Mas Camp Centre

Last May Anton "Bootsman" Gabriel of Toronto retired from corporate life and started an organization called Mas Camp Centre , a Carnival museum of sorts where 15o donated costumes are on display.

Mas Camp Centre will be celebrating it's anniversary this May with a free open house, so those of you who are interested in viewing the costumes over the years this is a great opportunity.

Some more information on Mas Camp Centre:

Mas Camp Centre
History:

Trinidad & Tobago carnival is now celebrated in over 100 countries worldwide.

The hub of carnival related activities is the mas camp. Here, band leaders, costume designers, mas players and volunteers gather to produce costumes for competitive display.

Mas Camp Central (MCC) opened in May 2008 to showcase past, present & future carnival costumes, with the aim of keeping the spirit of carnival alive as viewed from a mas camp perspective.

Masquerade is the essence of carnival, and a mas camp is the factory for producing intricate costumes that provide the visual feast of carnival.

The atmosphere of a mas camp in full production is overflowing with passion, energy & commitment to the art & culture of carnival. MCC captures this atmosphere for visitors to experience the traditions, skills & creative processes that make carnival activities so engaging.

MCC is currently situated at 130 Dynamic Drive, Unit 13 Scarborough Ontario Canada with 800sq’ of showroom space and seating for twenty persons.

MCC started life with a simple aim of getting more people involved in Caribana. Over the past six months MCC has expanded the showcasing of costumes from ten to over one hundred display mannequins with costumes covering the past 15 years from Toronto & Trinidad carnivals. Also on display are books, magazines, DVD’s and photos of carnivals.

MCC began exploring the role of being the crossroad where business & carnival activities can meet & exchange ideas. This role further expanded to include schools & individuals participating in the varied aspects of carnival.

Today, MCC has the support of many masqueraders, mas band & section leaders, school teachers, Governments & community leaders.

MCC started a new direction in 2009 which is to acquire registration as a Not for Profit organization in Ontario Canada.

MCC began the process of welcoming cultural ambassadors, patrons, supporters, mentors & stakeholders in all aspects of carnival arts & culture to participate in this journey.

Anton Gabriel
Mas Camp Centre
130 Dynamic Drive Unit 13
Scarborough Ontario
416 524 1782

Pre-registration woes

Dear Saucy,

I was at the Carnival Nationz band launching on Saturday. I enjoyed the display of costumes and fell in love with one section in particular. However, even as the costume was being paraded on stage, I was informed by a little birdie that the section was already sold out. Rumour has it that this particular section leader only made 25 spaces for the section that had already been "reserved" for friends. I've also heard from another source that she was harassed by another 10 people and now the section is at 35 people only, again all her friends and some work colleagues. Why do section leaders do that? What is even the point of showcasing a costume that you are only reserving for you and your people? I thought maybe you would know the politics behind it if there is an actual point to it, because it's not fair to the rest of the masqueraders.

Thank you,

The issue of pre-registration is not a new one nor is it only something that happens with bands at Caribana. Rumours abounded before the start of TRIBE’s registration last year that the band was sold out, causing panic and hysteria evident on the Facebook group “birds of a feather”. And while I can understand the frustration of a masquerader wanting to be in a particular section and hearing unconfirmed reports that the section has been pre-sold out, I also think as a section leader they have every right to pre-register persons in their section, the problem lies, however, when the bandleader does not measure some control to ensure that ALL the spaces are not pre-reserved!

Being a section leader is not something that is done independently, usually there is a support network of family and friends that provide advice, assistance and even help in building the costume. So, I believe that the section leader should be given the choice to ensure that the persons who have been providing assistance, in whatever form, be accommodated in their section if they choose to do so. Then there are the masqueraders who have formed a relationship with a section leader by staunchly supporting that person, loyally playing in their section year after year. I know that others will not find it fair, but my personal belief has always been to reward this loyalty and if that means pre registration for the section faithful then I have absolutely no problem with this either.

