What is up with Masquerade?

Masquerade launched their 2009 presentation "Let the Music Play" on October 3rd yet talmost three months later their website is still not functional!

To make matters worse I have been checking the website since Wednesday of last week (when it was advertised to launch) and the only thing being updated is the official launching date ; it went from Wednesday, to Thursday to Saturday!

This is what can be seen on the website, today Monday the 22nd of December:

I just cannot understand the "don't care attitude" when it comes to promoting your band to the public!

D Krewe Re Do

D Krewe has made some changes to yet another section, this time it is Falls that benefits from an overhaul:

Old Version Frontline


New Version Frontline


Old Version Backline


New Version Backline

And although they chose to go with the ever popular feathered collar that has become a signature piece for Carnival 2009 right after the monokini, the new frontline version is immensely better than that tendril laden umbrella headpiece! I guess withe departure of premiere designer Kyle Matas from the D Krewe fold many changes are now afoot!

Getting Ready..

You know Carnival is soon coming when preparations start taking place around the Savannah; right now vendors booths are being constructed. Later they will be painted, occupied and opened for business:

Wee International Mas Camp Visit

Wee International's Mas Camp on Bournes Road St James cannot be missed with the band's logo and costume cut outs perched on the roof top. The camp is actually welcoming and nicely laid out decorated with candy wrappers of course. Although the camp is closed until after the Christmas Season there is an "open" sign on the gate just in case anyone is interested in seeing the costumes.

To be honest the costumes look just as they do on the website for the most part, with two sections at the camp not shown on the website.... as yet. They are Hypnotic Munch and Popcorn Kisses (pictured below):

The costume with the most impact at the mas camp for me is Cherry Pop, the frontline has a feathered collar which is not shown on the website and the colour really does "pop". I asked the very helpful employee how registration has been and was told "pretty good"! The missing sections and frontlines will be on the website soon.

Super Size Me!

This year certain sections in TRIBE delivered to masqueraders a final product differed greatly from the prototype with masqueraders collecting headpieces that appeared shrunken when compared to what was modeled at the launch and advertised on the website. This did not sit well with masqueraders who pointed out the difference vociferously! And although the offenders are no longer with TRIBE one hopes that stricter quality control measures are in place for 2009, ensuring that masqueraders get what we pay for.

Well I am happy to report, after seeing it myself, that those of you in Caged Canary Frontline, Green Honeycreeper and Spangled Cotinga Frontline will be pleased to know that your headpieces have been super sized! Richard and Anthony (who are producing the aforementioned headpieces) informed me that not only do they try their best to ensure that their work is kept at the same high standard from band launch to distribution, this year they employed some tricks to get the headpieces looking even bigger than advertised.

Though they did not reveal how this was achieved, the difference is obvious as in the case of the Green Honeycreeper below; the original headpiece is on the left and the super sized version is on the right:

Not to mention the Spangled Cotinga headpiece which I tried on is MASSIVE, much larger than Caged Canary Frontline headpiece and Sea Salt (which previously held the unofficial record of largest headpiece for Carnival 2009). Even with my arms extended I could not get around the feathers, it is that big:

Even the tails look super sized:

The effect of all those Caged Canary headpieces is stunning, hopefully this section will be in the top 10 of the section lineup and that the masqueraders will take pride in crossing the stage in an ORGANIZED fashion so that the beauty of this section can truly be appreciated:

Much thanks to Richard and Anthony who allowed me into their camp to see the process that goes into making these fabulous costumes and for the chance to capture these candid ,behind the scenes shots that not everyone is privy to. It just makes me THAT more excited for Carnival 2009 ... 2 more months!

Hair is Where It Is At...

By now you ladies are probably thinking about hair styles for Carnival with low maintenance options such as braids being a popular choice among masqueraders for years. The problem lies in getting hair for braiding, or even weaving, being limited to your Beauty Supply Store (BSS) and the variety offered there. From my experience very often the BSS carry limited inventory as well as styles when it comes to either human or synthetic hair and you are resigned to use whatever they happen to have in stock. That was until I discovered an online BSS store called Hair Sisters that I even turned my friends on to. They carry a wide range of hair for braiding, weaving as well as wigs and ponytails;whatever your heart desires!

The prices are pretty reasonable but what I like most is the variety, not to mention that the products also come with reviews and even sometimes photos by customers which helps in narrowing choices. I have ordered from them before, shipping time is adequate and they do accept pay pal for those of you worried about security issues. Hair Sisters carries all the popular brands and they throw in complimentary items with your purchase as well.

