Eject team’ walking through the band and looking for stormers. At one point, I saw one security guy scanning me for my band…and I was in FULL costume!! Once he spotted it, he moved on and proceeded to remove a female stormer from the band..so kudos.

Lunch at the oval…I appreciated the rest in d cool from all d jamming.

Bad: That piece of cloth they give we for Monday wear. It was a decent idea, but I got my cloth on Carnival Thurs. Unfortunately I have no seamstress fren who couldda sew anything for me last minute so I had to do my best with a wrap top and a skirt. I just find they could’ve warned us early so that we could make proper preparations…Imagine my surprise when I gone to collect my costume and this yellow piece of cloth was shown to me! At the very least, they should’ve offered assistance in tying this blasted cloth for Monday. I did see some ppl tho who completely worked this cloth..good for y’all! (Maybe they had a seamstress friend)

Ugly: No effin baileys or Smirnoff or gatarode or lucozade in their PREMIUM bar! WTF!!! Imagine my shock when I gone to ask for these drinks..I’m not much of a drinker, so I doh drink Johnny which seemed to be about all they had. And get this…WATER RAN OUT! Yes I said it, my only drink on both days and it ran out both on Monday and Tuesday (I think they restocked on Tues though).

The food...I guess being spoiled by Tribe where u actually have a choice of food, I found the food to be not very fulling and I would appreciate a choice man. I’m not a pelau fan but this was actually better than the Monday lunch which I just ate cuz I was friggin starved! (I mean lunch at 5 PM?? R y’all serious???!!?)

So anyways, so I back to TRIBE again next yr, cuz after this IP experience, I feel I could take d lil jostiling in TRIBE J

Island People 2011

Sneak peek of Island People's theme for 2011:

TRIBE Carnival 2010.. The Good, The Bad and the The Ugly!

Another Carnival has come and gone and I am still waiting for the "ultimate" experience from TRIBE. While I had a great time on Carnival Monday, as usual, I am left with a sense of de ja vu on my Tuesday experience . Lets start with the "good":

THE GOOD

My costume! I absolutely loved my costume, especially the fact that the finished product looked exactly like the prototype and I had no size or fit issues.In fact I had no issues from registration to collection. The designer/section leader of the section went above and beyond to ensure that everyone, especially the frontline were pleased with their costume and I will not hesitate to play in a costume by  this designer/section leader again. I vote this the best costume I have ever played in, it just keeps getting better, costume wise, each year.

Security was on point in TRIBE both Monday and Tuesday. I personally witnessed several persons being escorted out the band for not wearing or having the proper security wrist bands.I think TRIBE security has the hardest job on the road Carnival Monday and Tuesday, hats off  to you all.

The Heineken Club Zero Truck - A lifesaver from the scorching HEAT on both Monday and Tuesday IF you could get in. It was rocking, cool time inside the truck with as much Heineken as you could stomach.

I was impressed by the FRONTLINE for Zari, Charmeuse and Xi Ling Shi on the road. These costumes looked beautiful in person! Unfortunately I did not get to see many Individual costumes in person (I did see a few female Osage "Individuals" though.. hmmmm) but from the photos Charmeuse and Habotai were stunning!!

THE BAD

Stopping for lunch on both Monday and Tuesday was an exercise in patience. The rest stop had the standard tents and blankets with a special section with padded lounge chairs as well. On Monday I got to the lunch stop early,had lunch and then proceeded to fall asleep during the VERY long wait before we finally hit the road. The problem is the band is simply too big so when the first wave of masqueraders get to the lunch stop and have eaten the second and third wave of masqueraders keep streaming in. On Tuesday I was probably in the last wave of masqueraders, and though I was still able to get lunch , we had a little wait, but not as long as the other masqueraders who got their early and intimated that they were tired waiting!

There are not enough rest rooms at the lunch stop for the sheer number of masqueraders in TRIBE. It baffles me that there are not at least four rest room stations set up around the park for both male and female. As usual the rest room area for the ladies was stocked with all the necessary items for masqueraders to freshen up but as a TRIBE veteran I am no longer impressed by all these extras and would prefer extra toilets instead!