I have always said if I fall in love with a particular costume, and there is ONE costume left when registration opens I will be first in line to make sure I get that spot. To me the problem is not with pre registration, something that happens in every single band, but the fact that the entire section is “reserved” so that there is not even one costume to allow hope. As a band leader there should be a limit given to section leaders on how many spaces they can reserve; even if they leave just five of 35 spaces open to the public at least there is a chance for five people, unrelated to the section leader, to get the opportunity to play in a costume that they love.

Hopefully the band leader for Carnival Nationz will ensure that there are spaces open in each section come registration since the notion that the section in question is sold out is based on a rumour. And my advice to the letter writer is if you really want to be in THAT section to make sure you are the first person in line come registration day to claim your costume! Alternately, there are other bands and other sections; the power is yours in choosing to support the idea of pre registration if you think the practice is unfair or choosing a band that it is easier to get in to!

Luton Carnival Centre Featured

There is an excellent feature on the Luton Carnival Centre in the Guardian:

For a £7.5m building, the new arts centre in Luton has been a tip for the last week, littered with wire, fabric, artificial flowers, foam rubber and braid, with patterns being cut out on every level surface.

Today, out of the chaos, dragons and demons, huge masks and oriental maidens in cherry blossom, and a giant white woman with scenes of heaven and hell and an ancient milk float hidden under her skirts, erupted on to the streets of Luton, Bedfordshire, as the country's first dedicated permanent centre for carnival arts formally opened for business.

"Madness, that's what carnival should be," Paul Anderson, director of the centre said. "Safe madness," he added quickly, since his centre will not only house and train dancers, drummers, and the geniuses who can make a 6 metre (20ft) goddess out of foam rubber and sequins, but is also training people as carnival security officers and stewards. The cost of policing the Luton carnival has risen to £68,000.

Carnival in Britain has become a multi-million pound industry, evolving from back lane amateurs, to professional teams working year round for a few raucous hours. One recent survey suggested the Notting Hill carnival generates more than £90m a year for London and the equivalent of 3,000 jobs. The centre, and the town's carnival, are predicted to generate more than £34m in Luton over the next decade. Funding for the centre came from the Arts Council, the local authority and university, and the EU. Luton has the largest one day carnival in the UK, more than 2,000 in the parade and 150,000 spectators. It grew out of the Hat Parade, a long tradition in a town once famous internationally for its hat making industry. "Hats, cars, now it's carnival", Anderson said...................

For the rest of the article click HERE.

I am pretty impressed by the Luton Carnival Centre and how focused they are on making their Carnival into a legitimate standardized business with trained professionals, I mean they are even training the SECURITY officers that will be working for Carnival!

Hopefully one day the NCBA (National Carnival Bands Association) will fullfill it's dream of having something similar in Trinidad, in the meantime they had better send a team over to Luton to see how it is being done!

PHOTO SOURCE:
www.guardian.co.uk

Sunny Side Up - The Review

Greetings peeps, Kermit here bringing you coverage from Sunny Side Up 2009, one of the premier fetes (breakfast or otherwise) for the carnival season. Since I was not in Trinidad for carnival in 2008, I missed SSU and all its revelry so I was determined to make up for lost time this year.

I have been a staunch supporter of Sunny Side Up since its inception and I have not been disappointed by any of their events but to me, the breakfast fete is the principal fete for carnival and it is certainly the one I look forward to the most. Maybe it is because it is kind of related to J’Ouvert but not as intense or maybe it is because it sort of warms you up for duttyness in the streets by giving you a taste of early morning-going-into-noon jamishness the night before, who knows. While it is true that there is no mud or paint at the breakfast fete and obviously the fete is in one place and not roaming through the streets, make no mistake, there is plenty jamishness here and that is what I will comment on this year.

If you have read any of my previous posts about Sunny Side Up breakfast fetes, you will already know about the major features which can be found at this fete. You will no doubt have heard about the several well stocked and well manned bars that are to be found up and down the fete area. You will also have heard about the live entertainment which is somewhat of a novelty at a breakfast fete but works very well at this venue and with this crowd. Of course you will have read about the sprinkler section in the fete as well as the fact that it is located next to the foam section which is a source of much wildness. It is because the aforementioned features are of the same high quality now as they were when SSU first began that there is no need to expound on their virtues yet again. What I will instead touch on today is a perceived shift in the Sunny Side Up demographic.