For Carnival my personal favourite is the wet and wavy or curly braids, very easy to manage and you have several styling options. So, if you do not have a BSS in your area or just need the convenience of choice, visit Hair Sisters and see what they have to offer.

Fly to NYC or win your TRIBE costume FREE!

I guess this is an incentive to pay off for your costume early, MUCH better than the Senvia T Shirt prize; kudos to TRIBE for stepping up their game when it comes to prizes! :

TRIBE is open this Saturday (20th Dec) from 11am - 3pm!

Carnival 2008 Winners
Dexter Andrews - Silver Mist
Jill Soondarsingh - Black Magic

While I am loving the concept of costume delivery service, don't you think it should be free to all Frontline Masqueraders or at least give them first dibs? Really, $150.00TT is a luxury of pure laziness and it is limited to the first 200 people too boot!!

Special conditions apply. Please visit www.carnivaltribe.com from Mon 22nd Dec for more information.


TRIBE HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS

Sat 20th Dec: 11am - 3pm
Dec 24th - Dec 26th: Closed
Dec 31st - Jan 1st: Closed

Trini Revellers Mas Camp Visit

It has been almost three months since Trini Revellers launched "Sweet T&T" and still costume photos and details are missing from their website. Tired of checking the site every day to see if they updated, I finally made my way to their mas camp on Gallus Street yesterday.

The costumes missing from the website are:

Food of the Gods


Ca Cest Le Bel Air

The Asa Wright Center is no longer a part of Trini Revellers (though they were oblivious to the fact that the section is still advertised on the website) and no word on Devil's Woodyard.

On the website Land of the Hummingbird is listed as a "Female - Individual Costumes" so I am not too clear whether or not this Individual will be produced in multiples but I was glad to see an actual costume at the mas camp instead of the sketch:

Land of the Hummingbird

Anyone playing in Land of the Hummingbird should have an easy time blending with TRIBE's Hummingbird and Island People's Paradisus!

Of the costumes on show I liked Rugeri's Chutney, a simple costume that reflects the theme, Folklore (green) lots of detail on the bra of this one that makes it stand apart from the other under decorated costumes and Sunday Morning Market because it reminds me of the traditional dress worn in St Lucia.

Folklore


Chutney


Sunday Morning Market

As for the rest of the costumes/sections, they are interesting is all I will say! For more photos, including close ups of the materials used for Ca Cest Le Bel Air check out my album HERE.

PHOTO SOURCE (Folklore):
www.bakahnalia.com

Jouvert 101

1. Most people prefer all-inclusive bands for jouvert as they are provided with t shirt/costume, breakfast, drinks and mud or paint making it less cash to walk with on the road as well as bands provide security and the popular ones avoid downtown Port of Spain. It is also best to play jouvert with a group, safety in numbers.

2. Whether jumping with a band that provides you with clothing or just jumping up as a non paying reveler always wear disposable clothing for Jouvert. That is from t shirt to underwear ensure that it is something you will not mind getting dirty and throwing away afterward. As for shoes, make sure they are comfortable but not new, this will be the best time to wear your worn in gym sneakers that you do not mind getting paint all over.

3. Oil your skin with baby oil to prevent paint, mud, chocolate and (God forbid) black oil seeping into your pores! This process also makes it easier to wash off paint, mud and oil after the day is done. My friend, however, believes that if you don't use baby oil your photos come out better!

4. For the ladies you may want to invest in a head scarf, hat or shower cap to keep your hair free of paint, mud paint, chocolate or oil.

5. If you plan on playing Monday mas after jouvert it may be wise to get some rest the night before as jouvert starts around 4am and you will be chipping through the streets until long after the sun comes up, with Monday mas starting at 10:00am. Those with stamina can go straight from a fete to jouvert to Monday mas!

6. Leave all your valuables at home, including the expensive digital camera that may get dirty and jewelry. Disposable cameras are best for jouvert.

7. Stay hydrated, eat breakfast and pace yourself when drinking.

8. Be respectful of other people’s property; please do not smear paint/mud on cars, leave coloured handprints on nicely painted post-Christmas walls or dab anyone with paint/mud without their consent.

9. Make sure you organize a ride home after jouvert, remember most likely you will be “dirty” as getting dirty is all part of the fun of jouvert and public transportation like taxis and maxi taxis are averse to picking up muddy strangers! Prepare your vehicle with garbage bags on the seats and newspaper on the floor to prevent staining the interior.

