MAS REPUBLIC

Carnival is Ackin’s profession ...not his release

2012-01-15T17:30:00.002Z

Dean Ackin, centre, is flanked by beautiful Tribe models. Photos: Sean Nero

Dean Ackin is the managing director, bandleader and co-founder of Tribe Carnival Band which has become both a national and international name brand in the world of Carnival with demand that far exceeds its supply and a “cult-like” loyalty from its masqueraders.
That “brand” is astutely led by the former banker and was adjudged TTCSI’s (Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries) Exporter of the Year. In 2009, he was the recipient of the Development Company’s and Republic Bank’s “Excellence in Business” award.

Prior to his leap full-time into the world of mas and revelry, he was the owner of a business that traded in clothing and accessories in the 1990s. His initial training for entrepreneurship began at Republic Bank where he worked for 13 years. There, he earned a bank scholarship to attend the University of the West Indies in 1996. He holds a BSc in Management Studies and has successfully completed two levels of the ACCA (accountant’s) qualification.
The former banker and youthful-looking 39-year-old Ackin recently sat down with the Sunday Guardian for the sixth in the series Getting Personal.
Q: What are your plans for the Tribe brand in 2012?

A: We are blessed that Tribe is a brand that is widely recognised here at home and even in many parts of the world. As such, in 2012, the team intends to leverage on the brand’s strong equity and branch out into other areas of business that would service potential clients both in and out of the Carnival industry. Our focus is always on building a brand as much as “bringing out” a band. Rest assured we will ensure that the quality of service will be of the same standard that customers have come to expect from the Tribe brand.

Who is your favourite bandleader of all time?
I admire various bandleaders for different reasons—the innovation of Peter Minshall; he revolutionised how mas is played, the business acumen of Michael Headley, and the design aesthetic and attention to detail that was the signature of Wayne Berkeley. The Tribe team learned a lot from all these bandleaders.

Of all your productions, creations, presentations, which would you like a first-time audience to experience?
For me it would be the costume that inspired and spawned the Tribe band. In 2004, Tribe was the name of a section our founding team produced for the band Poison. That portrayal created such an interest that the following year we took the plunge and produced our own Carnival band and called it Tribe, and this was the birth of a Carnival franchise that celebrates its eighth anniversary this year.

Tell us about your inspiration to do the type of work you do.
The happiness and satisfaction of our masqueraders is my main inspiration. They are the reason we exist and we are always looking to surprise and delight them.

Who were the people who have influenced you the most (outside of your family), in your career and in life in general, and how did they?
I have always admired the fearless nature of Richard Branson. He has taken the Virgin Brand and made it a global leader in many diverse industries. His calculated risks have always paid off and he seems to always seize the day and enjoy the moment. Not a bad way to approach life.

What advice would you give to anyone contemplating a vocation such as yours?
I got into this line of work because I love Carnival, I loved feting and I really enjoyed playing mas. The irony is that once you get into this business you can no longer enjoy the season the way you did before. Carnival becomes your profession and not your release. On Carnival Tuesday my day begins at 3 am and ends at 2 am on Ash Wednesday. The logistics involved with coordinating a full service moving party experience keeps you focused for the entire day. Long before the first truck pulls off and hours after the last masquerader leaves the las’ lap party, my team and I are working. Running a Carnival franchise leaves very little time for personal enjoyment during the season. It says a lot when you are too busy working to actually indulge the vibe and experience you have created for your clients.

How do you best describe the type of work you do?
Experience management; for me every event, every service we provide is an experience. We aim to ensure that our clients have the best possible experience with any of our service offerings. From the launch to las’ lap, our team works to ensure that every layer of the Tribe/Bliss experience is designed to ensure maximum enjoyment for our clients. It is important that our patrons know that their business matters and that their enjoyment and comfort are our primary concern. Proper and effective experience management allows you to retain and attract new business, strengthens your brand’s equity and allows you to set measurable standards that allow you to constantly improve.

What is your favourite thing about Carnival?
As a masquerader, it’s the escapism and release from stress and worry that is my favourite characteristic about our Carnival. Carnival is the one time of the year when you can fully indulge in carefree feting. The festival allows for total abandonment and it’s the one time of the year you can spoil yourself and give in completely to the party vibe without any feelings of guilt.

What is your greatest accomplishment in Carnival?
I believe that the Tribe Team brought a fresh approach to the business of Carnival band management. The full service orientation that is the mark of our Ultimate Carnival Experience created a new paradigm in an industry that celebrates creativity. This was one of the first service innovations introduced to the sector. As a team we set new standards and created an international best practice model for Carnival band management that has now shaped the industry both here at home and abroad.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Cascade, had a few early years in Woodbrook, but all my years growing up were in Valsayn.

At which schools/institutions did you receive your education?
I am a CIC “old boy” and I got my business degree from UWI.

What jobs have you held before going into the business of Carnival on a full-time basis?
My initial career was in banking where my last substantive position was a loans supervisor.

What was the most difficult decision you ever had to make?
My decision to leave a secure and permanent position in the financial sector was one I debated for months. All the advice I received from friends and family, including you when you were full time at Samaroo’s at the time, was that I would be crazy to give up the comfort of a full-time job in order to pursue a business in mas. Many felt it was way too risky, but despite all the concerns and my own initial insecurities I felt this was a dream I had to make reality. In the eight years I have been doing this, I have never once regretted my decision.

What goals and or ambitions do you still have?
I think Carnival can go global. I have this crazy dream to produce an interactive show on Broadway or in Las Vegas that gives the audience a taste of our culture through Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. The idea would be that the patrons initially take a passive role by simply being a typical audience but as the show progresses the audience becomes more and more involved until they themselves are the show, they themselves become the masquerader characters. Just imagine that!

What is an interesting facet of your personality that most people do not know about you?
As a businessman I have to make decisions that are in the best interest of the company. Many times I am required to make some hard judgments that weigh on me mentally and at times emotionally. I have been told that true leadership comes when you commit to taking an approach in the best interest of the collective regardless of how difficult it may be for you personally. That definition gives me the strength to always follow through even when I feel emotionally low or spent. Essentially, there are many times I must say no, even though a big part of me really wants to say yes. That has been my biggest challenge over the last few years but it has helped to make me a stronger leader.

SOURCE:

Nasser Khan

The Norman twins, investment bankers/ mas designers | Trinidad Express Newspaper | Woman Magazine

2012-01-14T20:28:00.000Z

The Norman twins, investment bankers/ mas designers | Trinidad Express Newspaper | Woman Magazine:

'via Blog this'

A great article from Trinidad Carnivals

2012-01-06T01:56:00.001Z

Waters Flowing: The Norman Twins, K2K Alliance and Partners | Trinidad Carnivals

Nigeria Celebrates Another Eyo Festival

2011-12-12T16:16:00.000Z

There was a blend of culture, tradition and dance as Lagos State recently concluded this year’s Eyo festival at the Tafawa Balewa Square, held in memory of Chief Yesufu Oniru. The Eyo Festival is also known as Adamu Orisha Play. Being a unique festival among the people of Lagos, there is a widespread belief that Eyo was the forerunner of the modern day carnival in Brazil.

The white-clad Eyo masquerades represent the spirits of the dead, and are called “agogoro Eyo (tall Eyo). It is a one week event that usually ends with the parade and display of colours. The show is restricted to the Island area of Lagos and it is forbidden to be staged outside the approved boundaries in the Island.

The fiesta is regarded as the highest post-humous honour that any community can bestow on a deceased person in appreciation of his contributions to the society. It is primarily held to celebrate and commemorate the passage of an Oba or an illustrious son who contributed immensely to the development of the state. Although it does not have a specific date for the celebration, the Oba of Lagos, on who’s land the celebration takes place, grants an approval for the hosting of the event after holding due consultations with the Akinsilu of Lagos and the custodians at Awe-Adimu, the base of the senior Eyo group. After consultations, the Akinsilu announces the date but not without him communicating first with the deity after the family of the deceased must have offered gifts to him which would be distributed among the deity families.

The Eyo groups that participated in the procession are Bashua, Erelu Kuti, Egbe, Eletu Iwashe, Eletu Ijebu, Ologun Agbeje, Opeluwa, Aromire, Obanikoro, Oshodi- Bukku, Bajulu, Onitana, Oloto, Akogun Olofin among others.

Speaking at the event, the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola said that the festival was designed differently to accommodate a larger audience without diluting the core values of the play.

According to him: “We have chosen again to use the Tafawa Balewa Square which was befittingly the spot where our nation gained independence and where our national colours were hoisted for the first time 51 years ago. My administration is mindful of the economic effects and benefits of festivals and tourist destinations in our State and this edition of the Eyo has not been an exemption as it has stimulated economic and other entrepreneurship opportunities for our people”.

He recalled that the late Chief Yesufu Oniru in whose honour the Eyo was being staged, was a leader who through the instruments of law, sought to ensure that his people were not deprived of their inheritance.

Fashola continued: “The late Chief who was also the father of the present Oniru of Iruland, Oba Idowu Abiodun won many legal battles against the acquisition of his ancestral property by the then emerging colonial authorities. Whilst the Eyo festival provides an occasion for us to celebrate, it is also important for us to be introspective. We should remember this festival’s significance which is largely within the context of preparations and performance of formal acts by the Oba of Lagos and the elders of the craft.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY, a native of Lagos State, Mr. Akeem Olorundare said that the Eyo was a unique festival that differentiated the Yoruba’s among other ethnic groups in the country. He called on the government at all levels to continually support the fiesta saying that the late Chief Yesufu Oniru was one man that exhibited good leadership qualities during his reign.

source

Sando Carnival launched at Skinner Park

2011-11-30T00:42:00.001Z

Mayor of San Fernando Marlene Coudray poses with the members
of Ballerz and Associates
Carnival band “Sundance Spectacle”
at Sunday’s launch of San Fernando Carnival.

Heavy rainfall which resulted in sodden grounds at Skinner Park did not dampen the launch of San Fernando Carnival on Sunday. Mayor Marlene Coudray, who officially launched festivities praised San Fernandians for staying in the city and making the 2011 celebrations a success. “I want to thank you all for keeping the celebrations alive in San Fernando,” she said. “You can easily migrate to Port-of-Spain like so many others but you have chosen to stay here and bring proper bands for Carnival in San Fernando.” Coudray said the Corporation is working to make Carnival better in San Fernando. Sunday’s event featured booths with displays by 17 bands, as well as live performances by calypsonians Niko, Brian London and Lady Adanna. Joshua Hinds, the 2011 National Arts Festival Primary School Junior Calypso Monarch also performed admirably before a festive crowd. However, the biggest hit of the evening was reigning Young Kings Calypso Monarch Benjai who had patrons dancing along to his 2011 hits, “Trini” and “Wine to the Side.”Ivan Kalicharan, winner of San Fernando Band of the Year 2011 title, filled the Skinner Park stage with costumes from his 2012 presentation, “We Going Carnival”. J’Ouvert band Ballerz and Associates also displayed costumes from their presentation, “We Walking the Plank”.Providing pan music were top San Fernando bands, Skiffle Bunch and Fonclaire.
Kevon Felmine

Wings of the Morning | Life + Times

2011-11-29T19:25:00.000Z

Wings of the Morning | Life + Times:

'via Blog this'

Will Smith pops in for Anya's Carnival section launching in Tribe | Trinidad Express Newspaper | News

2011-11-27T22:52:00.000Z

Will Smith pops in for Anya's Carnival section launching in Tribe | Trinidad Express Newspaper | News:

'via Blog this'

Salt Launches on Saturday 26th November

2011-11-25T17:36:00.001Z

see their facebook for details.

MAS Jumbies are live !

2011-11-12T00:58:00.001Z

http://www.masjumbies.com/

K2K LAUNCH VIDEO

2011-11-08T02:17:00.000Z

This video is coverage of K2K's Carnival Presentation hosted at Saute Trinbago, September 25th 2011. K2K released their best kept secret, unveiling 8 strong carnival sections for their new band - one that mixes elements of fashion with mas. Their theme for 2012 is 'The Waters.'

For more information on the band see their website at:
http://k2k-carnival.com/ or join them on facebook. We are excited to have been there to witness the presentation and are excited to share these amazing moments with you. Thank you K2K for sharing.

Trini Revellers out to capture top honours in 2012

2011-11-03T21:53:00.000Z

If Sunday’s launch of Trini Reveller’s 2012 Carnival presentation, Carnival The Golden Years at the Anchorage in Chaguaramas is anything to go by, the band may be very hard to beat for the Large Band of the Year (BOTY) 2012 title.

A level of excitement pervaded the venue following the presentation of costumes. Patrons were very pleased with what they saw and the concept behind the band’s presentation. Trini Revellers will be acknowledging the work of several mas bandleaders for their outstanding contribution and dedication to Carnival, especially during what they consider to be the Golden Years.”

As such, the band will turn back the hands of time and attempt to recapture the glory and moments of those Golden Years. According to the leaders of the band, the accolades to these bandleaders can only be appreciated by re-visiting the glorious moments of their winning performances.

To the Trini Revellers’ Committee, the latter half of the 20th century can be aptly considered as “the Golden Years;” the breathtaking presentations of Wayne Berkeley, Harold Saldenah, George Bailey, Stephen Lee Heung, Irvin McWilliams and Peter Minshall can be considered the climax of the Golden Years of Carnival, as evidenced by their supremacy over the decades, each winning several “Band of the Year” titles.

Trini Revellers' head honcho, Jeff Gillette, left, with former Poison bandleader Michael Headley
at the launch of Revellers' 2012 presentation, Carnival "The Golden Years."

On the streets of Port-of-Spain for Carnival 2012, Trini Revellers intend to bring history to life when they present some 12 sections, mainly depicting winning presentations of the past which captured the hearts and minds of spectators.At the launch on Sunday, receiving tumultuous applause was the adaptation of George Bailey’s Bright Africa (1969), as well as the section El Dorado, City of Gold, Harold Saldenah’s winning 1968 presentation.

Other sections that delighted patrons included Secrets of the Sky (Wayne Berkeley, 1973), China the Forbidden City (Stephen Lee Heung, 1967), Amazonia (Masmen, 1982) and the angels and archangels of Paradise Lost (designed by Peter Minshall for Stephen Lee Heung, 1976).

Also on display were Swan Lake (Wayne Berkeley, 1991), The Wonders of Buccoo Reef (Irvin McWilliams, 1971), Les Bijoux (Wayne Berkeley, 1982), Picoplat ( Peter Minshall , 2002), Savage (Fun Lovers Incorporated, 1988) and Snow Kingdom (John Humphrey, 1966).

source

Mac Farlane in search of ‘Sanctification’

2011-11-03T21:25:00.000Z

Crime, violence and the state of emergency were the inspiration behind Brian Mac Farlane’s 2012 presentation, Sanctification...In Search of.

Known for his lavish launches over the years, Mac Farlane, who this year opted for the confines of his Rosalino Street, Woodbrook mas camp for the launch of his 2012 presentation, didn’t skimp on theatrics, and in true Mac Farlane style, the five-time band of the year winner gave patrons a vivid representation of what next year’s presentation represents.