When it first began, SSU’s attendees were a pretty well defined set. Everyone seemed to be roughly in the same age group and most even looked like they would party at the same fetes and move in the same circles which was not too surprising since, as the expression goes, birds of a feather flock together. One of SSU’s greatest strengths was that you were never really too concerned about your safety while you were at their fete. This was a party where you could eat and drink all you want and feel comfortable without having to keep an eye open for a fight, a bandit, or some other random assness that usually takes place at many of the other carnival events. You felt like you were at a family reunion and while you really didn’t know everyone present all that well, you knew that they were family no matter how distant the link. A cousin is still a cousin even if you’ve never met before and since family is after all, family, you could relax a bit and somewhat let down your guard around them. Well, that was then and this is now and while the family feeling is definitely still in full effect, not only are we liming with the cousins that are our age, several new generations have now found their way to the party and have apparently settled in nicely.

Yes peeps, the whole family is now up in the fete jumping and wining and waving, elbow to elbow with us and giving us a look as if to say “Whaappen? Yuh didn’t think ah like tuh wine too or wha?” Maybe this trend started last year in my absence, but I noticed it fairly early into the morning and as the sun rose, I realized that the many of the subjects of my pictures were not the same as in 2007. The hotties were there naturally, as were the lukewarmies (ones that look like they look hot but when yuh check the pic after yuh take it yuh realize nahhhhh, not so much eh), and even the posers, maccos, horners (usually wrap up in one of de yards away from the general feteing population) were present but the more pics I took, the more I realized that the crowd had added two distinct groups: the Nephew and Niece Crew (NANC) and the Aunt and Uncle Posse (AUP).

The NANCs are characterized by their youthful appearance and their exuberant, joyful partying. I dare say that we were all part of a NANC at one point in time, but I don’t ever remember doing my fete thing at an event where so much of an older crowd was present and was doing their fete thing too. I will say that their partying enthusiasm was off the charts and as I watched them form groups, gyrate and jump with each other only to separate, form different groups and do it all again, all morning, even I was impressed by the energy they expended and the apparent ease with which they did so. Sheer delight was all over their faces and they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves which of course is the point of any fete. The AUP however, was on a different scene.

AUPs have a slightly different purpose in a fete. Yes they are there to enjoy themselves and to see and be seen, but with their age and fete maturity comes an added responsibility: they are there to make sure that the youngsters i.e. NANCs have an example of what good feteing technique looks like and the AUPs took this responsibility quite seriously. It seemed that wherever there was a NANC getting on bad, there was an AUP not far away getting on worse but doing so not in a showing off kind of way, but in a “here-is-the-right-way-to-wine-on-a-tree-and-use-one-foot-to-brace-yourself-on-it” instructional kind of way.

Peeps, it was a scene straight from a National Geographic special (in HD of course) and I could even hear the narrator in his hushed, authoritarian, BBC announcey-type voice saying: “And here we see the young ones full of energy and activity but wining in a most inefficient way. See how not all their bottoms are being wined upon and look there, someone has spilled a drink. Ahhh. What a shame they are not heeding the examples being shown by their elders just a few feet away. Notice how one elder can wine in an almost horizontal position by leaning against a wall, keeping one foot on the ground, while having the other foot wrapped around the waist of her partner. Amazing skill. Meanwhile, her partner, while not only focusing on the foot wrapped around his waist, is also focusing on the pair of gyrating hips on either side of him not to mention the 4 drinks he is carrying. It looks like this poor chap doesn’t even know who these people are. He was just returning from a trip to the bar and got lost but it would be rude not to wine back and so he does.”

When the foam and water flowed everybody got involved, from the young and restless to the bold and the…..ahmmm, well ....yeah, just the bold. When the tustyness started up on stage and off, NANC, AUP, and everybody in between joined in whole heartedly and I realized that maybe, just maybe in a kind of distant (but not very) future, somebody would write about my generation’s fete habits in much the same way that I am doing now and the circle of feteing would revolve yet again. I say circle because as we all know, a circle has no end and since feteing is the true fountain of youth, I see no reason why we should ever stop feteing no matter what age we happen to be. Judging from the actions of the AUPs at the fete, when the sun rose on Sunny Side Up they were definitely made young again and they were happy to share that regeneration with all present.

