Caribana 2013, Part 2 - The experience

I'll get right to it, my Caribana 2013 was bittersweet.
Starting with the sweet, I really liked my entire costume. When I saw it backstage at Toronto Revellers launch, I just knew. I hadn't seen an entire costume that did it for me up to that point. Loved the mix of teal and coral, the headpiece, and all 3 different options. Registering online was easy peasy, I was contacted immediately about which options I wanted. All emails and phone calls with section leader Candice were responded to quickly, and in a friendly & professional manner. The costume was as advertised at the launch and on their website, with the minor exception of some white feathers and gems on the teal feathers on the headpiece.  We were given a different necklace, but I was told we'd get one, and was not expecting the ones on the models at the launch. Included were perfectly matching feathered Ardene earrings. My comfortable bottoms & bra were also from Ardene, very well made.

 

The weather was perfect for the parade, not too hot or humid. I enjoyed walking around the CNE, seeing you all, taking pictures and meeting new readers. So many costumes looked sensational, and some favourites that stood out for me were TO Revs Diamonds are Forever, and The Spy Who Loved Me; TK's Butterflies and Tribal; CNz Mandarin Fish, the Flasher Wrasse headpiece, and Yellow Nudibranch; and Sally's Eternity and Utopia. (However, I didn't see all sections in all bands.) It was wonderful to see so many masqueraders play traditional mas in Revellers - Golden Eye, Octopussy, and Moonraker. Impressive mas that reminded everyone about the history of the culture in amongst the BBF.

 

 

There was plenty of icy water on an open trailer, which was easy for masqueraders to access. Volunteers also walked throughout the route handing out bottles of water. I went to get lunch after 3 while we were at the start of the Lakeshore, and thankfully there was no line up at all. It was a decent sized portion (that I couldn't finish) of tasty chicken and peas & rice.

 

After 3:00 on the costume pick up Thursday, Candice called to let me know the costumes wouldn't be ready until after 9:00 as materials had just arrived. I was heading over to the camp after work in Mississauga anyway. There were about 10 people ahead of me, and one came after me. I waited 3

½ hrs for my costume. It didn't make sense for me to leave and come back later, as I live in the west end. So I stuck it out and got it at 1:00 a.m. That's certainly the longest I've ever had to wait for a costume. A wristband wasn't included in with my costume, so Candice had it delivered it to me Friday evening.    

 

As much as I loved the style of my headpiece, it slipped off a lot. Yes, I tried securing it on with combs, but even in a slight breeze, it would fall back off my head. (It's not like I was jumping up either.) I don't know what it is with my head and headpieces!!! I just can't wear the headband style. I need the very secure "helmet" style (for lack of a better word).

 

 

I didn't have my mas mate with me this year, as Trini-in-Toronto decided not to play. Even though he was there, he was in work mode taking pictures, so he wasn't a reveller. There's a difference. There is such a short amount of time to actually jump up in your band after judging, so that was a downer.    

Bunji says it best: nobody want to dance by theyself, everybody want to dance on somebody.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that's the bitter. Oh, but wait: stormers. You know the stormer issue is so major and was particularly bad this year, that it's just going to have to wait until Part 3 because we have a lot to say about it... 

 

 

He was one good natured cop I tell ya. 

 

Wanna do something FREE Friday night, but you think you are too young for Calypso Rose?

I'd question your thinking and suggest you need to know what came before soca, chutney soca, ragga soca, groovy soca etc.

But, I understand that Calypso may not be your thing and its Caribana, not Trini-Bana. So maybe you want to take in some Reggae also (Saturday and Sunday).

Kerwin Dubois comes on at 9pm @ Nathan Phillips Square and yes its FREE!!!!!!!


Enter Irie Music Festival Part 3

Nathan Phillips Square

TIME	FRIDAY AUGUST 2, 2013	SAT AUGUST 3, 2013	SUNDAY AUGUST 4, 2013	MONDAY AUGUST 5, 2013
2:00PM		Opening Remarks	Opening Remarks	Opening Remarks
2:30PM			Django	Urvah Khan
3:00PM		Samba Squad	TD Dancers	Keon Love
3:30PM		Irie Performer		Chach
4:00PM		Leroy Jr	Dance Showcase	Farahri
4:30PM			Dance Showcase	Lady Pista
5:00PM				Maccie Paquette
5:30PM		Nu Evolution	Jahsmin Daley	Kaleb Simmonds
6:00PM	Opening Remarks			JD Era
6:30PM	DJ	King Ujah	Korexion	Domanique Grant
7:00PM	D’Enforcas			Masia One
7:30PM	TBA	Comfort	Humble	Shi Wisdom
8:00PM	DJ	Musical Sniper	Jahbuddah
8:30PM	D’Enforcas
9:00PM	Kerwin Dubois	Richie Stephens	Half Pint	Closing Remarks
9:30PM
10:00PM	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks

Fog up the place, don’t clog up the place

If you are accustomed to hoping the fence and storming a band, things are going to be a lot more difficult for you this year. There are going to be more fences and lots more security who will actually be opening the fences and escorting you off the route if you manage to get in.

There is still time to join a band, volunteer or at the very least go and buy a steelband jersey, get a wrist band and go and push pan. All these are viable options, but storming is going to get more and more difficult.

For the people who have bought their costume, you might be thinking to yourself, my band is going down the road about 11:30am and we might reach the end of the route around 1 pm. What do I do now? 

Well, the FMC has you covered, you can get off the route, walk back to the CNE, and take in a live performance by none other than Destra Garcia. She is coming on about 2pm in the band shell. And they have listed other performers also.

The organizers are trying to encourage you not to walk back up the route as they say this contributes to congestion. They will be putting security in place to prevent this.

You might say that you paid $200+ and you will walk where you damn well please. There are only a few thousand masqueraders and many, many more stormers, so they should deal with the guys not wearing a costume who shouldn't be in the parade and leave me alone.

That is a valid point, and the organizers are making every effort to keep non-masqueraders off the route, but they are also asking for your co-operation. If you want to leave the route, head back to CNE, take in Destra, then take a jump back down with a panside or some other band (if they will have you, you might have to take a wine on a band security to hop the rope :).  I don’t see the harm in that, but they are asking don’t walk backwards up the route.  Besides, you don’t want anyone to ruffle your feathers as you try to swim upstream against the flow of the bands.

So, get a wristband or wine to the side. Fog up the place, don’t clog up the place.

Trini-in-Toronto

Carnival Revolution band launch 2013 "Home for Carnival"

Carnival Revolution launched their 2013 presentation Home for Carnival tonight after 1 a.m. at Santa Roza.

The theme of their presentation drew on different carnivals. They had sections representing Barbados, Rio, Trinidad, Guyana and St. Vincent.

St. Vincent

Barbados

Rio

Trinidad

Guyana

They didn't skimp on their costumes with some of their back lines offering larger head pieces and collars than some front lines in other bands I have seen.

Their bandleader Osei Brand reminded us that they didn't make it onto the road last year (due to poor crowd control / logistics.) so they've been waiting 2 years for the road. We really hope that with fewer bands participating this year, that everyone gets to make it onto the Lakeshore.

http://carnivalrevolution.com/