Mac Farlane held the attention of patrons for a little over half an hour as he dramatically unfolded Sanctification and vividly depicting good versus evil. Mac Farlane, emerged from a hole in the stage, and appeared as if he was emerging from the centre of the earth. And after tugging and fighting with a deathly and wicked looking character representing evil and trying to yearn towards a figure in white representing good, Mac Farlane was eventually “set free,” and was able to unveil the ten sections of Sanctification – “Aphotic” (Having no light, Darkness), “Luxuria” (Self Indulgent, Sexual Desire, Lust – One of the Deadly Sins), “Annihilation” (Destruction of Life, War, Murder); “Hades” (Ruler of the Underworld); “Salacious” (Lustful, Obscene, Grossly Indecent; “Lecherous” (Erotically Suggestive, Inciting to Lust); “Sheol” (Departed Spirits, Lost Souls), “Benevolence” (Goodwill, Desire to do Good); “Jubilation” (Celebration, Joy or Exultation) and “Patrioteer” (Flag Waver, Lover of Country, Loyalist).

Brian Mac Farlane emerges from a hole in the middle of the stage
during a theatrical presentation
which was part of the launch of his 2012 Carnival presentation
Sanctification...
In Search Of held on Sunday at his mas camp,
Rosalino Street, Woodbrook.

Unlike other Carnival bands, Mac Farlane’s launch did not feature models presenting costumes and patrons had to settle for sketches of characters in red, white and black.

Mac Farlane, who said he almost didn’t bring out a band for 2012, said next year, his revellers will be clothed in cotton as he has done away with all the fancy materials and trimmings. The band will feature the colours of Trinidad and Tobago’s national flag, red, white and black, with the red representing blood, black, the darkness and white, unity.

Sanctification...In Search Of is the final installment of a trilogy of presentations which began in 2010 with his presentation Resurrection and continued this year with Humanity Circle of Life.

source: newsday

T&T Carnival article awarded Best International Feature | The Trinidad Guardian

2011-10-26T22:37:00.000+01:00

T&T Carnival article awarded Best International Feature | The Trinidad Guardian

IN SEARCH OF SANCTIFICATION: MAC FARLANE MAS 2012

2011-10-17T23:27:00.000+01:00

BBC News - Floella Benjamin raises Notting Hill Carnival fears

2011-10-13T21:57:00.000+01:00

BBC News - Floella Benjamin raises Notting Hill Carnival fears

Interview with Darren Cheewah, Strictly Alternative Mas | Trinidad Carnivals

2011-10-12T22:41:00.000+01:00

Interview with Darren Cheewah, Strictly Alternative Mas | Trinidad Carnivals

Caribana, Africville and jazz: tales of our stolen culture | Share News – Local Canadian, Caribbean, Business and Political News

2011-09-16T08:03:00.000+01:00

Caribana, Africville and jazz: tales of our stolen culture | Share News – Local Canadian, Caribbean, Business and Political News

Spicemas: Character, Class, Jab Jab, Controversy & More

2011-08-22T07:12:00.000+01:00

St. George’s, August 18, 2011 – Spicemas organizers are standing firm on this year’s theme which sparked debate among Grenadians at home and abroad.

The 2011 carnival theme was, “Uniquely Rooted in our Rich Ancestral Traditions. Spicemas: Home of 100,000 Jab Jabs.’’

“I am comfortable in saying that traditional mas is what stands out for Grenada. Jab Jab is unique to Grenada,’’ said Senator Arley Gill, Minister with responsibility for Culture.

He made the comment on “Beyond the Headlines,’’ the live GBN television show hosted by veteran broadcaster Lew Smith.

Sen. Gill and Grenada Carnival Committee (GCC) Chairman, Collin Dowe, both defended the chosen theme, despite criticism from some individuals and groups such as the Alliance of Evangelical Churches.

The Alliance called the theme “distasteful and disrespectful of the sensibilities of Grenadians who subscribe to Biblical Christianity.’’ It described Jab Jab as “a celebration and worship of Satan who was cast out of heaven in the first place because of his ambition and desire to claim God’s prerogatives.’’

However, historian Dr. Nicole L. Phillip is among many Grenadians who find no fault with the theme.

“Firstly, throughout the debate the theme has been misrepresented in its stating,’’ argued Dr. Phillip. “Critics, including the churches, claimed that the theme was ‘Grenada: the home of 100,000 Jab Jabs’. Simple research and inquiry, just by looking at the advertisements on television, would have informed them that the theme was: ‘Uniquely Rooted in our Rich Ancestral Traditions. Spicemas: Home of 100, 000 Jab Jabs.’’

She added that by “misrepresenting the theme, the critics have entirely missed the point of or substance of the chosen theme. In so doing it is difficult if not near impossible to make a rational judgment based on erroneous information.’’

According to Dr. Phillip, Spicemas is one of the best carnivals in the Caribbean.

However, she said that if Grenadians are to compete and establish a carnival niche, “an appropriate tag line needs to be used to promote this festival. It seems obvious that this was the thinking behind the theme chosen this year. Grenada can boast of being the only island that displays, year after year, from as far back as carnival has been recorded, unique aspects of traditional mas.’’

As far as Dr. Phillip is concerned, “the choice of the number 100,000 is simply a play on our population figure. It does not imply that all other aspects of carnival would be sidelined and there will only be Jab Jabs on the road. It simply emphasizes the need to highlight our traditional mas as being different and thus making the Grenada carnival experience one of a kind.’’

The Jab Jab debate has also dominated blogs on internet sites, such as the “Shoutbox’’ on Grenadabroadcast.com.

One blogger, Captain Queeg, wrote: “Nobody says to do away with Jab Jab; but should the rest of Carnival be virtually abandoned for it?’’

Another blogger said, “People choose to play Jab Jab; it’s their free will. Jab Jab bands do not get any subventions. But steelbands, calypsonians, mas bands and – this year – there was a special exposition in St. Mark for traditional mas. I therefore can’t agree that there has been any abandoning of other aspects of carnival in favour of Jab Jab.’’

RAA waded in, saying: “Jab Jab, like Rock n Roll, Rap and other new genres, were never initially accepted by the upper class, the religious and the mainstream, but instead, by daring youth. So the more Jab Jab becomes controversial, the more the youth will push it to the forefront.’’

According to Yokasi, “People play mas to suit their budget and we can’t legislate what people can or cannot play.’’ And D’Lecturer said: “In support of the Jab Jab beat, I must say it is not only Grenadian but gone international.’’

Carnival’s marketing thrust, including the GCC’s pay-per-view webcast and its internet site, has been bearing fruits, Chairman Dowe said.

“We have had excellent review of our branding and marketing of Spicemas,’’ he said. “Spicemas has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years.’’

Mr. Dowe and Sen. Gill said there was a “hiccup’’ with the extended route used at this year’s Monday Night Mas, when the parade’s lead truck broke down. But Monday Night Mas is “an asset and one of the unique features of Spicemas,’’ said Sen. Gill. “There is nothing like it in the region.’’

Mr. Dowe said future plans for Monday Night Mas include a better effort at starting the parade on time, and finding “some form of engagement’’ for patrons awaiting the arrival of bands along the Port Highway and Carenage.

Sen. Gill said strengthening people’s participation in Fancy Masquerade bands will require introducing programs in schools, “so children can grow up playing mas.’’

With respect to the growing phenomenon of numerous jouvert celebrations and the various parish carnivals and their impact on the national Spicemas festival, Sen. Gill said room must be made for “free expression and spontaneity.’’

At some level, he said, “you have to allow the parish carnivals to flourish. There must be some accommodation for the parish carnivals but the best must be on show at the national level.’’

Sen. Gill said the use of bleachers, provided by the Trinidad and Tobago government, for spectators viewing Spicemas on the streets on August 8 and 9 “brought character and class’’ to the carnival and “did not cost Grenada a cent.

By Lincoln Depradine

Island People goes back to drawing

2011-08-18T12:15:00.001+01:00

Hearing the cries of distress from their loyal followers, Island People mas band has come to the rescue by offering to revamp their 2012 Carnival presentation, Heroes to suit the tastes of their masqueraders.

“What were they thinking?” probably was the most pleasant of the overwhelmingly negative feedback received for the presentation after the band launch last Friday at a venue close to Bowen Marine Chaguaramas, which Island People called Westopia. Heroes is a presentation featuring 11 sections all depicting a variety of local “superheroes” ready to take flight as defenders of all things good.

Few sections got the nod from persons who viewed the presentation or saw pictures; some were critiqued for “quirky” elements of design and others were bashed outright and rejected. Comments began surfacing as statuses, comments or “tweets” on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking websites during the live launch and continued afterwards when photographs of the unveiling from various media outlets were published online.

Island People’s Colin Greaves said the band committee members noted all comments regarding the band as well as the e-mails received from loyal band members. “Persons expressed to us the designs were not what they had in mind. They explained while they appreciated things Island People has done in the past which were out of the box and different, what they were looking for was something more in line with what is contemporary Carnival,” he said.

As a result, the band will be doing something which has never been done before in Trinidad. “We will allow them to be part of the redesign process,” he said. He explained a special tab has been placed on the band’s Facebook page which band members can click on to access pictures of the different sections. They simply have to click the “Like” button if they want the costume to remain in the presentation. They can also make suggestions on how to improve the design. The two sections which receive the least “Likes” will be eliminated.

“We are happy to commit to replacing designs based on the suggestions of our loyal band members. We have never done this before but we have received an overwhelming response from our followers that they are happy and relieved that we listened to their cries for change and even invited them to be part of this,” Greaves said.

The tab named, “Save Your Costume”, received numerous kudos from persons commenting on the page who called the band “brave” for their solution to the problem but asked that the band include male costumes for critique.

This process of including followers in the redesign, Greaves said, is part of Island People’s push this year to create a more personable experience for their masqueraders. “This year we are focussing on providing VIP or Very Island People treatment for our masqueraders and having them voice their concerns and us actually hearing them is part of this. Since this incident we are discussing having more public involvement in the band in the future but for 2012 we have decided to have more questionnaires and online polls to get feedback from our masqueraders,” he said.

Greaves attempted to defend the original costumes which made up the Heroes presentation. “They are avant garde costumes, not the traditional large feathered backpacks or costumes decorated with shiny bling which are elements of contemporary mas. We tried to be a little different. You will see designs for super hero costumes internationally, there is no feathers or bling included but because it is for our Carnival there are some elements of this in the costumes.

“We wanted people to see the band and identify it with Island People and not just a pretty blinged out creation. But I guess our followers did not expect us to go that far out the box,” he said.

Greaves said committee members met with their designers who have agreed to revisit the designs and after taking the suggestions of the public will complete the new designs for viewing by next week, in time for the opening of the band house on Tragarete Road on August 25.

“We have been talking back and forth about what we will put out and we have agreed that we will maintain Island People’s uniqueness and originality that we are known for. Do not expect all bling and feathers but we will pull back on the reins. As we have seen some people are really happy with some of the designs so we know how far our followers are willing to push limits and to move out of box,” he said.

Greaves said the new designs will be launched within the coming week in a smaller event that the big launch last Friday.

They are working on having it streamed live so persons who cannot attend the launch can also view the new costumes. “And of course we would be welcoming feedback,” he said.

By Leiselle Maraj

No, don't stop the Notting Hill Carnival

2011-08-12T15:58:00.001+01:00

The spirit of Carnival: to cancel this year's event
would be a shameful overreaction

Should the Notting Hill Carnival go ahead following the riots? Yes, of course it should. As a long-term resident of the area I am increasingly fed up with my front garden being used as a public loo (and worse besides). The noise, rubbish and sheer volume of people are intolerable and I yearn for it to relocate to Hyde Park, as former Mayor Ken Livingstone once suggested. But to cancel it this year would be completely the wrong thing to do - and for all the wrong reasons.

As football matches are called off and Parliament is recalled (a pointless exercise, simply to prove that not all politicians are on their sunloungers) we are in danger of losing our heads and over- reacting. A plethora of Facebook sites have been set up this week, including Stop the Notting HIll Carnival Now and Stop the Notting Hill Carnival for Safety Sake. The social networking sites are in danger of becoming anti-social sites.

There were similar calls to cancel the Carnival after the July bombings in 2005 but it went ahead. Just as we shouldn't give in to terrorists, so we shouldn't capitulate to a bunch of opportunistic hoodlums who barely number a few hundred. If we can't even organise a Carnival, what sort of message will this send to the world about the Olympics?

Yes, it will be a drain on police resources - but it is a drain every year and it's up to the police and the organisers to liaise and make sure it passes off without major incident.

In fact given that more than a million people attend, it is astonishing how little disorder there is at Carnival. Gradual improvements have been made such as earlier start and finishing times. Scale it back further, if we must, but don't let the killjoys win the day. For many people it is the highlight of the year; hundreds of steel drummers have spent months rehearsing. It would be a shame if all their hard work went to waste.

We should not forget that huge swathes of London stayed riot-free. And as the residents of Clapham and Croydon demonstrated, far more people are willing to clean up the streets than trash them. Our streets should be reclaimed by those who love them. And there is no better example of this community spirit than the Notting Hill Carnival. Let the steel drums ring out. But please, please when it's all over, can it be relocated next year?

* Mat Collishaw, a former Young British Artist, complains that the world of street art is overrun by the middle classes and is full of the privileged few who are affecting a political conciousness. I can only assume he means Banksy. I wonder if he approves of the graffiti painters who daubed "Welcome to Hackney" on the walls and hoardings after the riots. Not all of them came from privileged backgrounds - but does that make their street art any more artistic?
Sebastian Shakespeare

London (Notting Hill) Carnival News: Media Launch 2 Aug 2011

2011-08-10T07:23:00.000+01:00

Golden era of Mas

2011-08-06T21:47:00.000+01:00

Farewell: Anthony Chow Lin On, right, relatives and friends carry the casket of his father
Alwin Chow Lin On at St Finbar's RC Church, Diego Martin yesterday.

In the eulogy to his father Alwin “Chow Lee” Chow Lin On yesterday at St Finbar’s RC Church, Morne Coco Road, Diego Martin, Anthony Chow Lin On (Chinese Laundry) said Chow Lee’s personal dream was to one day go back to the golden era of Sally (Harold Saldenah), (George) Bailey, (Peter) Minshall and others, who were his heroes and influences.

He spoke of his father keeping many notes and in later years writing his experiences and thoughts about pan and Mas, every note ending with Sankofa, almost like a call to arms, a revolution.

The Sankofa is a symbol which represents the idea that one must take from the past what is good and bring it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. Sankofa belongs to the Akan language spoken by the Akan people, ethnic groups of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

He then explained how his dad felt about the golden era of Mas through one of his notes, quoting: “Trinidad and Tobago must become the vanguard of our Carnival culture, with the Carnival City where you can see all the great costumes like “Man Crab”, “The hat I had for Christmas was too Big”, “The Cray Fish”, “Bachac Pushing Ganja”, “Beauty in Perpetuity” and “The Sacred and the Profane” all dancing at the Carnival City and also displayed at the museum all year round....wouldn’t that be great?”

Chow Lee was born and grew up in Sangre Grande as a typical shop keeper’s son, then moved to Port-of-Spain where he attended St Mary’s College but left after fourth form to work with his uncle George Pantin at his accounting firm.

After a few years Chow Lee returned to Sangre Grande to run the family business and that is where he got his early experience in Mas, stick fighting, and steelband. He was the founding member of Cordettes Steelband in 1962, and at the funeral, a number of ex-Cordettes members reunited to play a soothing rendition of Baron’s “Words” during which, a number of people quietly wept. Chow Lee even went on to be a past Pan Trinbago president.

