Planning on coming for Caribana

The questions from Caribana 1st timers started early (which I'm glad to see), so I'm doing the annual visitors and newbie mas players post now.
Here's last season's post, check it out regarding fetes, and pre & post parade events:
So You're coming for Caribana

When you comes depends on if you want to go to any fetes the weekend before.

Trini-in-Toronto says he would stay down near the lake because:
1. It’s a close walk to the Harbourfront Center where there will be lots of free entertainment in an open air atmosphere.
2. You are walking distance to restaurants, transit, fete venues, shopping, & a liquor store. It’s a real nice and safe tourist area, where you can walk around and that week, you will see lots of Trinis in the area.
3. There are a bunch of Caribana boat cruises that you can walk to, and they usually have top name entertainers performing. (check out Toronto-lime for boat cruise and other fete listings.)

Trini-in-Toronto actually searched for a list of hotels within 1 KM of Harbourfront Centre. Early bookings are always best, as Caribana attracts 1 million people.

0.0 km WESTIN HARBOUR CASTLE - 416-869-1600

0.0 km Radisson Plaza Hotel Admiral Toronto-Harbourfront - 416-203-3333

0.6 km InterContinental Toronto Centre - 416-597-1400

0.8 km Renaissance Toronto Hotel - 416-341-7100

0.9 km The Rosemont Residences - 416-340-1221

0.9 km Strathcona Hotel - 416-363-3321

0.9 km Residence Inn Marriott - 416-581-1800

0.9 km Strathcona Hotel - 647-438-2290

1.0 km SoHo Metropolitan Hotel & Residences - 416-599-8800

1.0 km Fairmont Royal York - 416-368-2511

You can always do a proximity search to the CNE, where the parade is. Or any downtown hotel will work. When staying elsewhere in the city, best to choose a hotel within walking distance to a subway.

Q: What are some good bands to play mas with for Caribana? Has the band launching season started yet for 2K10?

Bands will launch in April, May & June, with registration shortly after. There are big bands (@500+ masqueraders) and medium sized bands (minimum of 75) to choose from (see band list to the right of the blog).

If it were me coming from stateside, I would want to go with a band that has great online registration, as that's quite important. I would also want my email inquiries to be answered promptly.

As I've never had to register online with a band, maybe a foreign masquerader can tell us how it went for them in the past.

As far as costumes go, you can check out band launch costumes pics from last year:

Connections

Carnival Nationz

Saldenah

Mas Toronto

Toronto Revellers

You could always wait for when bands update their websites with new 2010 costume pics (which will hopefully happen soon after their launches). Some bands put on a more traditional mas for Caribana, and of course, there's bikini & beads mas. Whether you want some coverage or to go "skimpy", you'll have quite a costume selection for sure. If you're interested in reviews, I'd read the comments from masqueraders here about what they thought of their costumes, the band's customer service, and the on the road experience.

The event listings are here: http://www.caribanafestival.com/pagedisplay.aspx?i=203

Planning ahead is best, let me know if you have any other questions.

Caribana representing at the Olympics!!

Saldenah's Fire Coral, Mexico, Paradisio and Carnival Nationz Secret Garden brought some Toronto heat to the Winter Olympics.

















Looked fantastic everyone! Hmmm, Vancouver looks as warm as here.

Caribana Festival performers on stage yesterday (Sunday) in Vancouver, (Winter Games)

From the stage: Left to right, Danielle Ramjattan, Nicki Ramjass and Martin Scott-Pascall show Olympic goers how to play Mas! Scott-Pascall is also the Artist Director on the tour.

• Macomere Fifi (Eulith Woods) one of North America's best Calypsonian singer performs on stage at the Ontario Pavillion inside the Olympic grounds in Vancouver

An all-star cast of Mas Players, Calypso singers and Pan Artistes performed the first of three performancess at the Ontario Pavilion within the Olympic site in Vancouver.

The Ontario Government has built a 13,000 sq ft Pavilion at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver to showcase the province’s leading technological, cultural and culinary advancements. As the largest summer festival in the province and the cultural jewel of the country, Scotiabank Caribana was approached to produce a 10 min video and to stage three - one hour performances, one each on February 14^th, 15^th and 16^th.

The intent of the festival's participation is to help promote the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario as a premier tourist destination to visit and do business. It will take the form of a 13-member team showcasing the various carnival arts; Mas’, Calypso and Steel pan.