Congratulations SSU crew for hosting another wonderful fete and I look forward to doing it again in 2010.


Enjoy the pics peeps, J’Ouvert is next…..

Ps. Even though I have been doing my best to condense the number of pics I share, this album is a bit larger that my previous 2009 carnival albums and I fear the final two will be even larger. J’Ouvert will not be too much bigger than this one but Carnival Tuesday will be massive. You have been warned. Ribbit.

Carnival Nationz Launch 2009

For your first look of costumes from Carnival Nationz Caribana 2009 presentation "Fruits and Flowers" please visit Karabana's blog.

The costumes are worth checking out and I am holding my tongue though I want to say something SO bad. Anyway, let the photo speak for itself!

PHOTO SOURCE:
http://karabana.blogspot.com

Two Months until Band Launching Season!

It is amazing how time flies, just a little over two months ago we we were all enjoying parading in our costumes during Trinidad Carnival and now just two months away we can expect the start of band launches in July!

Already there has been one media launch for a new band making it's debut for 2010., and I expect other media launches before we start band launching season. Amidst all this I have been informed that costume protoypes are being feverishly worked on and colours we can expect are red (of course), yellow (again), and BLUE being the popular choice among MANY designers!!

So what do you think, are you feeling the blue or do you think it is a colour we have seen too much of in recent years? Personally, it has been ages since I have played in anything remotely blue so I say bring it on, just make sure the costume is stunning!

Awaken in Africa - Antigua Carnival 2009

Solid International has revealed the artiste line up for their Antigua Carnival 2009 band launch taking place on May 16th:

click for larger view

I really like how the Antigua Carnival bands are all launching 3 months ahead of their Carnival which takes place the same weekend as Cropover in Barbados. Now, if only the Bajan bands would only give a hint of what is to come and not have masqueraders waiting until June and July!

Myst Antigua unveils "What's Your Obsession?"

So, Myst Antigua unveiled their costumes on Sunday and sure enough Touch (Obsessed with Candy) , Carnival (Obsessed with Bacchanal) , Heavenly Skies (Obsessed with Hope) and Midnight Bloom (Obsessed with Mystery) from Island People Mas 2009 along with three "new" costumes were shown as sections of the band.

According to reports on Caribarena.com Myst Antigua will be offering the costumes in a tankini option, with boy shorts and tank tops for Monday, with the cost of costumes between $700.00EC to $850.00EC (260.00US to 316.00US) and will be catering to 750 masqueraders, preference for registration given to those who played with Myst in 2008.

For photos from Myst Antigua's launch you can visit THE OFFICIAL ANTIGUA CARNIVAL FACEBOOK GROUP.

Tribal Nights Bird of Paradise.....

Tribal Nights launched their Caribana 2009 "Bird of Paradise" on Saturday and these costumes are STRIKINGLY similiar to TRIBE's Brazilian Macaw and Pheasant.

I guess it is true what the say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!!!!

A Tribute to Harold Saldenah

Louis Saldenah Mas Band is doing "A Tribute To Louis Saldenah" as their Caribana 2009 presentation. The 1o sections of the band will each represent all the Band of the Year winners that Harold created in in Lifetime.

The section names include:
1. MEXICO 1519-TO 1521
2. GLORY THAT WAS GREECE
3. PSYCHEDELIC LATIN AMERICA
4. CREES OF CANADA
5. EL DORADO THE CITY OF GOLD
6. MASQUERADE TO CARNIVAL
7. FESTIVAL OF JEWELS
8. PACIFIC PARADISE
9. JULIUS CAESAR CONQUEST OF GAUL
10. FESTIVAL OF THE TEMBU WARRIORS

Saldenah's band launch takes place on May 3oth check out the information and flyer below for more details:

SATURDAY, MAY 30TH 2009
LOUIS SALDENAH MAS K CLUB & WESTERN UNION PRESENTS
THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE 2009 CARIBANA PRESENTATION OF
“A TRIBUTE TO HAROLD SALDENAH - THE GOLDEN YEARS”
POSITION #2 IN THE PARADE!
Inside Embers Banquet Hall
781 Warden Ave. Scarborough Ont.
(South of Eglinton Ave.)
Music By:
• Dr. Jay
• Wukup Productions
• Soca Vibes
• Soca Prophets
• Soca 101 Entourage
Hosted By:
• E-Man De Man With De Steel
Admission - $15.00 In Advance!
19+ Event - ID A Must!
Strict Security In Effect
TICKET OUTLETS:
• Printing Press (Scarborough) 416-291-3292
• Mona’s Roti (Scarborough) 416-412-1200
• Carib101.com (Mississauga) 905-625-5249
• Louis Saldenah (Central) 416-560-4419
• TicketGateway.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
416-560-4419 | www.SaldenahCarnival.com

Trinidad Carnival Diary in the Trinidad Guardian!

So, I just got a call from Afro Chic that I was featured "in the Guardian" today, an article on Social Mixing For Success by Mark Lyndersay where he uses this blog as an example of special interest blogging.

The piece is well written and I especially like this part:

Then, there are the folks I call attractors, people who command an uncommon authority on the Web in a specific area of expertise. These folks can be a blessing or a curse for you. These are the new filters of the web, the Internet’s subject matter experts who command the attention of hundreds of slices of information focus. Take Saucy Diva (if you’re a Carnival bandleader, you’ll probably add—please).

The Diva is the anonymous author of a highly focused blog at trinidadcarnivaldiary.com. Saucy is the final word on pretty mas bands, a hugely entertaining source of gossip, advice and general bacchanalia on the subject. In 2008, a two sentence note from the Diva generated six times as many Web hits for my Carnival project as a link posted on the same day on the Guardian’s Web site. When I launched the Web page for my coverage of Tribe’s production process this year, I sent her a note about it and she kindly posted notice of the new work, driving just under 2,000 visitors to the site over the next week.

You can read more of Mark's feature HERE and yes, I am sure several bandleaders are definitely saying "TAKE SAUCY- PLEASE"! You won't believe how many meetings have been called to discuss things written on this blog, but at the end of the day there is nothing like bad publicity, right?

Get ready for another new band for 2010

I have been reliably informed, and it has been confirmed, that jouvert band Chocolate City Mas will be making a foray into pretty mas for 2010 with a new band called "Chocolate Tuesdays".

And if you are wondering exactly who is behind Chocolate City Mas here is a little bit about them and the bandleader Zarin Morean:

The concept of Chocolate City started with its founding members Archiba Zarin Morean and Desmond Campbell, who formed the parent organisation - North South Crew. Initially focusing on boat rides and cruises, they daringly ventured into bringing the Treasure Queen to journey south for the famous "Point Fortin Borough Day" celebrations in Trinidad. After such success, North South Crew further extended their horizons to include tours to various Carnivals of the Caribbean; event management which primarily specialised in the co-ordination of sports and family days; and then to breaking the barrier with a different concept from the traditional J'ouvert - Chocolate City: "No Body Paint, No Mud, Jus Liquid Chocolate". This became an immediate success as revellers enjoyed parading drenched in chocolate, and has significantly grown over the years with participation in both local and international carnivals. Like its masqueraders, the North South Crew family has extended to include Gary Jackson, Houston Frederick, Maria Mohammed and Carla Quanvie, who all significantly contribute towards the strong backbone of the extraordinary Chocolate City.

Expect more information to come about this new band "Chocolate Tuesdays" which will debut for Carnival 2010 along with "Showtime"!

Cropover Websites

I have been getting emails asking for Cropover website links with information on Kadooment and the various bands. So far none of the websites have been updated with information for 2009, that usually happens around June when band launches start however you can bookmark these websites for future:

Kadooment Divas

Bajan Fuh Life


Kadooment.com

Baje International

Berger Boyz

Contact

Ooutraje

Power X 4

Radikal

Refugees Camp

Jump Barbados

Youth Explosion

Ravurz

Village Style Impressions

Winnipeg Carnival

After a two year hiatus Winnipeg Carnival "Caripeg" is back for 2009, taking place on August 15th in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Caripeg will feature several events including a parade and a fete to culminate the festivities.