His love for Mas began with Elsie and Stephen Lee Heung’s “Paradise Lost” in 1976. It was the first time he got to work on costumes and he came out with a wealth of knowledge and experience working with Peter Minshall. A year later came the birth of Zodiac of which Chow Lee was a part, organised to produce Minshall’s designs. That they did for four years before handing over the band to Minshall.

Chow Lee has been known to bring Minshall’s designs to life through his clever engineering of the structures of the queen and king costumes, many of them going on the take the national titles.

He also had a great knowledge of the concept of fibreglass back packs and, drawing on his as well woodworking and carving skills he also manufactured costumes locally, as well as for Mas in London.

Then there was his restaurant businesses Char B Que and Atlantis where he exposed his culinary skills but, said Anthony, his significant achievement was to the art of Mas. Among the personalities who attended the funeral service were Peter Samuel, Pelham Goddard, Dr Bernard Picou, George and Joey Ng Wai, Howard Chin Lee, Johnny Soong, Canute Spencer, Frank Martineau, Earl Crosby, Rachel Price, Earl Patterson and John Humphrey.

By Joan Rampersad Saturday, August 6 2011

UK Invasion of Trinidad Carnival

2011-07-18T13:45:00.000+01:00

A Machel Moment

2011-07-17T04:09:00.000+01:00

WOI! + CHEEWAH = X : Trinidad Carnival 2012

2011-07-14T22:42:00.000+01:00

Artist Darren Cheewah is the designer of the WOi! mas 2012 presentation so far known as "X".

Stay tuned you know there will much more to come...

MASSASSINATION.: Woi! Mas Ltd Start there 2012 campaign

2011-07-14T07:30:00.000+01:00

MASSASSINATION.: Woi! Mas Ltd Start there 2012 campaign

The Archiver

2011-07-10T19:00:00.001+01:00

Un pilote, voyageant à travers l'espace, rentre de mission...

A pilot, travelling through space, returns from a mission...

Un film de Thomas Obrecht, Guillaume Berthoumieu et Marc Menneglier

Promotion ARTFX 2011 www.artfx.fr

COCOYEA Presents: Glitz and Glam: Notting Hill Carnival 2011.

2011-06-19T10:40:00.002+01:00

Cocoyea Launches there N.H.C. 2011 theme 'Glitz & Glam' tonight, and from the name it sounds like its going to be a sparkly event.
What are you doing this evening?

ADDICTED RELEASE 'UNSTOPPABLE' PHOTOS

2011-06-14T14:29:00.000+01:00

The Addicted mas section have released photos of there costumes for Notting Hill Carnival 2011on facebook Unstoppable will be part of Cocoyea's presentation 'Glitz and Glam'.

Wayne Berkeley dies

2011-06-10T22:02:00.000+01:00

Masman Wayne Berkeley passed away at 7.35 pm last night at his Clifford Street, Belmont, home.
Berkeley, 70, suffered a stroke to his right side two weeks ago and was taken to the St Clair Medical Clinic. He was discharged six days ago. According to his brother, Oswald, his condition was not improving. As a result, Oswald who lives in Hamilton, Ontario, flew in on Monday to be with him. Berkeley is survived by two other brothers—Claetus who lives in Chaguanas, and Eldon, who also lives next door at Clifford Street. Funeral arrangements are tentatively set for Tuesday. In 2000 Berkeley also suffered a stroke on his right side (his “writing/drawing” side).

Berkeley won nine Band of the Year titles and produced 18 mas bands. In 1974 he was awarded the Humming Bird Gold Medal for his contribution to the development of Carnival. Berkeley first attracted national attention in 1965 when he designed the costume for the winner of the then Jaycee’s Carnival Queen contest. It was in 1973, as leader of a large band, he burst onto the scene with the first of his nine winning Band of the Year productions, “Secrets of the Sky” (along with Bobby Ammon). His other eight winning productions—from a total of 18 bands, spanning 1973 to 1997, were in 1974, 1980, then six consecutive victories from 1989 to 1994, surpassing George Bailey’s beaver trick from 1959-1963. He placed second on five occasions and third on three. In 1998, he designed yet another winner “Amaranth—The Secret Garden”, this time for bandleader Earl Patterson.

Source: Trinidad Guardian

UNSTOPPABLE: Culture Unleashed. The Addicted Mas Section for N.H.C 2011

2011-05-20T07:38:00.000+01:00

The Addicted mas section presents 'Unstoppable, Culture Unleashed'.
This video clip highlights the journey carnival culture has taken from the West coasts of Africa, to the Barrack yards and streets of Trinidad and Tobago, to the streets of Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove West London , England.
It also gives just a glimpse of what West Indians faced before Carnival was introduced to the British society.

From Africa, to slave ships, to Emancipation.
From Immigration, to Social Rejection, and open aggression.
A CULTURE IS UNLEASHED
From Police oppression, to cultural proliferation.
Carnival culture is...
UNSTOPPABL

Allyson Hennessy passes on at 63 | The Trinidad Guardian

2011-05-11T07:13:00.000+01:00

Allyson Hennessy passes on at 63 | The Trinidad Guardian

Sugar Cane's 'Wicked and the Winkie Guards for Caribana 2011

2011-05-02T10:06:00.002+01:00

Here is some insight from the ladies of Sugar Cane doing the ground work in the development of their section Toronto revellars presentation Welcome to OZ. 'Wicked and the Winkie Guards, for Caribana 2011.

The Launch...

Toronto Revellars launch.

Bacchanalia’s band launch: Alter ego-Through the looking glass: full video clip

2011-04-18T21:09:00.000+01:00

As you can see the Launch was well received for the observations and views of the Mas Assassin see Massassination

Natalya Mills Interviews Albert Bailey

2011-04-05T15:26:00.001+01:00

The Carnival of Trinidad and Tobago: An Interview with Albert Bailey

By Natalya Mills

“Beauty and Perpetuity” by wire bender Steven Derrek, a remake of a George Bailey classic in 2010 Kiddies Carnival.

The carnival of Trinidad and Tobago—one of the most renowned and celebrated carnivals worldwide—is known for its innovation, creativity, imagination and fanfare. During each carnival season, a great level of originality is generated by the mas-making [mask-making] community, which produces costumes worthy to be deemed the Couture of the Caribbean. These handmade, one of kind costumes often leave spectators and the masqueraders alike in awe. However, in recent years there has been a significant change in the quality of costumes that are being produced in Trinidad. Mass production of costumes and an increasing urge to make larger financial profits takes away from the distinctive cultural and creative aspects of mas.

Wire Bending is at the heart of mas making, without which a large part of the singularity of the Trinidad carnival would be lost. These wire benders bring signature styles to the carnival and assist designers in bringing their ideas to life. Many of the wire-benders have no formal training, yet they create great engineering and mechanical feats. One of these craftsmen Mr. Albert Bailey continues to build elaborate costumes and teach the craft of bending wire. On my trip back home to Trinidad I had the pleasure of sitting with him to discuss the Trinidad carnival.

NB Wire Bending is the heart and backbone of Trinidad carnival costume making. Unlike carnivals in Brazil and New Orleans that consist predominately of large floats, Trinidad’s carnival costumes are carried by the masquerader. Wire bending is not a simple procedure and the costumes are not as heavy as they may seem. It takes a great amount of ingenuity and skill to create the frames of these grand costumes that you see on the streets of Trinidad, Brooklyn, Canada, London and other Caribbean islands during carnival season. There is a lot of precision needed to create these masterpieces made of wire and tape, alongside, bamboo and fiberglass. These frames are then decorated and paraded during carnival, but beneath the feathers, fabric, glitter and beading, are these great wire structures.

Natalya Mills: Tell me about yourself Mr. Bailey.

Albert Bailey: My name is Albert Windsor Bailey, brother of the great George Bailey. I was born on December 4th 1936. I was born on 12 Buller Street, Woodbrook, Trinidad and Tobago. I am 73 years old and I have been working with wire since 1946. I am the oldest wire bender in Trinidad and my skills are based on form. Since the time I started, carnival has changed: we have become more commercialized and we have faster operations. We make forms from plastic now, but thank goodness we still have some forms made in wire. There are a few of us that work exclusively in wire, people like Clyde Basker, Senor Gomez, Stephen Derek and myself that do form bending. We now have the Mas Academy of Trinidad were we teach form making. If we don’t save the art [of wire bending], the Trinidad carnival would loose its singularity and become like the one in Brazil with massive floats, as opposed to wire frames carried by an individual. We are the ones that are supposed to make sure that the art [of carnival] will be on our people and Brazil will keep their art on the floats. This sort of craft [of bending wire] is dying out slowly, but we are trying to hold on to it. With people like you seeking the information, I believe the craft will be in good shape and will be preserved. But I don’t only do wire, I do copper, I do papier-mâché, I do form work, I do fiberglass work, which is now taking the place of the wire. I also do steel work.

NM: So you’re a well rounded with materials. How did you get involved in this type of carnival art/ craft?

AB: When George (my brother) started making mas in 1856, I was just peeping around and saw certain men doing certain works with wire and figured I can do it. I tried it and I became successful at wire. As a little child I tried it with traditional costumes: the wild Indians, the fancy Indians, as well as bringing improvement to the fireman costume. My first fireman had a big collar. Then I started to make sailor mas, and eventually I began making massive costumes.

NM: Did you only work with your brother?

AB: I worked with Peter Minshall [a very well-known carnival designer] for 12 years

TanTan and Saga Boy from the band Tantana 1990-Peter Minshall.

NM: And what was that experience like?

AB: That was is what I would call a classic experience. It was a continuation from George to Peter, which I enjoyed very much. I was part of the creation of TanTan for Peter Minshall’s band Tanana in 1990. I was involved in the creation of Lord of Flies (Santimanitay). I was responsible for scorpion. If a smaller band requested me to make something I would. The craft must go on, right now I am training my granddaughter to bend wire. She designs for a children’s band in Trinidad.

NM: So let’s say for example, when you did Santimanitay, what was the process? How did it start?

AB: Well it started with the idea of the designer Peter Minshall. When he showed me Santimanitay on paper, I studied it and gave him a prototype. If it was satisfactory he will give you the ok to proceed and start to construct the piece with wire.

NM: It is amazing to see TanTan in motion. The fact that she is so large and is carried by an individual is an engineering feat. Turning to the making of it: so you do the prototype, Minshall agrees to it and you go ahead and start. Looking at something like TanTan how do you know how much wire you need

AB: You don’t know, you just keep going. You look at the footage, if it 30 feet then you start scaling. If the legs are 50 inches then the arms will be this much, the torso will be this much etc. And you keep putting the human body into focus until you get what you are looking for. It took about 480 wire rings to make Tan Tan mobile.

NM: So when you are using the wire are you using other materials as well and does that cause a problem?

AB: Well the matching of the materials will be done with paint or skin color or clothes. But that’s when the seamstress comes into play.

NM: Is the seamstress working alone or does she have help?

AB: If the seamstress decides to get the garments made by a factor or make them herself that’s up to her. All the wire benders do is get the measurements from the individual that will be carrying the costume and work from that. I have to build the costume off of the individual wearing it.

NM: Have you worked on King and Queen costumes that were being judged during the carnival?

AB: I worked on all kinds of mas, individuals, Kings, Queens, and kiddies. Children’s mas are my pride now.

NM: Do you use different wire gauges?

AB: I do, it depends. The kid’s costume I work with fiberglass and 12-gauge wire. With adults I use 8-9 gauge wire because it’s thicker and I use fiberglass jackets or aluminum jackets on the individual that is wearing the costume.

NM: When you say jacket you mean the piece that is worn under the costume that holds it up on the individual?

AB: Yes the brace is what they wear to hold the weight of the costume. It’s worn like a sort of backpack.

NM: So when you start with the brace, you already have someone to fit it? So before TanTan you already knew who was going to carry/perform her?

AB: Allyson Brown performed TanTan and Peter Samuel performed Saga Boy. The individual must come and be measured and fitted. Everything works from the base and then you build up as high as you want. Sometimes it gets heavy. But most of the time you working with the scale and the most you want the costume to weigh is 45 or 50 pounds, reasonable enough to wear for 7 minutes on the stage to be judged. If you are wearing the costume in the streets for carnival I will try to make it lighter or to get someone to help you carry it.

For the rest of the interview see FASHION PROJECTS

About the author

Natalya Mills

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, Natalya Mills watched her grandmother create men suits for politicians; she played around in a Steel Pan-Yard while her uncle practiced his music. Her grandfather, a talented artist and musician, made her life-long love for art inevitable. After leaving Trinidad in her teen years to move to New York, she took her early influences with her. Natalya attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied Fashion Design, as well as Display and and Visual Arts Management. At present, she is completing her masters in Visual Culture: Costumes Studies at New York University. Natalya is also currently researching and working on a book about wire benders from Trinidad.

UWI’s Jouvay Ayiti inspired by earthquake in Haiti

2011-02-20T12:33:00.000Z

There are no costumes on display at the launch of Jouvay Ayiti, a J’Ouvert band presented by the Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA). Instead, guests were told they would be making their own mas. Emcee Marvin George explained that Jouvay Ayiti was more than just a mud band; it was an attempt to have participants engage ideas about Haiti, and through the creative process, arrive at new understandings.

He told the guests at the St Augustine venue, who had braved heavy rains on the night of February 10 to support the venture, that the idea for Jouvay Ayiti was inspired by the earthquake that devastated the island in 2010. He said more than 50 Haitian students had been adopted into the St Augustine campus community, following the disaster. George said Haiti was important to the heritage of the region and calledthe island “the Mudder of civilisation,” making a pun on the J'Ouvert theme.

A Guyanese traditional masquerade, made of recycled materials,
portraying Fowl Cock, at the launch of Jouvay Ayiti.
This year’s Old Yard event, (formerly Viey la Cou),
on February 27 from noon,
also at the DCFA, will feature elements of Guyanese Carnival.
Photos: Gillian Moore

He said in keeping with T&T and Haitian Carnival traditions, all costumes should make a personal statement and be crafted from recycled, found and natural materials. He also cautioned that J’Ouvert mud should complement, not mar, the designs. Guests were treated to several cultural presentations, including performances by singers Baby Pink and Amrika Matroo and sailor mas. Haitian Rara dancers also performed.

They will be featured in the upcoming theatrical production, Here is my Ass Now Try to Whip It, opening on March 25 at UWI's Learning Resource Centre. A traditional Guyanese Fowl Cock, fashioned from bamboo and chicken feed bags, also made an appearance. George noted that this year’s Old Yard event (formerly Viey la Cou), to be staged at the DCFA on February 27 from 12 noon, would highlight Guyanese traditional Carnival traditions.

For further information on Jouvay Ayiti,
contact Marissa Brooks at 663-2222 or marissa.brooks@sta.uwi.edu

source Gillian Moore

Carnival in Colombia:

2011-02-18T07:12:00.001Z

Image via Wikipedia

Carnaval De Barranquilla!! Description: Each year during the four days before Lent, Carnaval de Barranquilla offers a repertoire of dances and cultural expressions of different cultures in Colombia. Given its geographical location on the Caribbean coast and its booming economy during the colonial period, the city of Barra nquilla has become one of the first centers of commerce in the country and in a convergence of indigenous peoples and cultures, European and African.
The blending of various local traditions permeates many aspects of the carnival, especially in the dances (like the monkey and the micas from the Americas, African congo and paloteo of Spanish origin), musical genres (mainly cumbia , but variants such as the puya and porro) and folk instruments (drums and joyful, maracas, claves). Carnival music is generally performed by sets of drums and wind instruments. The material culture of handcrafted objects profusely includes floats, costumes, head ornaments and animal masks. Groups of masked dancers, actors, singers and musicians delight crowds with theatrical and musical performances based on both historical events today. Contemporary political life and their personalities are the subject of ridicule in speeches and satirical songs that give the carnival burlesque.
With the growing success in the twentieth century, the Carnival of Barranquilla became a professional event, the subject of extensive media coverage. This development generates economic benefits for many low-income families, the increasing commercialization is a potential threat to the survival of many traditional expressions.