The Ontario Pavilion is setting a new standard in creativity and innovation. It offers visitors a unique, one-of-a-kind, inspirational experience that will live on in their memories for years to come and reinforce Ontario’s Olympic brand message — “There’s No Place Like This…” An initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, the Pavilion will feature the best Ontario has to offer from a tourism perspective, featuring nightly concerts, culinary experiences, film, technology, the arts and a jaw dropping Scotiabank Caribana performance!

Audiences in Vancouver are experiencing some of the exciting entertainment that make the 3-week Scotiabank Festival Canada’s biggest tourist draw -- next to the Olympics. This year Scotiabank kicks off Tuesday July 13^th at the Yonge Dundas Square. The parade will be held along Toronto’s waterfront on July 31^st. The festival ends on Sunday August 1^st with the DeScotiabank Caribana Lime at Ontario Place.

Even after the Scotiabank Caribana performers have left Vancouver, visitors to the Olympics will see breathtaking images from the annual Toronto festival. Last summer The Canadian Tourism Commission, in association with the Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, sent a film crew right onto the Scotiabank Caribana parade route and shot high definition footage to be used in a video postcard about the Festival.

The Caribana video postcard (one of two dozen made for the Olympics) has been reproduced into four lengths (2.5 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds), dubbed into several languages, and provided to over 200 official Olympic Games’ broadcasters around the world to be seem by a potential cumulative audience of over 10 billion people.

The Scotiabank Caribana Festival is an exciting two-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. Now in its 43rd year, it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Scotiabank Caribana is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Chutney, and Steel Pan music. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America’s largest outdoor festival. www.caribanafestival.com

(The article and photos are from Stephen Weirs press release)

2010 Winter games are about to feel the Vibe

 
 
As if it wasn't hot enough at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games!  Today Scotiabank Caribana announced that an all-star cast of Mas Players and world renowned Calypsonian and Pannist will be performing for 3 days at Ontario House, located at 50 Pacific Boulevard at the Concord Place Community Celebration Zone.

Ontario House will showcase the province's tourism, technological, cultural and culinary success stories. As the largest summer festival in the province and the cultural jewel of the country, Scotiabank Caribana will be featured in multimedia presentations at Ontario House, as well as three - one hour performances, one each on February 14th, 15th and
16th. 

"We expect over 90,000 people to experience a little bit of Scotiabank Caribana at Ontario House," explained Festival CEO Joe Halstead.  " Our performers are energized and Vancouver is really going to feel our Vibe!!!"

The intent of Scotiabank Caribana's participation is to help promote the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario as a premier tourist destination to visit and do business. It will take the form of a 13-member team showcasing the various carnival arts; Mas', Calypso and Steel pan.

Located in between BC Place Stadium and Sochi House (Science World), Ontario House offers visitors a unique, one-of-a-kind, experience that will live on in their memories for years to come and reinforce Ontario's tourism brand message - "There's No Place Like This..." Ontario House will feature the best Ontario has to offer from a tourism perspective, featuring nightly concerts, culinary experiences, film, technology, the arts and a jaw dropping Scotiabank Caribana performance!

Audiences in Vancouver will get to experience some of the exciting entertainment that makes the 2-week Scotiabank Caribana Festival, Canada's biggest tourist draw -- next to the 2010 Winter Games. This year Scotiabank Caribana is set to kick off Tuesday July 13th at the Yonge Dundas Square. The parade will be held along Toronto's waterfront on July 31st.  The festival ends on Sunday August 1st with the DeScotiabank Caribana Lime at Ontario Place.

Even after the Scotiabank Caribana performers have left Vancouver, visitors to the Olympics will see breathtaking images from the annual Toronto festival. Last summer the Canadian Tourism Commission, in association with the Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, sent a film crew right onto the Scotiabank Caribana parade route and shot high definition footage to be used in a video postcard about the Festival.

The Caribana video postcard (one of two dozen made for the Olympics) has been reproduced into four lengths (2.5 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds), dubbed into several languages, and provided to over 200 official (add - 2010) Olympic Games' broadcasters around the world to be seem by a potential cumulative audience of over 10 billion people.

The Scotiabank Caribana Festival is an exciting two-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts.

Now in its 43rd year, it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Scotiabank Caribana is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Chutney, and Steel
Pan music. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America's largest outdoor festival. www.caribanafestival.com

(This is a press release from Stephen Weir)

You know this guy...

Caribana at the Olympics!!

Here's some great news from Louis Saldenah: costumes from his band along with Carnival Nationz will be featured at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics!