More information on Caripeg can be found on the official website www.winnipegcarnival.com or if you want to register to play mas visit their Facebook group for details and a list of Caripeg activities.

Spicy Wasabi goes Toxik

Look which costume from Pulse 8 showed up as part of St Lucian Carnival band "Toxik":

click to enlarge:

Borough Day Bands

Point Fortin Borough Day takes place on May 2nd and you can visit the website South Trini for a listing of bands that will be participating in the celebrations. In addition to Obamarama Jouvert and Legacy, Chocolate City Jouvert will also be making an appearance at this year's Borough Day along with D Krewe:

Roland St George & D Krewe in collaboration with Shut Up & Wine will be heading 2 Point Fortin for Borough Day. COME AND BRING YUH KREWE! Music Truck, Siparia Rhythm Section and Benji! $250 ALL INCLUSIVE(Breakfast, Drinks and Outfit) Contact ROLAND 771-4MAS DEXTER BAILEY- 685-1418 HOUSE OF JACQUI 652-1965 We Lovin d' Borough Day!

Other bands to check out:
Royalty- All Aboard

Radical Promotions - Afrikan Ants

Army Ants

Makeup by Renee

When I had my makeup done on Carnival Tuesday with Kirk Thomas another makeup artist was also sharing space at Corner Bar diligently working on a waiting pool of customers. All I knew was that the young lady doing airbrush and gems was also playing in TRIBE but never got her name or contact information for those who might be on the lookout for a makeup artist come Carnival 2010.

Well thanks to a feature done on Renee Milford by Sweet 7 I finally found out that Renee is the very same makeup artist who worked with Kirk:

Rene applying airbrush eye makeup

Renee also has a blog which you can visit to follow her postings, video tutorials, contact her or view her work. So, add Rene to the roster of Carnival makeup artist and bookmark her site. I was pretty impressed with her work and you know we are always on the hunt for a great make up artist!

Collage of Carnival Faces by Renee Milford


Photo Source:
Collage -http://reneemilford.com/blog/

Media Launch for 2010 debut band today!

Coming very early into the 2010 Carnival season is the media launch for the former section of Legacy, Showtime, which will be breaking away to produce their own band for 2010. I have been informed that some well known names involved in mas production will also be on board this new band with sections of their own.

The media launch takes place at 8PM tonight at Alchemy, however I will not be able to attend and as a consequence Afro Chic will be doing the honors of covering the event. So, make sure and check her blog tomorrow for photos and scoop on what it to be expected from this new band which so far has kept all information tightly under wraps.

Orlando Carnival - Island Fantasy

Island Fantasy presents "Seasons" in the 22nd year of Orlando Carnival which takes place on May 24th.

The band comprises of 4 sections (Fall, Winter, Summer, Spring) with one section already sold out ahead of the band launch on May 1st at 360 Nightclub in Orlando:

click to enlarge




For more information on Island Fantasy:
Band Website: http://orlandomas.com
Email Address: IslandFantasyBand@gmail.com
Orlando Carnival Website: http://www.orlandocarnivalassociation.com

More stirrings in the mas world!

So, the rumour mill is once again churning with news reaching The Sauce that several bands are not sure to make a showing for 2010!

One band is currently on a chaotic hunt for a designer as they got rid of the one that was the cause of some costume issues, interesting as this particular designer also had problems with another new band in 2008.

Seems like the trend for 2010 is a switch up in mas camps, one only knows what is going to happen to the band whose "band leader" defected to his former band but I have good information that those new arrangements are set in stone and this former "band leader" now has major "pips" in the new band under the heading of "designer", though this is surely going to cause a rift in the camp with section leaders who do not want to work with the Judas.

Another band not sure to return for Carnival 2010 is one with ties overseas that is going through a split, I mean shake up, of it's own outside of Trinidad and Tobago.

Stay tuned for more Carnival drama as it unfolds!