10. The best way to get clean after jouvert is to get hosed down in your yard, providing you are staying at a house. At hotels consult with the reception/front desk staff BEFORE leaving for jouvert on their policy of jouvert revelers traipsing through the hotel; I can just imagine muddied guests taking the elevator up to their room at the Hyatt! Some hotels will make you shower outside before going to your room.

ONE Madness...

A little birdie whispered to me that WITCO's ONE fete carded for January 17th 2009 is going to take a massive jump in price from $400.00 to $600.00TT!!! Keep in mind that in 2007, last year, this fete was $250.00.

Prices of fetes so far for 2009:
Soka in Moka - $475.00
Hilarians/Bishops Fete - $650.00
ONE Fete - $600.00

Prices of fetes for 2008:
Soka in Moka - $400.00
Hilarians/ Bishops Fete - $500.00
ONE fete - $400.00

Sources say that the price increase is possibly due to the fact that Machel HD is rumoured to have doubled his price! I mean, I really love seeing Machel for the Carnival season but for 2009 it will be at the cheapest option possible! Whereas my costume budget I can justify in terms of what the experience means to me versus what I actually pay for, I cannot justify paying almost $100.00US for an all- inclusive fete when I get such few hours of enjoyment out of it, not to mention I am not having alcohol in January and it is so early in the season too both!! How many other fetes can I attend if my average fete budget (per couple) is $1000 a couple!?!

If prices keep on this trend I can surely and SAFELY say that I will not be patronizing any of these fetes in January, unless I am getting in for free!

Still looking for a costume?

Carnival Junction is the go to website for costume resales as well as to post costume wanted ads; this medium has been a lifesaver to many a person looking for a costume as well as for those wanting to get rid of one. For 2009 there is another website offering the service of posting your costume called "Fine ah Ban" (get it?).

There are only a few postings as I guess not many people are aware that another site exists outside of Carnival Junction and surprise, surprise ALL costumes posted are still available as of right this very minute; Rays of Light, Paradisus, Ruby Topaz and Heavenly Skies.

So if you are looking for a costume or have a costume for sale check out Fine ah Ban HERE as well as Guided Video Tour on how to use the website, cool!

I need a woman by my side.....

Oh my goodness, check out this advertisement placed on Craiglist:

click to enlarge

"Looking for a fit Trini woman for travel to the Trinidad Carnival 2009. The ideal woman will be aged 35 – 55 and fit. [Lots of parties!!!!!!!!] I am a fit Trini. Reply with a recent picture and I will send one to you."

Talk about carrying sand to the beach !!!!

New D.J. Tony Tempo!

New mix from D.J. Tony Tempo featuring new music for 2009, including one of my favorites "Frontline"! Click to download HERE.

The Journey Begins Update..

After discovering the launch of Carvalho's "The Journey Begins" I visited their mas camp at Alaska Bar on Ariapita Avenue last Monday to take a look at the costumes. While the camp was still undergoing preparations for opening I was able to see all 9 sections in some state of readiness as well as I got to chat with one of the person's involved in the band which has severed ties with Evolution.

The main designers of the band are Tracey Julien and Christine Sadler, it is interesting to note that Tracey designed the now defunct"Flamingo" section in TRIBE. Production of costumes for the band are in full swing and I was able to take a closer look at the section "Rainbow" which was being made right there!

Mas Camp opening was scheduled for Wednesday of last week, however when I visited again on Thursday they were still closed. Hopefully mas camp will be open for business soon; will keep you updated!

The Anti Saucy Facebook Group!

Well imagine my surprise when I found this group on Facebook called "TRINIDAD CARNIVAL DIARY AKA SAUCY IS A TOURISM DISGRACE". The description of the group is as follows:

WHY ARE TRINIDADIANS SUPPORTING A WOMAN, WHO NEVER STUDIED CARNIVAL, DESIGN, OR THE ARTS....BUT TALKS LIKE SHE IS A CARNIVAL GOD.

SWAMPING OUR BELOVED CULTURE WITH GOSSIP AND STUPIDITY....

THE TDC NEEDS SUPPORT TO SHUT HER DOWN IN ADDITION TO OTHER SITES THAT ARE A VIRUS TO THE TOURISM SECTOR.

Finally, someone has created a anti- Trinidad Carnival Diary group, the ying to my yang, what a pity there is only one member, this could have been interesting!