5 costumes from each band (from '09 & '08) will be chosen. As to exactly how they will be used, we will soon find out...
So which costumes do you think will be chosen to go to Vancouver? Tembu Warriors and Anne Bonny are in amongst my choices of course. I'm thinking big bold headpieces and vibrant colours that stand out on camera.
I can't wait for the whole world to see Caribana costumes for the fun, imaginative, unique creations they are!
Congratulations on this prestigious honour Carnival Nationz and Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club!!

Voted No to Tribe Toronto

I posted in the comments What do YOU want from Tribe in Toronto? (on Jan 20th) this information from a band leader:
The band leaders are taking steps to avoid the move (Tribe TO in Caribana) as they feel it would have some adverse effects on the membership of their struggling numbers, particularly the smaller bands. It's a fight each year to get the required numbers with the existing number of people who play mas in Toronto. This is estimated at max. 6000, and that's conservative.
Here's a useful explanation of the numbers:

"A" bands need 150 members and a 6th placing and better to retain their status (7th & 8th are demoted to "B"). "B" bands need 75 members and a 3rd to last placing or better to remain in the parade. In addition all bands are required to have at least 75 members to remain as a participating band. Some bands struggle each year to get their 75. In 2009, one "A" band couldn't make the 75 number and was omitted from the 2010 parade (Jesse Matthews) , so numbers have become a serious problem. A most significant issue is that they will further erode the numbers of the smaller bands and that will affect Caribana as a parade.

All proposed band leaders/co-band leaders must be a member of TMBA (Toronto Mas Bands Association) for at least 1 year. Another concern is, because of the price structure presently employed in Toronto (costume $160.00 max), it is feared that they cannot maintain the quality of costume they produce in Trinidad (@min $3000.00TT) something that masqueraders are probably expecting, unless the cost increases, and that will either put an additional burden on the players, or they will get substandard costumes. That had been established last year, causing some players to be short changed.

There is yet another issue where this will be a third name change of this band in as many years - Evolution, All Spice and now Tribe Toronto - not to mention what it was before Evolution. When will it end?

The main issues and concerns are the drain of members of the smaller bands and the status of the parade.

Some might say that their (Tribe TO's) inclusion will enhance the parade, but the band leaders have to look at how it (could) affect other aspects of the parade and themselves as bands - bottom line.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update
Well as a result of TMBA's Saturday meeting with the band members, 13 out of 15 eligible voters voted against Tribe Toronto in Caribana 2010.

A band leader told me it's not about competition (which he said he's not afraid of) - it's about the drain of masqueraders and losing the Festival Management Committee (FMC) funding. He said that on the surface, people wouldn't see these things (and assume it's that they don't want competition.) There is obviously serious issue with providing funding for an outside band (associations with, for example, Trinidad) to this Toronto festival. Bands are concerned about losing their funding. Here's as an example of draining of masqueraders: if a B band had 80 members last year, but they lose just 6 masqueraders, they are disqualified, and out of the parade this year.

Oh, the explanation about Tribe TO being in the top 8: because All Spice placed 1st in the B bands last year, they were promoted to the A bands, allowing them to be in the top 8 in the parade.

This is certainly an out of the ordinary incident for Caribana as I've said before, and as it's just January, I'm sure it's not over - "Tribe TO" could very well apply to be in the parade with another name.

So for those who were looking forward to playing with Tribe TO because it was Tribe, who will you play with now?

Private Ryan's latest 2010 Soca mix is now available for download.

Private Ryan's much anticipated 2010 pre-carnival edition is available for download at 

 http://djprivateryan.libsyn.com/

If your car doesn't play MP3's and you are having a hard time figuring out how to burn a cd because the file is about 2 hours long, you have to split the file into smaller mp3s and then burn it to a CD. If you go here, there is a MP3 splitter with a free 30 day trial

http://www.brizsoft.com/mp3split/

Disco Fever!

http://www.torontorevellers.com/

Hot Stuff!
Bad Girls!
Le Freak!
Good Times!

I'm especially excited about Toronto Revellers presentation for Caribana '10.

Disco balls, gold lamé, platform boots, ya baby!
I love disco, & I think the fashion from the '70's makes for a perfect carnival theme.
Hot Shot!
Funky Town!
Car Wash!

Shiny polyester, afros, too much blue eyeshadow, catsuits... Can you dig it?

Actually, the hot pants and spandex tops are not unlike the Monday (Carnival) wear that many still wear in Trinidad.

I'm imagining many far out costume designs, I hope the designers get funky and give us dy-no-mite!

Shake your Body down to the Ground!
Got to be Real!