Costume contribution to Carriacou's 2011 carnival

2011-02-16T20:23:00.000Z

(LEFT – RIGHT): MELONI ARCHBALD, BOBBY STEELE, SHANEL EDMUND, ALEXANDRA OTWAY-NOEL, SEN. ARLEY GILL, REISA FLETCHER AND COLIN DOWE. (PHOTO: NAZIM BENJAMIN)

St. George’s, February 11, 2011 – Cultural enthusiasts, including Senator Arley Gill, are encouraging greater collaborative efforts to help further develop the carnivals of Grenada and Carriacou.

They have hailed a donation of costumes from the Grenada-based Summercrew to a Carriacou mas’ band, “The Spirit of Carnival.’’
“I believe that this gesture would enhance the quality of the Carriacou carnival product,’’ Sen. Gill, the Junior Minister of Culture, said at the costume presentation at Club Bananas in St. George’s.

Shanel Edmund received the donation on behalf of “The Spirit of Carnival’’ at the presentation and news conference that were attended by Sen. Gill; Grenada Carnival Committee (GCC) chairman Colin Dowe; Summercrew president Bobby Steele; and two of his executive members, Meloni Archbald and Alexandra Otway-Noel. There was also the modeling of a costume by Reisa Fletcher.

Like Trinidad and Tobago, the Carriacou carnival is a pre-Lenten festival. This year, it's being held March 7 and 8.

Ms. Otway-Noel said Summercrew’s aim, since its formation in 1986, has been the growth and development of culture.
“In that vein, Summercrew has decided to extend a hand to Carriacou by way of donating costumes to help enhance the Carriacou carnival experience,’’ she said.

Mr. Steele said his organisation is not only helping to market Carriacou’s carnival, but also intends to send a delegation to play mas’ in the Sister Isle.

“This year, Alex, myself and other members of our executive sat down and decided that we needed to send a delegation across to Carriacou to partake in their carnival as well to show that our support is all-round,’’ he said.
“From today on,’’ Steele pledged, “we’re going to be marketing very heavily carnival in Carriacou for everybody to come up and enjoy. We will be there with you on the road, in the fetes; we’re coming.’’
Sen. Gill said government’s commitment to cultural development in Carriacou has included strong marketing of the island’s carnival celebrations.

“We believe that continued marketing in Grenada can result in more and more Grenadian masqueraders and carnival lovers going to the Sister Isle for carnival,’’ he said. “I want to use this opportunity, as well, to appeal to Grenadians to support Carriacou’s carnival and let us go to Carriacou for carnival.’’
Mr. Dowe, also appealing for Grenadian participation in Carriacou’s carnival, said it’s both a “wise’’ economic choice and an opportunity to enjoy a great cultural festival.

“When we speak of the economic crunch that we’re all experiencing,’’ Dowe said, “when we speak about being wise with our monies, it seems fitting for us to spend our monies in the State of Grenada but not miss out on carnival. And Carriacou provides that opportunity; Grenada, of course, being the only Caribbean island with two carnivals, which is something we boast about.’’

The GCC chairman commended Summercrew on making the EC$8,000 costume donation in support of the Digicel-sponsored Carriacou carnival. He wants to see similar exchanges between other mas’ bands
“While I congratulate Summercrew on spearheading this collaborative initiative, I would also like to issue a challenge to other major bands to have this type of partnership,’’ Mr. Dowe said.
“Because when we speak of product development, we certainly can’t think merely in terms of people doing it in isolation. There is need for us to lend a helping hand to those who might be a little bit behind us, not for lack of ideas, but quite often for the lack of resources.’’
Collaboration and assistance could lead to more people playing fancy mas’ and a better quality product on the street, Mr. Dowe added.
The promotion of Carriacou’s carnival continues with the playing of calypsoes on Grenadian radio stations, as well as through websites such as partygrenada.
SOURCE

T&T mas designs to be protected by copyright

2011-02-15T21:40:00.000Z

Image via WikipediaMas costume designers and masqueraders can now enjoy real benefits from their labour as “Works of Mas” are now globally recognised and protected by intellectual property rights. Dr Vijay Ramlal, head of the T&T Copyright Collection Organisation (TTCO), confirmed this during a telephone interview on Sunday. “TTCO, in collaboration with the Legal Affairs Ministry, under the Intellectual Property Division and through National Carnival Development Foundation, had successfully piloted to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva to establish and accept the Works of Mas into the WIPO convention,” Ramlal said.
He said this was approved last December. “This would also make TTCO the only entity to collect and negotiate royalties for mas bands,” Ramlal said. He stated this was a significant achievement as it would allow any works of mas in the world to be recognised as intellectual property. “This was the first phase and we are now pushing for it to be recognised under the WIPO treaty and if it is successful, then T&T would be recognised globally as the intellectual property centre for the works of mas,” Ramlal said. “We would now be known for the headquarters for the works of mas.”
He added that all countries will be able to sign on and have protection for their mas under this copyright, just as was done for music. The WIPO treaty is expected to be negotiated and formulated around April /May of this year, he noted. Ramlal said with that achievement TTCO would also be able to collect royalties and accreditation fees internationally for its 153 membership mas bands in T&T. “We are the only recognised body in the world to do so,” he added.
Stakeholders to receive their just dues

Ramlal said stakeholders in the mas industry have not been receiving their just dues. “The system which NCC and other bodies has been using is undermining the value of our Carnival,” he said. Drawing an example, he said the accreditation fees collected by the NCC from organisations and international media provided no real value for mas stakeholders. “It is equal to holding a ticket to enter a fete…these subscription rights cannot be exploitative and cannot be used for commercial use… as it has no real value,” Ramlal pointed out. However, people were abusing that right and placing photos in magazines, postcards and DVDs without proper authorisation, he noted.
He also stated that there were no proper monitoring systems in place to oversee these organisations and international media during the staging of Carnival in T&T. He added: “These are some of the issues that have not been explored and we are in the process of dealing with them. “Therefore we need to negotiate with NCC, the international media and every carnival committee to obtain a royalty collection licence with the TTCO for the masqueraders, designers and producers to have their just due,” Ramlal said.

Two sets of rights

According to Ramlal, there are two sets of rights. In one instance, where an establishment like the airport may showcase a costume, the airport has to pay copyright protection fees. The other, he said, is an appearance fee where masqueraders perform at shows like the King and Queen mas competitions.

The body responsible for the show has to pay fees, including performance rights and costume rights and another that will protect the designer/producer of the costume.

source

T&T’s KING OF CARNIVAL SUPPLIES

2011-02-13T12:22:00.000Z

Legendary Band Leaders of Yesteryear

Norman Samaroo

We continue our series that takes a look back at the contributions to our Carnival art form. For the fourth in the series we look at a different kind of legend of mas, Norman Samaroo, a name synonymous with the supply of Carnival materials since the early 1950s when he started that division of his business. Norman “Sam” Samaroo passed away on February 3, 2011 in Miami, having recently celebrating his 90th birthday in relatively good health. He had moved to Miami a few years ago to be with his daughters.

The first three in this series reflected on the contributions of legendary mas band leaders Harold “Sally” Saldenah, George “Sir George” Bailey and Irvin “Mac” Mc Williams. Suffice it to say that had it not been for the business acumen of Norman Samaroo in identifying the need to become a supplier of mas making materials to these early legends, none of the spectacles produced by these creative geniuses would have been possible. The same can be said for Edmund and Lil Hart, Neville Aming, Cito Valasquez, Wayne Berkely, Ken Morris, Stephen Lee Heung, Raoul Garib, Bobby

Ammon, Russel Charter and Peter Minshall, among many others.

Diminutive in stature, and hailing from San Fernando, Samaroo learnt the trade of tailoring at an early age from Joe Gopee’s tailoring shop at Cross Crossing, after which he moved to Stephen and Todd tailoring in Port-of-Spain. Those stints along with his later training as a chemist at Point-a-Pierre’s refinery and at Forest Reserve where he played cricket as a wicketkeeper, gave him the confidence to move to Port-of-Spain (POS) again, this time to work at Joseph Gonzales’ hardware store on Marine Square.

It was here that his shrewd entrepreneurial spirit began to manifest itself. Every Sunday he would leave POS with two suitcases filled with pots and pans, clothing and perfumes which he acquired from merchants at wholesale prices. He would then sell them, on foot, door to door, to the people in the country making a small profit. By 1949, he had saved enough to acquire 3 Observatory Street, which he named Samaroo’s Regent Store as if a sign of things to come; that of becoming the King of Carnival supplies.

About a year later, he purchased 5 Observatory Street. It was not long after this he met up with the owner of Eve’s Fancy Work on Frederick Street, Fritz Heilbron, who introduced him to the Carnival business and from whom he eventually acquired that business. Thus, started Samaroo on the path to becoming the number one supplier of Carnival materials, sourcing and supplying the latest in items such as fabrics, braids, sequins, appliqués, beads, feathers, glitter dust and leatherette.

He became very popular with the people in the Observatory Street/Belmont areas such as the infamous ‘Drx Rat’ and wrestling legend, ‘Thunderbolt’ Williams. The customer always came first in business and he proved this by opening very long hours during the Carnival period. He always said that "no sale was too small" and if a customer wanted to purchase a needle or a spool of thread, that customer should be served with the same respect as any other.

Due to circumstances beyond his control, Samaroo had to close the business at Observatory Street in 1989 and moved on to the racing pool and hotel business at Abercromby Street and at Valley Vue/Luciano in St Ann’s respectively. He was also at one time the owner of Hotel Normandie and a director of Accra Beach Hotel in Barbados.

He promoted boxing under Regency Promotions, was a fete promoter and a member of the Arima Race Club. He won big races when he owned horses like Quiz Kid and Now Geraldine that won major races. His biggest boxing promotion was when T&T's Leslie Stewart fought Canada’s Donny Lalonde in Trinidad for the WBC title which was shown live on ABC television.

Current and ex band leaders such as Wayne Berkely and Earl Patterson, Stephen Derek and Rosalind Gabriel fondly recall their days shopping at Observatory Street, with Norman “Sam” Samaroo at the helm. He was always open to serve his customers at just about any time, especially around Carnival time, a trend that his nephew Steve continues today from his locations at Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain and at San Fernando.

According to nephew Steve, who took over the Carnival arm of the business when his uncle “retired” from the mas business: “Everybody knew him as Sam. He was a charitable person to the churches, orphanage, fed the poor in Woodford and Tamarind Squares and even donated his property on Observatory Street to the Credo Foundation, a religious organisation, to provide a rehabilitation centre for young people. He was an elder at the St Ann’s Church of Scotland and Greyfriars Church on Frederick Street.”

Today Samaroo’s Ltd has grown to become a well-known international supplier of Carnival materials serving the entire Caribbean (with branches in Port-of-Spain, San Fernando and Barbados) and the dozens of other Trini-styled Carnivals around the globe. Its founder Norman Samaroo was no doubt proud of him, as the Samaroo legacy lives on.

Samaroo was the father of five children and seven grandchildren. His funeral took place earlier this week in Miami, however there will be a memorial service in Trinidad and the public will be advised as soon as arrangements are made.

Nasser Khan

IMPORTED MAS IN TRINIDAD, TAX OR NOT TO TAX?

2011-02-10T20:07:00.001Z

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

http://www.guardian.co.tt

Chinese labour making T&T mas

2011-02-10T13:01:00.002Z

Workers getting down to business at Legacy’s workshop in Woodbrook.

Chinese Labour has not only impacted on the local construction industry, but has been playing an increasing role in the local production of mas. Every year for Carnival, millions of dollars is spent by bandleaders on materials and labour out of China. Several costume designers and producers last week said it could cost up to $3 million to produce a Carnival band, especially a large band. For a number of years, China has been leveraging its labour and machinery in order to compete in the global marketplace. Using its comparative advantage to gain access to countries like T&T, China has been successfully attracting local costume designers and producers with its cheap labour, reasonably-priced raw materials, in addition to the accessibility and variety of these materials. “We do not have any manufacturing company nor do we get all the raw materials here in T&T,” said bandleader Mike “Big Mike” Antoine. Antoine, Legacy’s five-time Band of the Year winner, who produces all his costumes locally, said accessing materials is his biggest challenge. “I have no choice but to buy the materials out of T&T.” He explained that stores, like Jimmy Aboud, would only supply some of the cloth, and other stores like Samaroo’s Ltd and Tulip, provided other inputs used in the creation of mas costumes. “Therefore, we have to turn to countries like China to purchase materials.”

The cost of playing mas

Being in the business more than 20 years, Antoine said it cost him about $75,000 to produce a band when he started out. Producing one costume now costs between $1,200 and $1,800, he says.

Antoine, who said his band has a maximum of 2,000 masqueraders, said the cost of a costume was an estimate as there were hidden costs and major expenses such as music, food and security.

He said that in addition to paying his 30-member staff, security costs roughly $250,000, depending on the size of the band, a deejay costs between $60,000 to $75,000, and the bill for a music truck is $100,000. Antoine said producing mas is a costly venture and one will not survive in the business of Carnival if you don’t love the culture.
“Carnival is my life, so I market myself effectively. It is also a risky business, therefore marketing yourself is key,” Antoine said he has managed to keep his prices down for the benefit of his loyal masqueraders. Legacy’s theme for 2011 is South Pacific. Antoine said he hopes that one day soon, bandleaders would be able to produce a Carnival band entirely in T&T. He said more needs to be done for mas designers and to raise the standard of Carnival. “We need a voice to lobby for us. We need to market our product outside as well. T&T Carnival is the mother of all Carnivals and we need to raise the bar.”

Limited raw materials
Stacey Des Vignes, a director at the Oasis mas camp, said it costs 100 per cent more to produce a band locally than to import costume-related materials from China. “This is the reason those who are just in the business aspect of it and not for the love of it, take this route of importing costumes,” she said. Des Vignes, who produces her costumes locally, said she shared the same challenges as others in the business of producing a Carnival band. “We do not have the machinery nor the raw decorative materials, so we have to source it from China,” she added. She explained that the Chinese operate out of New York where customers have the option of ordering or purchasing their product from there and then have it shipped from China. She said China has cornered the market because they have the resources available. Des Vignes lamented that taxes on raw material must be reduced. The taxes, she added, need to be structured. “It costs about $1,500 to produce one costume and that does not include staff and other overhead costs,” she said. Des Vignes, who has been involved in producing mas for about eight years, said she does it for the love of T&T culture. She first started with a section in Poison, moved on to produce a section in Tribe and another in Element. She decided to take a year off and branched out on her own, along with her other partners, for 2011. We budgeted and used our savings. It’s a big risk to bring out a band, but we are doing it on love and debt,” she said. She indicated that costume sales were great for a new band.

