Carib101 Carnival Calendar Launch

Shiva Narine photo

KrazyTrain Carnival designs produced this lovely costume for the first Carib101 Carnival Calendar. The red headpiece really jumps out - I'd like to see such a design for Caribana!

Krazytrain Carnival Costume Designer Bryant Sinanan designs and produces Carnival/Vegas style costumes for carnivals, film, tv, theater, music videos and concerts. Check out the fall photo shoot video on Carib101.com. The launch is at Carnival In Meh Veins Pt 2 on May 29th at Elite Banquet Halls.

Fantazia International

Fantasia International photos

Well, there are no c-thongs, but new band Fantazia International brought some Carnaval elements in their launch of A Taste of Brasil! Particularly with the orange & tourquoise costume, which I really like. The cute looking green flower cage bra provides more "coverage" than the golden greenish wire one. In fact, the wires & strings that make up that bra just look so uncomfortable, however, the backpack's certainly impressive. I just want to say to anyone wearing a wire cage bra for Caribana, Go Brave!

From Fantazia International band launch photos, the costume with the mauve colour mix appeals to me. The large bright feathers and curly cues on the headpiece look good. Bikini tops rather than real bras are not my choice though. The light blue frontline section with the cage bra is certainly Rio styled. The backpack, which looks very heavy for the model, is outstanding. There's a lot going on with the bright blue costume, maybe too much. Could be all the body paint, makeup, face jewels, feather eyelashes and big jewelery though. Sometimes at launches too many accessories can work against a costume. It's certainly vibrant enough on it's own.

The bra on the red costume looks sturdier to me, & I was instantly drawn to the way it's simply, yet stylishly decorated.

Solid white and solid black costumes rarely say "Wow!" to me, but the studded headpiece for their white one is a little different with soft looking feathers.

What I noticed was that adjustments can be made on the waistbands for the red section and the white section. IMO, more can be added, fill them in more, as what you mainly see are the bikini bottoms, and it looks best when you see very little. What makes a spectacular costume is the illusion created that there's no bikini bottom.

A presentation based on Brazil/Carnaval is no easy design undertaking, and I will be anxiously awaiting Toronto Revellers, the next band who has taken on this challenge.

The professionals Calypso Tent Fund Raisers

Hi folks, its kinda late news, but TLK is putting on a couple fund raisers for "The Professionals Calypso Tent"

The first one happens tomorrow and it is a bus Trip to Casino Rama.
The second one is a brunch on May 3rd and it sounds like a really nice time

Check out the flyers and if you can make it, both of them should be a really nice lime.

Bodacious Brazil

Is this a Toronto Revellers costume, or could it be a Fantazia International creation?

Take it easy, it's neither!

With the two bands presenting a Brazilian theme this year, this made me think about Carnaval costumes (where the above Viviane Castro picture is from of course). The most obvious styles that come to mind are the modern designs where Samba dancers sport thongs or go topless. This year Brazilian model Dani Sperle's samba outfit broke a record with her 1.2 inch g cloth (groin). I wonder if she paid for that "outfit", or if they paid her! If you're a tad more modest and want more coverage, there's always the the c-thong.

James Martin photos - San Francisco Carnival What really completes your costume consisting of a c-thong & wire cage bra, is a mirror! So what do you think, is Caribana ready for the c-thong? Bodacious Brazilian bodies can carry off such nearly nude displays, but for the rest of us who weren't blessed with such generous genes, no worries, Rio isn't all about nudity. There's such a wide range of Rio Carnaval costumes with many bands going the traditional route and covering masqueraders in spectacular animal or unworldly creations. Geocities photos

With the first band launch coming up on Saturday (Fantazia International's A Taste of Brasil!), I'll be quite curious to see how Brazil is going to be portrayed for us!

Dani Sperle, 2008, considerably more covered

Where's security at?

When we received the order of this bands list on March 30, I admit to feeling disappointment that some of the bigger bands are past the top 3.

1. ERROL ACHUE - Mas Toronto
2. LOUIS SALDENAH - Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club
3. NIP DAVIS & COREY HOWARD - Nip Davis & Associates
4. MARLON SINGH - Callaloo
5. MARCUS EUSTACE - Carnival Nationz
6. JAMAAL MAGLIORE - Toronto Revellers
7. DEXTER SEUSAHAI - Tribal Knights
8. JESSIE MATHEWS - Jessie Matthews & The Calabash Company
9. FRANK RAMSAROOP - Borokeete Canada
10. WHITFIELD BELASCO - Pleasure Players
11. MERVYN SKEETE - Connections - TCC
12. COURTNEY DOLDRON - Doldron, Doldron & Associates
13. CURTIS EUSTACE - All Spice & ANDRE DEFREITAS - Evolution Carnival
14. SHERRY LEE KAM - Sherry & Friends

15. WILL MORTON - Fantazia International

Since Hubby's (Trini-in-Toronto) #1 Caribana rule is to play with a band in the top 3, that means that I can't consider any of bands whose presentations I'm curious/excited about.

Unless...

Knowing the irritating issue of stormers gets worse every year, it makes me wonder what are band leaders going to do, if anything, about security this Caribana?

In their third year in 2007, Toronto Revellers used orange fencing. While not visually attractive to the spectators watching the parade, I can see the importance of it now, after experiencing for the last few years how much worse it's getting, all these people jumping in with the parade. Carnival Nationz introduced a team of security pulling ropes to keep stormers out (like Trinidad Carnival bands) also in 2007. That annoyed me, because they were also asking masqueraders from other bands to stay out. However, if security using ropes kept the stormers out, ultimately that's good for the CN masquerader. So I expected to see it when we played with them last year (particularly since their prices went up) - but no. I was frustrated with the lack of security. Stormers eventually infiltrated the band. We couldn't help but notice how much the Toronto Revellers masqueraders were enjoying their mas, the vibe in the band seemed true & free - and no wonder, they were free of stormers.

That's the way it should be - you pay your money to display your mas & put on a show for the spectators. It certainly isn't right for teenagers to be able to bust into the band & teif a wine after just 15 minutes on the parade route! Remember: after a certain point on the Lakeshore, when the large barriers & fencing are gone and all you've got are the waist high barriers, that's what the spectators see, a crush of bodies, most not wearing costumes. Maybe if they're lucky they'll see some feathered headpieces here & there. When you ask tourists and locals who made their way down to see the parade what they thought of Caribana, those are the types of comments they make. Is this the impression North America's largest Caribbean festival really wants to make?

Masqueraders: what was your experience like last year? Ideally, I'd like to hear from people in as many bands as possible.

I have a wish for 2009 - to have a stormer free Caribana. Is it possible? What do you say band leaders?