The male costumes looked like CRAP with the exception of Silk of Rajasthan. After looking at some of the gorgeous ladies the men looked almost comical in those insipid headpieces, shorts that were too tight and whatever little bit of trimming thrown their way. Really if the men are going to be given basically board shorts why are they paying close to $3000.00TT? 

Being the last section, what a trip! On Monday I did not stay with my section in position number LAST; we were mixed in with the other sections somewhere in the middle. Great experience could not complain. On Tuesday I stayed with my section until we got to the Savannah. For the most part the experience in the back was not bad at all, we crawled to the Savannah with music and drinks and it was fine. When we got to the Savannah however is when all hell broke loose. 

The masqueraders were very exuberant, rearing up to cross stage and security tried to pluck some of the stragglers from the section, including those in other sections, and did an ok job of it. The front line ladies were allowed to go in front by the guys in the section who were chanting "Loulan! Loulan!" and those who got to the front managed to cross in one group however those stuck behind just crossed in the mob. There was no demarcation really in how we crossed the judging point, no assistance security wise for the section leader to get this organised even though my friend in Mulberry, two sections ahead said that staff were on hand to allow their frontline  to cross first. I guess the staff got fed up by the time they got to our section.

The other issue was that our truck went speeding ahead, I barely heard the music as we crossed the "stage" and I was to the FRONT of the section, the rest of the section crossed to the music truck of the band behind. I think it was an absolute disservice to put the last section with the MOST POPULAR DJ TRUCK! That was NOT a bonus it just encouraged everyone to want to be in the back, and while it was fine in the morning, crossing at the Savannah was just a melee. Suffice to say I was not at the back with my section after that. 

THE UGLY

I am not even going to elaborate on the issues other people had with their Individual and Frontline costumes having to fight for space, I am not going to mention the fact that some Individuals were jostled by the President's security and were at first not even allowed to go ahead of the parade to display their costumes that cost thousand upon thousands of dollars nor will I mention that some of these masqueraders only collected their backpacks just before crossing stage. However I will say that many of the issues they experienced were caused by one major factor; TRIBE IS TOO DAMN BIG! 

What happened to listening to your masqueraders when each year we have been calling for a smaller band and each subsequent year it keeps growing? Seriously, I was at both the front of the band and the back and it was just a mob of people.. a MOB. I felt like I was in Poison, circa 2004! And as I had a dreadful time WAITING In 2004 for the band to inch up Charlotte Street, I felt the same sense of Deja Vu yesterday!  TRIBE is the new Poison! And we all see how Poison ended up!

Imagine getting to the band before 7:30AM only to cross the Savannah SEVEN hours later! We crawled, under the most intense heat ever, to the Savannah so slowly a turtle would have moved faster! Not to mention the drinks truck left us and we had to inch to the Savannah dying of thirst because it took SO long. Why were we stuck in one spot for so long when we did not even go to downtown?! This was hands down my worst Carnival Tuesday experience on the road in years. The afternoon portion was somewhat tolerable but again, the band was just SO big that even coming up Ariapita Avenue was a squeeze between the ropes, spectators and security. You literally had to find a nook or space behind a truck to come up for air! 

I can see if this was your first experience with TRIBE, as it was in Poison, you may have had a good time. But being a veteran TRIBE masquerader I am left jaded and looking for that "ultimate" experience that was the hallmark of TRIBE in the years gone by. Like Poison the band has outgrown many of the masqueraders who were a part of the initial core group and I am afraid that in a few years, unless something happens to curb the numbers, the band will implode due to the fact that it cannot grow any bigger without masqueraders having to pay the price. After spending so much money on costumes and for the "experience" having to jostle and fight for space on the road it stopped being fun and was too much for me to bear this year. Only time will tell if I even consider playing mas for Carnival 2011, much less with TRIBE, after Carnival 2010 I am most ardently considering a break! That is unless something  entices me for another Carnival.. another year... 

So, how was YOUR Carnival experience? Give me the good, the band and the ugly!

Carnival Tuesday Photos