Bring back creativity in mas

Echoing similar sentiments to those of Des Vignes was bandleader Peter Samuel, a disciple of veteran masman Peter Minshall, and an eight-time King of Carnival, who has decided to return to Carnival this year with his band: Skullduggery—The Dance of Deceit. He noted that mas designers need to bring back creativity in mas. So even though some of them produce mas locally, there are limited jobs available.

“It’s the same thing all over. It’s a poor imitation of Las Vegas showgirls,” Samuel stated. Totally against the idea of importing costumes wholesale from China, Samuel said seamstresses have been looking for work, but they are no longer needed. Samuel said the production of mas has turned into an assembly line, whereby workers are just required to cut and stick. He said he’s made the bold decision to stay away from bikini-and-beads type of costumes. Samuel said he recognises the limitations of producing a band locally.

He said his band has had to source materials from China for two of his 18-sectioned band because the items were not available locally. Items were also sourced in the United States. Multiculturalism Minister Winston Peters on February 2, during a tour of mas camps in San Fernando, said that mas designers who import their costumes wholesale from China would experience prohibitive taxes in an effort to maintain and nurture the artform in T&T. While Samuel agrees with Peters on the subject of taxes on importing mas materials from China, he said that designers who produce mas locally should be assisted in order to bring down the cost of production. Samuel said it costs him up to $900 to produce a costume, but given other costs, such as music, food and security, final costume prices have been kept at between $1,900 and $2,895.

Government assistance

Even though the cost of producing a mas band is very high, there are six new bands for Carnival 2011.

Among them are Yuma, Bliss, Oasis and Skullduggery. Spice is returning for a second year. One of the new bandleaders, who wished to remain anonymous, said banks should be encouraged to facilitate new Carnival bands. The bandleader said it is very difficult to get a loan from the bank because they do not want to take the risk associated with Carnival. The bandleader said the Government should find alternative means to assist in the growth of the Carnival, that the high cost of producing a band has to be passed on to masqueraders. Earlier, Trade and Industry Minister Stephen Cadiz had said that one of the ministry’s plans is to establish a factory for the sole purpose of producing costumes locally. Cadiz said he would also reduce and, in some cases, remove certain duties on particular raw materials to bring down the cost of Carnival costume production.
Source

ADDICTED for Nottinghill 2011:

2011-02-07T16:23:00.000Z

Specialist Entertainment 's Mas division ADDICTED have released a little teaser for the upcoming Notting Hill Carnival in August 2011. I wonder if there is another message in there somewhere?

Irvin McWilliams: ‘Localising the mas’ 32 spectacular presentations

2011-02-06T17:45:00.000Z

Legendary Band Leaders of Yesteryear

We continue our series that takes a look back at the contributions to our Carnival art form of the famous large band leaders from around 1955, the first year of the official Band of the Year competition. For the purpose of this series we take a look at that era following World War II when designers were able to and began to more widely use their creativity and artistry to portray mainly tangible and non-abstract costumes that would transform our streets into a thematic visual spectacle of colour and living theatre.

Irvin McWilliams (1920-2007)

Mas legend Irvin “Mac” McWilliams, unlike the legends we have featured previously, Harold Saldenah (1925-1985) and George Bailey (1935-1970), lived to a relatively advanced age of 87 (1920-2007).
During his band producing years from 1956 to 1988 he provided T&T with some 32 spectacular presentations, many of which were based on themes of Trinidad and Tobago, its history and its culture.
The first of such local-themed bands was in 1961 Hail La Trinite and the last Stay up Trinbago in 1988. Such presentations one might say were learning tools for Trinbagonians as our folklore and culture were depicted through the vivid imagination of another legendary mas man adept at portraying things local and who was credited as being the first to present a totally local theme on the streets of T&T in his category.

While the title of Band of the Year eluded him for many years it was only until 1971, with the belief that “within our own shores there is untapped material for magnificent mas,” and his presentation Wonders of Buccoo Reef that he finally won the judges approval for the prestigious prize. Confident in localising his themes he again captured the title the following year with the indigenous Anancy Story and capped off his third trophy in 1978 with the band entitled Know yuh Country. This was a 3,500-member kaleidoscope of Trinbagonian cultural education described as “a folk festival…in the medium of mas with sections such as Pointe-à-Pierre Oil, Arima Dial, Caroni Bird Sanctuary, and Chaconia Gold Awards had their impact multiplied by the sheer number of costumed revellers.

Portrayal of Buccoo Reef which won in 1971

“I won’t mind if other mas men do better than me, but it is essential that citizens know the things that make up their islands.” In 1974 he ventured further afield regionally with his presentation Somewhere in the Caribbean, with costumes and sections including “Jamaican Ackee,” “Grenadian Nutmegs” and “Barbados Flying Fish.” His bands won the People’s Choice Award on five occasions (1971, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1980) with an increasing number of female masqueraders. Buccoo Reef also captured the King of the Bands title. His King Albert Moore also captured the coveted title in 1965, 1968 and 1969, the latter portraying the immensely popular ‘Man in the Moon’.

Especially popular in the 1970s and early 80s, McWilliams was described as a simple and modest man of the people: “I enjoy mas…I enjoy producing things people like and can play in…I get a kick out of it and as long as I can break even, I’m easy.” He was the first bandleader to use multiple mas camps to assemble costumes in their large numbers as bands grew, and was the first to start selling off costumes if registrants did not collect them on time. Irvin “Mac” McWilliams was awarded the 1971 Trinidad and Tobago Humming Bird Medal Silver for his contributions to Carnival development.

McWilliams Band of the Year Titles:

1971 Wonders of Buccoo Reef;
1972 Anancy Story;
1978 Know Your Country Carnival presentations: Click Here to Share
1956 King David and the Ammonites;
1957 Ten Commandments;
1958 Rulers of Persia;
1959 Feast of Belshazzar.;
1960 The Grandeur That Was Rome;
1961 Hail La Trinity;
1962 Tribute to India;
1963 Festival of Mexico;
1964 Monarchs of the Nile;
1965 She and the Tibetans;
1966 Effigies of the Gods;
1968 Conquerors of Niniveh;
1969 Realms of the Kings;
1970 One Day in Persia;
1971 The Wonders of Buccoo Reef;
1972 Our Anancy Stories;
1973 Mama Look Ah Mas;
1974 Somewhere in the Caribbean;
1975 Root of All Evil;
1976 Toute Monde Ca Danse;
1977 Season Greetings;
1978 Know Yuh Country;
1979 Our Famous Recipes;
1980 The Rains Came;
1981 Among My Souvenirs;
1982 Dance Zulu Dance;
1983 We Money;
1984 A Woman's World;
1985 The Days of Moses;
1986 Mas Trinidad Style;
1987 The Wedding of Montezuma;
1988 Stay up Trinbago.

source

Legendary BandLeaders of Yesteryear: Call that George:Colourful journey ends

2011-02-04T07:24:00.001Z

We continue a series that takes a look back at the contributions to our Carnival art form of the famous large band bandleaders from around 1955, the first year of the official Band of the Year competition. For the purpose of this series, we take a look at that era following World War II when designers were able to and began to more widely use their creativity and artistry to portray mainly tangible and non-abstract costumes that transformed our streets into a thematic visual spectacle of colour and living theatre.

GEORGE BAILEY (1935-1970)

The Mighty Sparrow in his calypso Memories recalls: “George Bailey, I’ll always remember, jumping when ah big band pass, playing big mas... George Bailey, wherever you are bredder, just for you, we go gih dem real thunder this year.” (www.youtube.com) Carnival 2010 saw a return of the spirit of the genius of the late Woodbrook-born and bred George “Sir George” Bailey, via the Stephen Derek and Associates produced band Call That George, a 15-section presentation, each named and designed after bands produced by Bailey from 1956 until his death in 1970 (it should be noted that it was his brother Albert who was the bandleader in 1956 although George himself did the designs).

Also involved in no small way in the C2K10 production were brother Albert, niece Lee Ann and grand niece Leandra, herself now a budding young designer and avid mas player. His other brother Alvin, well-known mas designer and costume producer, sadly passed away just before Carnival 2010. Their father Aldwyn “Sonny” was also a bandleader in his day. “Sir George,” so nicknamed due to his personality and the high standard of his art, along with Harold Saldenah, between 1955 and 1969, each captured six Band of the Year titles.

One can only imagine the number of titles he would have added to his tally had he not passed away at such a relatively young age in 1970. A prodigy at the age of 20, the eldest of seven children to his parents, he co-produced with brother Albert, their first independent band in 1956 entitled Timu and the Leopard Kingdom a pre-cursor to 1957, and the African-history themed band Back to Africa, which captured the first of his titles. This presentation largely credits Bailey for changing perceptions of Africa, history, and Carnival itself depicting instead a regal heritage, portraying magnificent, meticulously researched African costumes instead of a past largely portrayed in mas before that by the use of rags, paint and spears.

A number of his bands were portrayals of periods of African history and before Bailey, people could not conceive of African mas matching the grandeur of Roman, Greek or any other European themes. George thoroughly researched his portrayals and came as close to the original thing as was possible. During his 15 years involved as a Carnival bandleader, George Bailey’s presentations won the coveted Band of the Year Award six times (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1969) and the People’s Choice Award ten times (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970). He was the first to capture a beaver-trick of Band of the Year titles.

From a young age, Bailey developed a love for drawing, painting, and sculpting under the guidance of MP Alladin, the renowned local artist. He was also an outstanding athlete, in track and field, playing basketball with the Woodbrook Limers and the T&T national team. He began his Carnival career by designing for Invaders Steelband in 1954 and 1955, then formed his own band with brother Albert and a few others associates.

In 1962, when T&T gained Independence, he was a member of the committee that designed the emblems for the new nation. In 1969 he was awarded the Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Gold for his contribution to Carnival development. On a number of occasions it is recorded that there were huge disparities between the non-George Bailey Band of Year winners and the actual winners with Bailey’s band gaining a much larger number of votes. In 1970, returning to Trinidad from an overseas trip to Bermuda, he fell ill. When the aircraft landed at Seawell airport in Barbados, he asked for fresh air. He was led to the ramp, where he collapsed and died of an apparent heart failure.

Carnival presentations:

1956-Timu and the Leopard Kingdom; 1957-Back to Africa; 1958-Of Pagan History; 1959-Relics of Egypt; 1960-Ye Saga of Merrie England; 1961-Byzantine Glory; 1962-Somewhere in New Guinea; 1963-Realm of Fancy Bats and Clowns; 1964-Age of Gods and Heroes; 1965- Indian Lore; 1966-Kings Go Forth; 1967-Deities Spectacular; 1968-Fantasia; 1969-Bright Africa; 1970-Tears of the Indies.”

Descriptives of a few of George Bailey’s bands:

Relics of Egypt (1959): The historical detail of Egyptian dynasties was described as magical and realistic and was the first occasion that the prize called The Band of the People’s Choice was awarded, which it won overwhelmingly. Byzantine Glory (1961): Depicting the Byzantine Empire from 337 AD to 1454 AD, presented in a blaze of colour and religious zeal, the grandeur, the ecstasies and the agonies, under Emperor Constantine of the Holy Roman Empire. Somewhere in New Guinea (1962): Spectacular again, especially the leading characters, dazzling to the eye and mind, featuring a broad spectrum of life amongst the natives of New Guinea.

Remembering “Sir George”

According to his brother Albert: “George was the one to start the first ‘Drag Brothers’ right there on Buller Street in Woodbrook. He also worked at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was in charge of the clerical department of the Casualty Ward. But with George’s creative ability, he was transferred to the Culture Ministry in St Ann’s.”

As a mascot to George Bailey’s King of the Band Mac Ward (of De Nu Pub/Mas Camp Pub), Carnival supplier Steve Samaroo of Samaroo’s Ltd recalls proudly his George Bailey mas-playing days as a young man from 1966 to 1970: “Those were truly the days of masquerading when you put on a costume and you felt transformed to another era in history.”

Band of the Year Titles

• 1957 Back to Africa

• 1959 Relics of Egypt

• 1960 Ye Saga of Merrie England

• 1961 Byzantine Glory

• 1962 Somewhere in New Guinea

• 1969 Bright Africa

Nasser Khan

Guardian series of Great band leaders: Legendary Band Leaders of Yesteryear

2011-01-31T12:48:00.000Z

Harold “Sally” Saldenah

GET IN YOUR SECTION

…Saldenah leaves his mark on Carnival

We begin a series that takes a look back at the contributions to our Carnival art form of the famous large band leaders from around 1955, the first year of the official Band of the Year competition. For the purpose of this series, we take a look at that era following World War II when designers were able to and began to more widely use their creativity and artistry to portray mainly tangible and non-abstract costumes that transformed our streets into a thematic visual spectacle of colour and living theatre.

Harold “Sally” Saldenah (1925-1985)
Harold “Sally” Saldenah had a deep love of history and researched intensely his topics to ensure that he was able to re-create the moments in time in history. These historical epics are renowned for the magnificence, colour and splendour of their costumes. In the first of his six Band-of-the-Year productions in 1955 ‘Imperial Rome, 44BC to 96AD’, he designed and created costumes using velvet, leather and copper to portray centurions, gladiators, vestal virgins, Caesars and Nero, even his soldiers in short skirts to be as “real” as possible. Ken Morris was the one employed to fabricate the copper breastplates. He went on to become a master of the art of copper crafting.
The use of foils and copper and having ‘sections’ in a band were innovations introduced by Saldenah.

His first major production was ‘Quo Vadis’ in 1953, based on the movie of the same name, and featured Roman soldiers with helmets made of papier mache painted to look authentic. Noble Khan, religious leader, ex-senator and long-time NCBA executive, who was the king of one of Saldenah’s winning bands, ‘Pacific Paradise’ in 1965, cites Saldenah and his chief designer Norris Eustace (brother of the late four-time King of the Band winner, Teddy; brother to mas designer Follette and uncle of nine-time King of the Band winner, Curtis) as masters of colour design, blending and crafting in their creations. The Harold Saldenah Award is given to the most colorful band each year in tribute to this.
Later, band leaders such as Bobby Ammon, Edmund Hart and Stephen Lee Heung were among those influenced by Saldenah and who went on to become legends in their own rights. ‘El Dorado, City Of Gold’ in 1968, the last of his six victorious presentations, in which he used a lot of foils, has been described as creating a glistening spectacle in the setting sun at the Queen’s Park Savannah. He won six Band-of-the-Year titles (1955, 1956, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1968) before moving to Canada in 1977 where he assisted his son Louis with his Toronto Caribana bands. Following that hiatus he returned to Trinidad in 1983 to produce the last three of his bands.
In 1976, to commemorate his 25th year as a bandleader, Saldenah produced his ‘A Sailor Is a Sailor’, recreating each of his previous bands in the form of a traditional fancy sailor. In 1983, billed as the 200th anniversary of our Carnival, he returned to T&T to present ‘Masquerade to Carnival’, 40 sections in tribute to the history of the festival, with costumes celebrating the various traditional characters of mas.

The “Saldenah” legacy continues today in the mas arena, albeit in Toronto’s Caribana, with son Louis winning some 15 Band of the Year titles in his 30 years of producing bands there. In 2009, he paid tribute to his father in the band ‘A Tribute To Harold Saldenah’. In 1972 Harold “Sally” Saldenah was awarded Trinidad and Tobago’s Public Service Medal of Merit Silver for Carnival Development. He died of cancer in 1985.