Sohani Mehendi

Whenever I am browsing the net I take note of things that might be of interest for Carnival and I recently came upon this group on Facebook called Sohani Mehendi offering henna designs for Carnival:

"I will be doing henna/body art for Carnival 2009. I would start taking appointments from Carnival Friday Evening straight up to Carnival Monday night. I will be on the Savannah on Carnival Tuesday also.

I Will have

Henna ( these people who want henna for Tuesday should come for it on the Sunday preferably)

Glitter designs ( applied with a skin safe glue that can last up to a week, even in this climate)

Gems

Harquus ( a skin safe skin paint that goes on dark blue - black. Can last up to a week and easily removed with rubbing alcohol. Ideal for Fake Tattoos, guys this is for YOU)

I specialize in fine detailed mehendi. My clients choose their own pattern from field of hundreds. What the client wants is what they would get. You wont see the same design on all my clients ( some are repeated as some liked the same design).

All styles are available, Indian, Arabic, fusion, modern and various African styles."

Email: nfsingh@yahoo.com
Office: 868-716-6851
Location: Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago

Henna would look gorgeous on those in Mc Farlane's Africa to create the effect of tribal tattoos and the glitter tattoos can be dressed up with gems to make your own body jewelry instead of getting the ones from the pack; I did this option last year but I chose the regular henna, not the one with glitter. It is a bit tricky getting the design on your stomach as you have to make sure not to bend while it dries, however it is ideal if you want to get something done on your back, arms or hands.

Masquerader in Mc Farlane's India with henna decorated hands:

There is an extensive portfolio of designs on the group's page with designs ranging from simple to elaborate, where you can check out more photos!

A sample of Sohani Mehendi's work:






PHOTO SOURCE:
Sohani Mehendi

New Music!!!

Yesterday I heard the newest Iwer George for 2009 called "Ready" in classic Iwer style this is one you must hear as he repeats "ready" like 5o times, not to mention he also threw in a "han,han,han,han,han.. nah,nah,nah" as well! Only Iwer.

Other songs putting me in the Carnival mood these days since I am not into the fa-la-las and ho,ho,hos are "Frontline" by TC (a song for the frontline H.O.s) , "Daggering" by Squeezy Rankin and"Nah Nah" by Ziggy Ranking.

Soca 2009 releases can be found on Toronto Lime and Trini Jungle Juice!

TRIBE Carnival Fete Schedule

Ay ay, TRIBE has their own fete schedule out! Got this in my inbox tonight:

TRIBE CARNIVAL FETE SCHEDULE 2009

Season Passes Available Soon!!! Look out for further details.

Right, so ICE is a new event, sounds interesting, cooler fete so you can use up all the extra alcohol stock from Christmas, nice one. A lil too early in the season for me personally, but I am happy to see that ONE is on a Saturday! I hope the price is right this year and that they have as many artistes, including Machel, as the usually do; putting ONE on my list.

So, these dates contradict that other fete calender I posted yesterday (which I got via email so doh beat meh up!). I am waiting for THE OFFICIAL fete calender from Peter Ray Blood which will be published on Boxing Day even though Mr. Blood stated in his Pulse column today that he nearly did not publish the annual calender as enterprising fete promoters in North America and travel agents have been using his calender carte blanche with no care for copyright!

Peter boy I feel you with that one, I just happy that you actually doing the calender and I always give credit to the source of material republished from the Guardian! Others, take heed.

Jouvert 2009

The Sweet 7 has already compiled a list of Carnival 2009 Jouvert Bands, as a consequence I will not feature those that are listed on her blog; for the Sweet 7's list of Jouvert Bands click HERE.

Today I am featuring another Jouvert Band which is not on the list, this one is "Isle of Moss" a Sex and The City Premium Presentation":

For more information visit their Facebook Group .

Bling Bling!

So, I have to confess that I really do not like the necklace for my costume, it is probably the one thing that I am definitely going to change, among other upgrades I plan on doing.

On my quest for a suitable necklace I have discovered some gorgeous pieces made of rhinestones that cost as much as the costume itself! And though I still haven't gotten a replacement for the flimsy necklace that just does not go with the rest of the fabulous feathered frontline costume, I have found some other accessories that add la little bling at prices that will not break the bank..too much:

Fredericks of Hollywood - 39.00US

And for those who can find a shade to match, my dancer friend recommended these Capezio rhinestone studded tights for a little bling, the caveat is that it only comes in two skin tone shades:

Capezio -36.00US


Rhinestone Vest - $49.99.. Monday wear?