The following is a listing of his presentations:

1953-‘Quo Vadis’; 1954-‘Conquerors of Kisra’; 1955-‘Imperial Rome 44BC to 96AD,’ 1st; 1956-‘Norse Gods and Vikings,’ 1st; 1957-‘The Glory That Was Greece’; 1958-‘Holy War,’ 1st (Tied); 1959-‘Cree Indians of Canada’; 1960-‘Siam 1250-1767’; 1961-‘Zambesi Head Hunters’; 1962-‘Julius Caesar's Conquest of Gaul’; 1963-‘Controversy of Time’; 1964-‘Mexico 1519 to 1521’, 1st; 1965-‘Pacific Paradise’, 1st; 1966- ‘Asia’; 1967-‘Epic of the Zulus’; 1968-‘El Dorado, City of Gold’, 1st; 1969-‘Psychedelic Latin America’; 1970-‘Atlantis-Land of Seven Cities’; 1971-‘Festival of the Tembu Warriors’; 1972-‘Fantasy in Jewels’; 1973-‘Fashionable Sailors from Paris’; 1974-‘Sun Kingdom of the Amazons’; 1975-‘Cult of the Leopard’; 1976-‘A Sailor Is a Sailor’; 1983-‘Masquerade to Carnival’; 1984–‘Name that Tune’; 1985-‘We Mas Have Class’.

Band of the Year Titles: 1955 ‘Imperial Rome 44 BC to 96 AD’; 1956 ‘Norse Gods and Vikings’; 1958 ‘Lost City of Atlantis’; 1964 ‘Mexico 1519 to 1521’; 1965 ‘Pacific Paradise’; 1968 ‘El Dorado, City of Gold’.

Nasser Khan

CARNIVAL STORY (aka TRINIDAD CARNIVAL) video newsreel film

2011-01-24T21:09:00.000Z

Here is a blast from the past of Trinidad's carnival in the late 1950's enjoy...

CARNIVAL STORY (aka TRINIDAD CARNIVAL)

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3 CANAL : JAM-IT!

2011-01-18T23:52:00.000Z

As the 19th century drew to an end the ruling classes saw a rise in acts of aggression and sexual profanity, in the portrayals of African masqueraders. The period became known as the ‘Jamette Carnivals’.

The word ‘Jamette’ comes from the French word ‘diametre’ and referred to the class of people ‘below the diameter of respectability’ ...the upper classes were distancing themselves from the lower classes...to emphasize the immorality...and hence the inferiority of the Africans. ( Liverpool Hollis)

During the 19th century Africans had to exist in deplorable living conditions. These conditions were witnessed in their most extreme form in the barrack yards of the capital. Due to these conditions the barrack yards were the epicentres for crime, prostitution, and other forms of lawlessness. The barrack yards being the homes of Trinidad’s Afro-Trinidadian lower classes were also the bastions of African cultural resistance and identity.

Out of theses barrack yards came some of the most iconic characters and symbols of defiance that Trinidad’s carnival has ever produced. As the century came to an end these characters, and ritual practitioners would directly confront the laws and institutions of the establishment that seemed to exist solely to erase their cultural identity.

From the poverty ridden, crime infested environments of the barrack yards the Jamette emerged. If the stick fighter was the warrior King of the Kalenda, and the Cannes Brulees procession, and the male personification of African defiance, the ‘Jamette’ was the Queen, her very physical presence was the personification of colonial defiance.

Read more: MASSASSINATION.: 3 CANAL : JAM-IT! http://massassination.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-canal-jam-it.html#ixzz1BQvB8uVX
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

GENERATION LION JOUVAY VIDEO

2011-01-13T22:28:00.002Z

Black Stalin: SKULLUGGERY COMING DOWN.

2011-01-10T07:01:00.002Z

Six time Calypso Monarch Leroy Calliste ‘The Black Stalin’ went to the Skullduggery mas camp and composed this catchy song for the band . I loved the tune so much it inspired me to do this little clip.

The Costumes were designed by Sonya Sanchez-Arias

and original photography by Mark Lyndersay

Mas Assassin.

.
If you wish to know more about Skullduggery see the website at http://www.skullduggerymas.com

Gypsy to make stick fighting a sport

2011-01-09T13:51:00.000Z

Stick fighter Moses Ralf, left, shows his skills
as he attacks Henderson Marcano in the gayelle.

Unable to resist an extempo challenge, Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston “Gypsy” Peters clenched the microphone to the delight of a crowd gathered at Kings Wharf, San Fernando on Friday night. Firing back witty responses to calypsonian Neil “Abelele” Baptiste’s lyrics, Peters stole the spotlight, if just for a few minutes, at the Small Money and Associates Carnival Band launch.

Peters made an impromptu visit to the event after officially attending the launch of the national stick fighting competition held within sight of the band launch. In an interview in the gayelle (stick fighting ring), Peters said he wants to develop the artform into a real sport. Peters said, “Stick fighting is something that is dear to my heart. I was raised on stick fighting, raised in the gayelle. I will like to see stick fighting as a real sport where people would have gears and stuff and take it to the next level.”

Although the artform seems to be dying, he said the number of young people seen at the event indicates that it might be resuscitating. “We must not let these artforms die,” he added. Despite criticisms regarding his decision to create a People’s Band this year, he said, “The People’s band will be the biggest band for Carnival. The People’s band will have stick fighting. Stick fighters everywhere come into the People’s band!”

The minister said he wished there could be more creativity in Carnival costumes instead of the usual bikinis and beads. “You cannot distinguish between a Trinidadian band and a Brazilian band. I wish they would become more creative and play the mas that we know to play. Let us go back to portrayals,” he said. Businessman Steve Grant, who has been promoting the artform for the past 30 years, agreed it was dying. However, he said they were in the process of trying to revitalise it. He said competitions would be held every Friday and Saturday until Carnival Tuesday. Several people, young and old, had gathered around the gayelle to see the stick fighters in action.

Sascha Wilson

Genesis 1: Creation’

2011-01-06T13:01:00.000Z

In the Old Testament, there is a story told of King David dancing through the streets of the City of David in a procession filled with musicians, elders and other officials, celebrating the placement of the ark of God in a special place he prepared for the holy object.

Parish priest of the St Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church, Petit Valley, Joe Harris, used this example to explain the concept behind the decision to launch the Word and Associates Roman Catholic mas band for Carnival 2011.

Entitled Genesis 1: Creation, the 12 sections of the band will tell the story of how the world was created according to first chapter of the Bible. But Carnival and the Catholic Church have been inextricably linked for as the festival traditionally takes place in the days immediately preceding the Lenten period of fasting, prayer and reflection.

Traditionally during Lent, no parties or other celebrations were held, and people refrained from eating certain foods, including meat. The 40 days of Lent, recalling the biblical account of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, serve to mark an annual time of turning. In the days before Lent, all rich food and drink had to be disposed of. The consumption of this, in a giant party that involved the whole community is thought by some to be the origin of Carnival.

However, even before the rise of Christianity, there have been practices that are similar to Carnival. In the Ancient Greece, for instance, in honour of the Dionysus (the god of fructiferous forces of the earth, vegetation, wine-making and the patron of a theatrical act), it was a large religious festival – the Dionysia, which included: merry dances, an execution of joking songs, competitions of poets and awards for victorious actors, and also the masquerade procession, where in front of it always had been the funny “ship” with a costume group. Authors of the Ancient Rome named it “carrus navalis”, what means “sea chariot”.

In Rome it was the heathen holiday, named the Saturnalia and initiated to Saturn, god of grain, vegetation and wine. The general idea of the feast consists to invert the ordinary motion of life in time.

During two weeks all class boundaries was erased by the nonpublic law of festival: the rich and poor were equalised in rights, children headed families, slaves could sit freely with their masters at the table and demand from them a subordination, and for reason to not spoil the merriment – everybody hid their faces behind masks.

Also, a pseudo-king was chosen at the time of the holiday and in the end of Saturnalias he must die in some way: to be burned, hanged, etc. After Christianity became popularity, all heathen feasts were forgotten. Thousands of years later, in the Venice of Italy, it was created as a merry and motley holiday, which was celebrated every year before the beginning of the traditional Christian fasting of Lent. This Carnival became popular and spread to other Catholic nations in Europe and around the world.

The origin of the name “carnival” is disputed. Variants in Italian dialects suggest that the name comes from the Italian carne levare or similar, meaning “to remove meat”, since meat is prohibited during Lent. A different explanation states that the word comes from the Late Latin expression carne vale, which means "farewell to meat", signifying that those were the last days when one could eat meat before the fasting of Lent. Yet another translation depicts carne vale as "a farewell to the flesh", a phrase embraced by certain carnival celebrations that encourage letting go of your former (or everyday) self and embracing the carefree nature of the festival.

At the launch of Genesis 1 held on Tuesday at the Queen’s Park Cricket Club at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Father Harris said, “There is no need for alcohol and lewd dancing for people to enjoy themselves on the road for Carnival.”

The Word is a Roman Catholic organisation, chaired by one of Harris’ parishioners, Derek Walcott. Speaking to Newsday at the launch Walcott explained, Father Joe Harris had the vision six to seven years ago and he said to me, ‘Derek we have got to get to involved in Carnival.’ He said we’ve got to bring God back into Carnival and make his presence felt there because when good people do nothing, bad things happen.”

Already, the band launch garnered attention with persons on social networking sites like Facebook commenting on the irony of the situation: a Church whose higher ups have spoken out against the “ungodly behaviour” displayed during the Carnival season is now taking an active part in the festival.

The same type of attention, albeit without the technology, was probably received be Anglican priest, Father Clifford Hendey, when he announced to the country over 40 years ago that he played mas. This spawned the 1967 calypso “If The Priest Could Play” by Cypher. Years later Canon Winston Joseph, who was the priest at All Saints Church also regularly played Carnival, first with Garib, then with Harts
Walcott explained, Genesis 1's aim is to recreate the values and creativity which Carnival lacks at present. Although the concept of a Roman Catholic band was discussed years ago, the two men left the country at different points to pursue their studies. When Walcott returned, preparations to launch the band took full effect.
The idea of a Roman Catholic mas band is not a new one. The Antiguan band, Vitus, has been in existence for 17 years and has regularly won the band of the year title in that island. It was created by the then bishop of the diocese, Archbishop Donald Reece.

Father Joe shared with us that the Church led by Bishop Reese of Antigua was doing this already. We got in touch with him and he shared with us why he started this thing. He saw values going down, he saw creativity going down.

Where were the steelbands? Where were the moko jumbies, where was the mas? Every year you see the same thing over and over just in different colour beads and bikinis. He shared what was being done in Antigua and we said it was time to get on board,” Walcott explained.

Genesis 1 will be competing in the large band category during the Parade of the Bands on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. “This band is going on stage for people to see. We are bringing the message of God and his relationship with his people in ‘d Mas’,” Walcott said.

The Word intends on placing a limit of 1,200 masqueraders to ensure that those playing with the band fully understand the message portrayed. Walcott said however, there is mounting enthusiasm and excitement surrounding Genesis with persons from other Caribbean islands already expressing a desire to play mas with the band.
"So many people have been calling and are enthusiastic about getting on board. Grenada say they are coming to play mas and they want a whole section. There has been a lot of enthusiasm, even outside of Trinidad and Tobago so we do not know if we will be able to stick to our limit,” he said adding marketing for the band will not take full effect until after the Christmas season ends for Catholics this Sunday.

All inclusive packages range between $1,000 and $2,500 and include costumes, non alcoholic drinks, security and music on the road. In keeping with their intentions of re-introducing culture to Carnival, the band will be accompanied by three steel bands on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

“We have the Valley Harps, Simple Song of Arima and the Archdiocesan steel band, rhythm sections and one DJ. We will be playing all beautiful music produced over the years because we want to remind people what good calypso is,” Walcott said.
The band already has the blessing of Archbishop Edward Gilbert, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We went to him and shared what we are trying to do and he said, ‘Derek this is something that I want to encourage you in, to bring the message. Do not worry if it is not a great success in the first year, continue to bring the message’ he told us,” Walcott said.

Iconic mas makers have also come on board to provide their expertise towards producing Genesis 1. Walcott said Rosalind Gabriel, who is known for her winning children’s band looked over designs produced by the band’s designer, Lisa Bhajan, to ensure what was on paper could become reality. Also on board is mas man Wayne Berkeley who is producing the band’s Queen, Eve and another “surprise” popular mas man creating the King, Adam.
Raoul Garib, Augustine Chin, Francis Woon Sam and other experienced mas men will also be contributing to the band's sections.

SOURCE

Pictures from Carnival Jumbie

Fay-Ann Lyons - Consider It Done (Soca 2011)

2011-01-03T00:32:00.000Z

227 years of Christmas into Carnival

2010-12-24T13:02:00.002Z

ASTRIDE: Actor Nigel Scott on horseback plays the part of Governor Sanford Freeling

Trinidadians have always loved their mas and this is what Captain Baker found out when, high on the success of the previous year, he again tried to stop the Canboulay procession in 1881. And while a lot is known about this period in our Carnival history, Sir Sanford Freeling is a lesser known figure.
This was brought to light however at the launch of Carnival 2011 recently at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain. There were a lot of police present but unlike the events of 1880 and 1881, the police were there to make sure everything went okay.
John Cowley, in his Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso, notes that “Canboulay was seen as an integral part of the Carnival”.
The recent Carnival launch took place under blue skies and hot sun, Perfect weather for a launch in the outdoors and the kind of weather, no doubt, that would have been immediately familiar to “Captain” Arthur Wybrow Baker (he really was only a Lieutenant). Baker, an Englishman, had arrived in Trinidad in 1877 and he did not like Carnival or Canboulay.
Cowley reports that in 1880, “police were stationed judiciously on foot throughout Port of Spain. Baker controlled the streets on horseback, assisted by sub-Inspector Concannon and Sergeant Major Brierley. On commencement of Canboulay they interposed at each stickband conflict and forced the surrender of flambeaux, drums and sticks”.
Into all this, later on the year 1880, November to be exact, came Sir Sanford Freeling to take up the post of Governor of the then colony. Baker had already made up this mind that Canboulay would not happen in 1881 and he went to Freeling with the request to stop it, which he refused. According to Cowley a notice was posted in Port of Spain and environs which stated, “Captain Baker demanded from our just and noble governor, Sir Sanford Freeling, his authority to prevent the night of Canboulay, but our Excellency refused”. Baker thought he would have been able to suppress the Canboulay as easily has he’d done the previous year, what he did not know was that the stickbands had organised to oppose him and the fights that took place on the night of February 27 and early morning February 28 are now in the pages of history and on the city streets through the now annual Canboulay renactment on Jouvert morning.
It was up to Freeling to restore order and he had no intention of stopping Carnival. What he did was to confine the police to their barracks and allowed the population to continue with their Carnival. He also made a speech to the masqueraders giving them the assurance he was on their side and had no intention of stopping their pleasure.
This speech was heard once again on December 5 at the launch of Carnival 2011 themed “Back To De Savannah”. At the launch, the role of Freeling was revived by well-known local thespian Nigel Scott. It shows that while Freeling had been in the country less than a year, he understood the town of which he was Governor.
Governor Sanford Freeling’s Speech:

My dear friends, I have come down this afternoon to have a little talk with you. I wish to tell you that it is entirely a misconception on your part, to think that there is any desire on the part of the Government to stop your amusement. I know everybody at times likes to amuse themselves; I have no objection to amuse myself whenever I have an opportunity. I had no idea what your masquerade was like. If I had known you should have had no cause for disaffection. There has been entirely a misconception on all sides, for the only interference was the fear of fire; I thought that the carrying of torches at this time might be attended with danger, and I was anxious to guard against it. That was the only objection; it was the fear of fire and nothing more. The Government had no other objection. I did not know you attached so much importance to your masquerade. I also wish to tell you how proud I am to be Governor of your island; I had a desire to come here and know you, that I could write and tell Her Majesty the Queen that no more loyal and peaceful subjects inhabit the other colonies like Trinidad. I am come down this afternoon for I felt I could have confidence in your loyalty. I have trusted myself among you, and I would not hesitate to bring my wife and my children on such an occasion – I feel they would be very safe, if your decision be to carry out your masquerade in a peaceful manner. I am willing to allow you every indulgence. You can enjoy yourself for these two days and I will give you the town for your masquerade, if you promise me not to make any disturbance, or break the law. I shall give orders that the constabulary shall not molest or interfere with you, if you keep within the law. I trust that you will continue to enjoy yourselves without any disturbance. There shall be no interference with your masquerade. Thank you.

There’s just one more point to be made about Trinis and our Christmas into Carnival celebrations. Cowley says that there was no annual Carnival during the Spanish rule but when the French Creole planters and their slaves came after the Cedula of Population in 1783 and he offers this description from Pierre-Gustave-Louis Borde:

The pleasures of meals at the dining table and picnics were added to those of music and dancing. There followed nothing but concerts and balls. There were lunches and dinners, hunting parties and expeditions on the river, as well as Carnival which lasted from Christmas time until Ash Wednesday. It was nothing but a long period of feasts and pleasures.

We’ve been partying like this, ladies and gentlemen, for roughly 227 years and that’s one thing about Trinidad that’s not likely to change any time soon. A very Merry Christmas and Happy Carnival to all.
SOURCE

Carnival launch described as the best ever

2010-12-13T07:12:00.000Z

taking the lead: Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism Winston "Gypsy" Peters
led by example as he paraded in front of the traditional characters.

The official launch of Carnival 2011 came off with great fanfare and in glorious sunshine at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Sunday.
A production of the National Carnival Commission, the event was billed as Trinidad and Tobago The Home of Carnival…Back in D Savannah.
It featured a parade of traditional Carnival characters by various regional Carnival committees which showcased “real” Carnival costumes such as the Bookman, Pierrot Grenade, Indians, Fancy Sailors, Dame Lorraine, Baby Doll. Jab Jab, Stick Fighters, Gorillas, Blue Devils, Bats, Midnight Robbers, Surri and Plymouth Warriors.
There was also a parade which featured children and adult mas accompanied by DJs as well as steelband music.
Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism Winston “Gypsy” Peters led the parade of traditional characters before the official launch.
NCC Chairman Kenny De Silva welcomed the spectators and masqueraders before Minister Winston “Gypsy” Peters addressed the savannah audience which included Minister of National Security Brigadier John Sandy, Chaguanas Mayor Orlando Nagesar and Caricom Ambassador Makandal Dagga.

Prime Minister Kamala Persad-Bissessar entered the savannah during Gypsy’s speech and was immediately called upon to say something to the audience.
The PM welcomed all and challenged the NCC commissioners to make Carnival 2011 the best ever before both she and Gypsy declared Carnival 2011 “opened”.
After this everything turned “ole mas” as people gathered in front the stage did not move for the parade to continue.
Trinidad All Stars tried its best to pull the crow in front the stage with them but was unsuccessful. What followed was a quick passing of costumed individuals. Down the track, behind All Stars, Laventille Rhythm Section had worked those fortunate enough to be on spot to hear them at the precise moment, into a frenzy with some drum cuts that were really special.
On stage the Midnight Robber “ramjayed” as Dil E Nadan prepared to perform. Lead singers Raymond Ramnarine and Derrick Seales had the crowd going with their rendition of several of Machel Montano’s hit songs and their own hits.

Calypso followed with the recently crowned Best Village Queen/second place Junior Calypso Monarch Victoria Cooper, and the reigning Calypso Monarch and Calypso Monarch Queen Kurt Allen and Kizzi Ruiz respectively.
Ruiz hit the spot with "Class Language" and Allen impressed his audience with two very compelling songs in the social commentary category “Where are they Now” and “Give Them a Chance”.
Rikki Jai followed and had the crowd singing along with "Barman (give me a Guinness and puncheon)" and he promised that he had another special potion coming for next season, but it was six-time Soca Monarch Superblue who stole the hearts of the audience as he rolled off “Soca Baptist”, “Ethel” and “To Love Sombody”. The audience could not get enough of him and called him back. He then performed “Get Something and Wave” to the delight of the audience.
Roy Cape All Stars should be commended for the superb musical backing of these artistes. The show continued to climb to a peak with Black Stalin as he performed “Come With It” in which he had the audience singing more than he did, he continued with “Black Man Feeling to Party”.
Shadow created quite a stir as he came on stage with “Feeling The Feeling”. The experience of Roy Cape All Stars cannot be understated as the music supplied was immaculate with clean and clear horn lines.

Gary Cardinez

Variations on a carnival theme:

2010-12-05T22:17:00.000Z

One Nigeria... Oyo State’s float at the jubilee carnival.
Photo: AKINTAYO ABODURIN

While the floats, designs, costumes and performances of some states that participated at this year’s Abuja Carnival, held from November 27 to 30, reflected the ‘Celebrate Nigeria’ theme, others completely missed the mark.

States including Akwa Ibom, Nasarawa, Oyo, and Anambra were outstanding in their interpretation of the theme during the street parade which opened the carnival. Akwa Ibom, host of the last National Festival of National Unity, not only came with a large contingent, the beautiful, periodic costumes of the contingent wowed many. Its float comprised an oil rig, the eagle and horse to reflect its status as an oil producing state in Nigeria.

Photo by Chuks Ezeilo

Nasarawa, which had the largest contingent, had a spectacular and realistic roaring lion for its float. As usual, its contingents were attired in colourful costumes. Oyo chose to highlight unity with the imposing figures of a Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo man holding the Nigerian flag. The agricultural resources of the country were also reflected in its float.

Anambra had a figure of late statesman, Nnamdi Azikiwe, on its float, painted in the national colours, though its costumes and dances were not exactly spectacular. Rivers appeared to make Abuja a dress rehearsal for its own carnival holding later this month, with another large contingent, cheerful costumes, and dances. The jeans and t-shirt wearing awigiri dancers of Bayelsa drew squeals of excited laughter from the crowd, with their gyrating hips, though their float was a fish of indeterminable specie. In all, it was an enjoyable opening featuring different interesting presentations.

Durbar-less carnival

Photo by Chuks Ezeilo

The fact that the durbar, one of the regular features of the carnival since its inception six years ago, did not hold this year surprised many. Nigerians and foreigners who had thronged the Royal Polo Ground, expecting to see the grand performance, were disappointed to see Polo being played instead. Though Polo was part of the carnival events last year, no one expected it to be the only equestrian feature this year.

That many of the foreigners were not interested in the Polo on offer became evident as they left the venue no sooner than they arrived.

“We came to see the durbar, and not Polo; we are disappointed, though we know there must be a reason for it,” said a foreign couple as they walked back to their car.

There was indeed a reason for it. Artistic director of the carnival, Rasaki Ojo-Bakare, disclosed that the carnival management committee was not to blame. He said the committee prepared adequately for the durbar, but that states from the north east, regular participants in the durbar, stayed away. Only Taraba and Yobe States featured, but they didn’t bring their horses.

He further explained that the late arrival of some governors of the states who went on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and returned a day to the start of the fiesta affected their states.

Finance, however, was the major obstacle. Ojo-Bakare said the management committee couldn’t afford the N55 million bill sent by an Emirate to bring its horses and riders.

“The Durbar is an equestrian performance, Polo is a game, so we decided to collaborate with the Nigerian Army to have Polo,” explained the artistic director.

Wooing the private sector

Photo by Chuks Ezeilo

Government’s intention to free itself from the burden of hosting the carnival was loudly trumpeted at the just concluded fiesta. In fact, it became the official line. The president, Goodluck Jonathan; minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Sadiq Mohammed; father of Abuja Carnival, Salihu Alfa Belgore, and carnival director, Rasaki Ojo-Bakare, all canvassed for private sector participation.

“This is one single product that would bring a lot of benefits to companies if they key into it through sponsorship at both local and international levels,” Jonathan reiterated during the opening ceremony. He, however, assured that government will play its part by ensuring that an enabling environment for tourism to flourish in the country is created.

Foreign participation

Photo by Chuks Ezeilo

Prior to the commencement of the carnival, organisers had disclosed that seven countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, India, Ghana, and Egypt would participate. Interestingly, only two, Egypt and India, or three, if you include Ijo Vudu Dance International, a Nigerian company based in Canada, featured at the jubilee carnival.

The trio participated in the street carnival, opening ceremony, and command performance held at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, on Monday, November 29. Apart from the artists that featured, a number of their nationals also saw their performances.

What this translates to is that organisers have to step up their efforts to attract foreign participants. Nigeria has bilateral agreements with a number of foreign countries in the area of culture and tourism; it wouldn’t be a bad idea to explore such links further if organisers are really serious about involving other countries in the fiesta.

Dance of the ancestors

Ancestors, as masquerades are called in a number of Nigerian communities, had their day at the carnival. Masquerades of different shapes and names from 13 states featured in a parade which started on the street and ended at Eagle Square.

Photo by Chuks Ezeilo

While some were beautiful, others were outrightly scary. Anambra State, with its array of masquerades, didn’t disappoint the expectant crowd. Its peacock, bull, hippotamus, Ada, and some scary ones were talking points among the people. The popular Ijele, often referred to as the king of masquerades, was also in the mix.

From Ekiti State came the peculiarly named ‘Fountain of Knowledge’, while Nasarawa came with some palm frond wearing masquerades and some resembling monkeys. Those from Oyo and Edo engaged in some wonderful acrobatic displays, while the costumes of the masquerades from Oyo were very colourful. Lagos, as usual, came with Eyo while the costume of the ancestors from Rivers rivalled those of the Oyo masquerades.

All is not lost

Photo by Chuks Ezeilo

People who worry about the seeming apathy of the young to Nigeria’s culture and tradition needn’t worry too much. Though a number of the children indeed know next to nothing about culture, the children’s fiesta showed that all is not lost. Not only did the gaily clothed children feature in the parades, they also gave good account of themselves at Millennium Park.

Participants from the FCT, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Oyo, Benue, and Nasarawa featured in three competitive events; poetry, dance, and fashion parade held during the segment, which George Ufot, director of culture at the federal ministry, described as “a major component of the carnival.”

Chants, dances and music were on the menu the children served at the session facilitated by Indomie Noodles.

Aremu Eegunjobi, from Oyo, who did Ijala and Bata dance; Sikemi Adeyemi, who recited oral poetry; and another youngster from Bayelsa State were the major revelations of the enjoyable segment.

Getting it right

Though there was fun at the carnival and the management committee deserves commendation for achieving what it did with the little money at its disposal, it wasn’t devoid of sloppy organisation and poor timekeeping. The children’s fiesta, for instance, started late, just like the masquerade parade.

Photo by Chuks Ezeilo

The poor audio quality of the sound equipment at the cultural night diminished the fun for the audience, while the stage at the command performance could have been higher. People craning their necks and standing to see what was happening on the stage wasn’t a nice sight at a world class carnival.

The welfare of artists participating in the festival also needs to be a priority. The oversight on the part of some states and the carnival management committee to provide refreshment, particularly water, for their troupes during the 18 kilometre street carnival from Area One to Eagle Square was a serious one.

Some state governors also need to accord artists more respect. Those who gave artists just N5,000 as welfare allowance for the duration of the carnival could have done better. Excellent organisation and respect for artists will go a long way in improving the carnival.

Article by: By Akintayo Abodunrin

SOURCE

Au Courant presents: The Cycle: Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2011

2010-11-18T15:19:00.002Z

Just when you thought that was about it for band launches and new mas for Carnival 2011 Au Courant enters the arena. On his face book page Brian Wong Won calls it "Most innovative and creative presentation for Trinidad Carnival 2011". Looking at the designs and the concept I think it is a welcome shot in the arm for Carnival 2011.

The band seems to be made up of 5 sections/acts, that complete a cycle and the band boasts elaborate and crafted mas and a performance.

The Approaching Exit

Take a look at the rest of this new addition to the presentations of Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival 2011on the Au Courant website

Is there class in Carnival?

2010-11-16T22:35:00.000Z

Often the celebrity is spotted in IslandPeople mas.
Here, Anya Ayoung Chee, right, parades with a friend.
Photo: courtesy IslandPeople Mas

The spice of our island is quietly rearing its head. Carnival 2011 is near, and with the emergence of brand new soca music, the conclusion of band launches, and the ongoing hustle to register at mas camps where limited costumes remain, the scorch of the season can be felt. Anxiously, masqueraders from across the world wait with bated breath for that moment in time when all inhibitions will be thrown out the door. Revellers will dance in the street, party on the sidewalk, and drink festively. But the question that remains in the back of many people’s minds is, “Has Carnival been diluted?”

Carnival only for elite?
Over the years, world development, and by extension, the development of human beings, has fostered a whirlwind change in our island’s Carnival industry. The costumes have transformed from lengthy, bulky and heavy, to beads and bikinis, feathers and costumed embellishments, highly reflective of Brazil’s sexual staging of a similar festival. The music, too, has changed, with a greater embrace to popular foreign culture with its hip-hop beats, and even dancehall persuasion.

More than anything else, though, the financial climate of Carnival has changed. A band considered to be “the best to jump with on the road” can cost a masquerader in excess of $3,000, this even as the average man on the street is paid a minimum wage of $10 per hour.
Who then are bandleaders catering to? Is it safe to assume that Carnival is now an elitist party, where only those who can afford the exorbitant cost of a costume from the popular bands, and drink free cocktails at $650 all-inclusive fetes, can truly be a part of the cultural and seasonal landscape of our island?

Lewis denies class targets
While there remain public fetes that still draw large audiences, mainly from the lower echelon of our society, there is no denying that the bulk of Carnival’s engagements target the “haves”. Island People’s Derrick Lewis enlightened the T&T Guardian on how he perceives the ever-evolving event and Carnival-masquerade industry, and why it’s not a matter of class, more than it is the privilege factor. “Class is a factor, but not as big as it is played up to be, and certainly not the defining element.

“I think demographics and psycho graphics are playing a more prominent role than ever before, and choice is driven much of the time by the consumer who is looking for more and more service,” said Lewis. He added, “People are defining their targets much more strategically now. The marketing of a band, or an event has become more sophisticated than in years gone by,” he said, explaining that image and economic brackets were certainly included in modern day marketing layouts within T&T’s Carnival. Lewis, however, disagreed that class was a target that stood alone when it came to today’s event and masquerade-band marketing. “I think that based on the middle class being so big in Trinidad and Tobago, as compared to other places in the Caribbean, class boundaries are not defined here,” said Lewis.

“I think there’s more of a movement among local promoters and bandleaders, to offer a privilege to patrons, most of whom desire greater privileges. “At Islandpeople Mas we have one common target, ‘real’ passionate Carnival people who are looking for a creative, service filled, safe, Carnival experience come 2011.” Lewis said in local society there were people from all walks of life who wanted to be treated like a VIP, and would pay more to be treated as such. He said the words “uptown” and “downtown” that were so loosely used, really weren’t properly defined, and he personally did not believe they should be used in setting marketing targets for events and mas bands.

Polarisation in event promotion
The bandleader and educator agreed that the cost of mas today, as opposed to years gone by, was a big factor as to why some people stayed away from Carnival, and hinted that there certainly had been a movement toward polarisation in the local promotion industry in recent years. He, however insisted that social class was not a contributing factor, adding that privilege was key.

“The value and importance of Carnival of ‘we’ has started to move towards, Carnival of ‘me’,” said Lewis, citing that while the festival began many years ago as a national and cultural engagement, various societal elements, inclusive of crime and development of other ills, had diverted the natural course of the festival. There’s no denying that over the years a shift as taken place. Whether the shift has taken away from, or added to the notion of “the greatest show on earth”, is based on individual perception. One thing is certain though, and that’s the fact that one must be financially secure to engage in most of what’s offered within T&T’s Carnival.

Aba A Luke

Learning about the material world

2010-11-15T14:06:00.000Z

MIX IT UP: All ready for Sunday market is this little lady in her costume
called Mix and Match.

In their attempt to contribute towards keeping the mas artform alive the team of the Carnival Babies Mas Band combines Carnival and education, while also incorporating a bit of social work in the mix. The band on November 6 launched its 2011 presentation, titled Material World, at the Port of Spain Waterfront, where several of the ten sections were revealed.

“The mission of Carnival Babies is to educate children about mas on the whole especially the creation of costumes. We will be presenting an educational theme each year. For instance in Material World we will teach the children about the different materials used in making costumes. They will learn why we use certain materials and how they are used,” Mollineau said.

“One of the great things about the band is that the children get to participate in the creation of their costumes, making the mas experience all that much more special. Apart from the primary schools, we are hoping to get the orphanages and other children’s institutions involved as well. While we wait on responses from companies we are using our resources to get the work started. The band will participate in all the competitions,” Mollineau said.

“We are teaching the children the use of many different types of materials that can be used to create costumes, which is really just about anything you can find. They will learn what materials to use in order to create the desired effects and shapes. So we have sections such as Feather World, Stretch To Fit, Frills And Thrills, Sponge Dolls and Crafty Corner,” Mollineau said.

By Wayne Bowman

Going wild for Indian mas

2010-11-12T10:33:00.000Z

LEFT: Saia-Ann Sultan portrays a Sub Chief.
RIGHT: Cherrese De Abreau in the Grass Dancer costume.
Photos: Innis Francis

Over the years, San Fernando bandleaders have made a name for themselves in Carnival with the presentation of native Indian bands. So it was no surprise when, around midnight last Saturday, models manoeuvred authentic costumes from Lionel Jagessar and Associates at the Space nightclub in La Romaine. Around the Tepee was the theme chosen to depict the legendary mythology of the North American Indians, from the inception of time to when they were discovered by Christopher Columbus.

The band’s C2K11 presentation consists of nine sections predominantly comprising costumes with coloured feathers, designed into beautiful spectrums. The costumes are expected to attract much attention during the revelry on the streets of San Fernando come Carnival next year. The venue was somewhat inadequate for the launch, considering the elaborate and lavish costume detail, including feathered boas and huge headpieces. The mas couple—Lionel and Rosemarie Kuru-Jagessar—have 32 years of experience in bringing mas to the streets of the southern city.

Rosemarie is the reigning National Queen of Carnival, the title she copped with her portrayal of the Sacred Water Bearer Waka-Nisha, and was the first person in the history of Carnival to parade an Indian mas and win the national title. “Everything about our presentation, from the designs to wire-bending to construction is my husband, Lionel. “God blessed him with the talent, and even the children have the talent. “They are all about keeping the culture alive,” she boasted. Some of the sections that were on display were Grass Dancers, Sub Chief, Ceremonial Dancers, Keeper of the Fire, Fox Hunter and Eagle Dancers.

“Our costumes are colourful. Carnival is colour and we need to keep the young people in San Fernando. “We had to keep our traditional theme but with a conventional outlook. “People were telling us, our costumes not naked enough, but how naked can you go with Indian costumes? “We tried and came up with these costumes, and I know it would be a big hit for Carnival,” Kuru-Jagessar said.

Source: INNIS FRANCIS

Alexander McQueen: Spring 2011 RTW

2010-11-11T17:55:00.000Z

Mas back in Savannah

2010-11-09T18:48:00.001Z

Flashback: Harts revellers play mas in Port-of-Spain this year.

After some three years of being out on the streets, described by some as a horrible experience, bandleaders will see a return of mas to the big stage at the Queen’s Park Savannah for Carnival 2011. Minister of Art and Multiculturalism Winston “Gypsy” Peters made the announcement yesterday as he checked out existing structures at the Savannah to see what improvements could be done. “This tour is just to take a look at what we’re supposed to do to bring Carnival plans to fruition for 2011. “We’re putting Carnival back in the Savannah,” Peters said.
The Parade of the Bands was moved from the Savannah some three years ago by the former PNM administration for the construction of the National Carnival Centre, which is still to be completed. Masqueraders were made to pass along judging points on the street outside the Savannah. Accompanying Peters was Kenny de Silva, who has returned as chairman of the National Carnival Commission (NCC), and other board members. “This structure is not what we would like,” Peters said, referring to the Grand Stand. He said the plan was to move the Grand Stand further east in line with the North Stand and to establish an active, year-round Carnival “place” in the Savannah for tourism purposes.
Peters said culture should be one of T&T’s main revenue earners in the diversification thrust. He said masqueraders, bandleaders and calypsonians were elated about the return of mas to the big stage in the Savannah. He dismissed questions about the headache of masqueraders having to wait for hours to cross the stage. “Carnival without bacchanal is no Carnival. However, we’re working on plans to alleviate the problem,” he said.

People’s band
One of the ministry’s plans is to bring out a “people’s band” where the People’s Partnership Government will provide music trucks and “anybody could bring their costume and come,” Peters disclosed. The aim is to draw away some of the Savannah masqueraders and decrease the crowd there. “People will go to that (the people’s band),” Peters said. “I hope to see the return of antique costumes and creativity. There are no restrictions. If you are unemployed, make a mas face and come.” Peters also dismissed questions about taking away sales from mas designers.
“That’s not my concern,” he said, frankly. “They are bringing mas from India and China and I don’t know if they are taking away jobs from the people and suppressing their creativity.” Asked the cost of the exercise to beautify the Carnival “place” in the Savannah, the minister replied: “Whatever it takes for us to be here. “I’m not saying we’re sparing no cost. The whole country is under financial constraints but Carnival is also a business.” De Silva said his passion was Carnival management and said the NCC board held its first meeting on the site yesterday afternoon. A Ministry of Works engineering team and an architect also were supposed to visit the area to begin preparations, De Silva said. “I’m looking forward to coming up to everybody’s expectations,” he said.

Mas men respond
Luis Hart, of the band Harts, said he was “ecstatic” about the return of mas to the Savannah. “It’s what we were begging for. Masqueraders missed the thrill of crossing the stage.” He said being on the street was horrible. “They’re putting Carnival back where it’s supposed to be,” he said. Dean Ackin, of Tribe, said masqueraders would be happy about the move. “My only concern is managing the flow of bands to the Savannah.” Ackin said the National Carnival Bandleaders Association (NCBA) had been meeting this year with stakeholders, including bandleaders, to come up with a plan to ease the masquerader backlog. “They have some good plans which they suggested to the NCC. I’m looking forward to this year.” Dane Lewis, of Island People, said moving mas back to the Savannah would give masqueraders the “climax” they had been missing on the street. “The big stage provides that climax experience we have been missing for the past three years,” Lewis said.

Yvonne Baboolal

Minaj gets wining lesson

2010-11-05T13:12:00.000Z

Nicki Minaj performs during

the Localize Itt Concert on Saturday

Internationally acclaimed rapper Nicki Minaj left Trinidad over the weekend with a greater appreciation for the country of her birth, a love for local delicacies like pholourie, roti, and red mango, and a lesson on how to do a good Trini wine. Minaj, a St James native, who was christened Onika Maraj, arrived in Trinidad last Friday to headline the Localize Itt Concert, held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, on Saturday. Donning a fashionable red and white ensemble with red and gold accessories, leopard-print ankle-boots and sporting a blonde wig, the 25-year-old took time out of her 40-minute performance to allow fans to help her sharpen her wining skills, as she admitted that she had not yet mastered the indigenous dance. “Show me how to wine!” she said. Her request was answered instantaneously as several excited fans volunteered to show her how it’s done.

A young male, clearly overjoyed and eager to display his wining skills and steal a hug from the super-star, shocked even Minaj, as he acrobatically gyrated on his head. “Stop it! Stop it!” she jokingly told him, as loud cheers and applause erupted from the crowd. The self-proclaimed businesswoman who was a drama major at New York City’s LaGuardia High School of Music and Art also called on patrons to work hard to achieve all their dreams and encouraged female fans to “get their own.” “Go to school and stay in school. Ladies don’t depend on a man for anything. Get your own,” she declared. Minaj worked the stage with confidence and pizzazz but disclosed that she was “emotional” as she was happy to be performing in her native country.
“This is the most emotional show I’ve ever had to do,” she said.

“I don’t even know how I’m holding up. It’s been a long time coming back here and you guys have treated me so beautifully. I really couldn’t ask for anything more.”Opening her performance with Itty Bitty Piggy, Minaj had young and not-so-young fans singing along, word for word. Well-known for her trademark over-exaggerated vocal inflections, Minaj made smooth transitions singing her verses on popular international hip hop and R&B tracks, including DJ Khaled’s All I Do Is Win, Drake’s Up All Night, Sean Kingston’s Letting Go (Dutty Love), Trey Songz’s Bottom’s Up, and Young Money’s Bed Rock. Her popular hit Your Love and the newly released single, Right Through Me, went down well with the crowd, who showed Minaj that her earlier fear of “people not being familiar with my songs” was definitely not the reality.

Assuring that she was “almost positive” that she would be back on local soil in 2011 for Carnival for the first time, Minaj then closed at around 10.55 pm with Kanye West’s popular track, Monster, and waved goodbye to a crowd which, she said, “welcomed me with open arms.” The fun was not over yet, however, as soca artistes such as Makamillion and the Millionaire Family, Buffy, and Soca Monarch winners JW and Blaze delivered energetic and spirited performances. Earlier, patrons got another potent taste of local culture when D Project Records artistes Nebula 868, Judah, Terri Lyons and 3Suns took the stage, representing the red, white and black to the fullest. Local dancehall artiste Squeezy Rankin also came in for high praise from the crowd with his song Nah Play We Tune, in which he called on DJs, and Sport Minister Anil Roberts, to ensure that more local content is played on radio.

PROMOTER

Promoter of the Localize Itt Concert and D Project Records CEO, Darryl Braxton, told the T&T Guardian that he was pleased with Minaj’s performance as well as the event’s turnout. “I think it flowed well. Nicki’s performance was good and it also served to showcase our local performers. I think the show was nice and clean incident-free. It was nice to see the young people come out. “I think for what it was and the fact that so many different things were going on that could have deterred people from coming, I was satisfied with the turnout.”

Cherisse Moe

2010-11-01T02:45:00.003Z

In this T&T Guardian file photo, Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism
Winston Peters (Gypsy), left,
is captured at a function with fellow calypsonian
Opposition Councillor Franz Lambkin (Delamo).

All systems are go for Carnival 2011, according to Arts & Multiculturalism Minister Winston Peters (Gypsy).
Speaking off the record at a reception for cultural personalities last week Friday at Knowsley Building in Port-of-Spain, the minister said a new National Carnival Commission (NCC) Board was to be installed soon. The man shortlisted to be the new chairman is Kenny De Silva, a former chairman of the Commission. Up to last Wednesday afternoon, however, De Silva said he had received no instrument of appointment.

The composition of the new board augurs well for C2K11 especially as other names mentioned include experienced veterans in Carnival, including Don Sylvester and Cyril Collier, in addition to the heads of Carnival’s Special Interest groups (SIGs), including Keith Diaz (Pan Trinbago); Lutalo Masimba (Bro Resistance), (Tuco); and Wrenrick Brown (NCBA).

Peters also said the Parade of the Bands competition would be returning inside the Queen’s Park Savannah, its traditional home, instead of proceeding along the outside southern perimeter of the venue. He added that a main stage would be returned, with north and grand viewing stands. Himself being the National Calypso Monarch of 1997, and a multiple champion in extempore competition, Peters said there was every likelihood that next year calypsonians would be required to sing two selections for the national monarch competition, a move welcomed by many of the veteran calypsonians. Contacted on Wednesday, Tuco president Lutalo Masimba (Bro Resistance), with a chuckle in his voice, said: “As far as I am concerned this decision can only be taken by the membership of Tuco and the jury’s still out on that. We are discussing it, though.” Concurring with Resistance was former national monarch Michael Osuna (Sugar Aloes), who said: “While I consider this is a progressive move, it is not a decision for any minister to make. Only Tuco can make this decision. But, I am for the two songs as it will separate the men from the boys in the competition.”

Extemporama

Before C2K11 comes around, however, Peters has given his endorsement to this evening’s Extemporama being held at SWWTU Hall, on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, from 8 pm. A virtual clash between the best exponents of extempore, representing the three zones of Tuco, Peters affirmed the event was not a competition, but a chance for “bragging rights in the genre.” Tonight’s zonal war is billed as “De Councillor vs De Minister” as many people expect it to come down to a face-off between the arts minister and COP Councillor Phillip Murray (Black Sage). Widely regarded to be the world’s best extempore artistes, Peters said he didn’t intend taking any prisoners tonight as he knew each contestant would be gunning for him.

In mirth, he said: “It will be fire in town on Friday night, and I intend getting them before they get me.” Also in the fray tonight are Contender, Fire Ball, Gary Ranks, Black Sage (North); Lingo, Lady Africa, Sheldon John, Dion Diaz (East); Brian London, Abebele, Short Pants, Gypsy (South). Peters was complimentary of the young people venturing into the realm of extempore, singling out Fire Ball and Bunji Garlin, adding that they brought their own unique but entertaining treatment to the art form. Hosted by Mervyn Telfer and Shirlaine Hendrickson, this evening’s show also features former calypso monarch Relator, with musical accompaniment by Moods.

Tunes for Panorama 2011
As far as pan and the 2011 National Panorama Competition are concerned, calypsonians have already completed their “pan songs,” including De Original De Fosto Himself, Crazy and Eunice Peters.
Four hot tracks for Panorama 2011 are:
• In She Rainorama sung by De Fosto—composed by Winston Scarborough;
• Desperadoes Coming Down sung by De Fosto—composed by Winston Scarborough;
• A Raging Storm sung by DeFosto—composed by Winston Scarborough;
• Percy on Me sung by Crazy—composed by Edwin Ayoung & Winsford Devine.

Calypso tents
The calypso tents are also gearing up for a bumper C2K11 season.
Speaking with Pulse on Wednesday, Calypso Revue producer Sugar Aloes said all systems were go for the season. He said auditions would commence on November 14 and continue every Sunday, at 11 am, at a venue to be announced. The regional tents operated by Tuco are also in their final planning stages, as well as the Icons tent operated by another former national and Independence monarch, Weston Rawlins (Cro Cro).

PETER BALROOP

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