Off the road campaign

I pulled this from Facebook, it's a post written by Sophia Rickson, Savage Arts International Ltd.

Its called the Off the road campaign:

In the wake of all the violence plaguing our city. I feel compelled to ask for help from our community and the City of Toronto to keep the violence out of our annual Caribbean parade.

The biggest, and most ignored issue leading to violence, are non-masqueraders on the road with paying participants. They are always the perpetrators of disrespectful acts toward people in costume and spectators alike.

Every year disrespectful thugs harass female masqueraders and males alike. Costumes that cost thousands of dollars are destroyed by non-masqueraders that have no respect for the culture they come from and for the people who produce these beautiful works of art.

The costumes are not seen or appreciated and this is because of people who refuse to participate but feel they have equal right to the limited space the Lakeshore provides.

We need to stand together, to show that we respect and love our culture and each other enough, to make sure the people who are involved in any criminal activity or have any other intention other than enjoying the costumes and food, remain off the streets and out of our parade.

Every year, acts of violence as serious as shootings, fights, inappropriate touching and behaviour, slanderous comments and arguments, occur on the road, and it is always involves non-masqueraders. Toronto Police are not taught or not told to differentiate between masqueraders and non-masqueraders when exiting and entering the Lakeshore (parade route).

They, like many others are unaware that people who participate in the parade, spend a lot of money to do so. Masqueraders spend from $200/$300 to $5000/$6000 to participate. Bandleaders spend upward of $40,000 for small bands into the hundreds of thousands to produce larger ones.

Production begins immediately after summer and the effort and passion put into these costumes go unappreciated every year. Either they are not seen by spectators and/or damaged by non-masqueraders.

Spectators nowadays are no longer greeted by smiling revellers or happy food vendors, but instead by thugs roaming the streets looking for trouble. There is no longer room for families to enjoy the spectacles of the parade, the music or the food. They are so afraid to come. They shun the parade, calling it unsafe and who can blame them!

Our parade is first and foremost a showcase of our culture to North America and to other nationalities. These negative aspects should not be allowed in something that is essentially a stage for people from around the world to view an art form long ignored.

The glamour of masquerading is lost when a sea of people flood the streets and turn the stage (parade route), into a violent street party. I have friends in other countries that refer to our parade as “Ghetto-bana” and so many of them who participate in different parades around the world are SHOCKED to hear that non-masqueraders are allowed to degrade the parade as they do every year.

Never have I gone out on the road on that day and am not harassed by men without costumes, in the most degrading and disrespectful manners. Men in costume however, are so much more respectful, because like you, they have spent hundreds to be there and want to enjoy their day without incident.

Girls not in costume, bend your feathers, and tug at your costume when it gets in their way… but girls in costume apologize to each other and smile as they know, they are wearing one as well.

Here is my proposal:

To the City of Toronto I ask:

Let there be more of a Police Presence on the road and HAVE POLICE BLOCK EVERY ACCESS POINT ON THE PARADE ROUTE TO KEEP NON-MASQUERADERS OUT COMPLETELY AND ALLOW PARTICIPANTS AND OFFICIALS FREE ACCESS TO FOOD AND FACILITIES.

Seems drastic?? Think of the long-term positive effects. Less and less will people misbehave, and the parade will become safer over time. A lot more respect is paid to Toronto Police than to band security, and a lot more respect will be built over time toward our parade.

To my sweet Caribbean people I ask:

Educate each other on the importance of a positive perception on our culture. Let us show the world that we are civilized, organized and put on the best show on earth without fighting each other and killing each other in the process.

PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATE! Amplify your Carnival experience by joining one of the bands in the parade, rather than bombard them and destroy all their hard work.

Help the art form of mas making, become world recognized. Help showcase our culture in a positive way by being part of the solution, and not part of the problem. Playing mas is one of the best feelings in the world, try it once, and you will do it for the rest of your life!

Promote our culture by participating, rather than bring our culture down by destroying it and hiding it.

And it doesn’t have to be just about mas. Create something to showcase within the parade, or on the outside. Join a steel band, create art to sell to spectators… anything positive that showcases something Caribbean. Just Get Involved!!

Let us return the parade to a positive showcase of costumes and culture and the glamor of masquerading, by letting it be just that, a parade, not a free and out of control street party.

We continue to hinder the growth of something that can lead to more business… money and most importabtly respect for our community by letting this issue slide year after year.

Pass this msg along to everyone you know; City officials, newspapers, friends and family. Spread the word that we will no longer stand by as our parade degrades more and more every year. Discuss, strategize, have a voice and an opinion and give suggestions on the matter.

This page is the place for that!

Carnival is the “The Greatest Show on Earth” Let’s give the world a real show, something to be proud of and have so much fun doing it!

With all the Love and Respect I can give,

Sophia Rickson
Savage Arts International Ltd.

“We love this thing called… MAS!”

Checking out D'Regulars

Many people are only now deciding to play mas, and they are looking for a small band. Here's where a band like D'Regulars comes in. Check out what they have to offer:
Their theme of In a Monastery Garden gives us the costumes water fountain, butterflies, & flowers in the garden and fish in the pond. You also certainly have to appreciate their back in de day prices of $125 (down from $170). Members of D'Regulars have been making mas for 35 years. They've got Moses Revolution on de road. 

 
Their bacchanal boat ride is Fri. July 27 at 7 pm. on Trillium at Bay & Queens Quay, and their (D'Iron Pot) breakfast, BBQ & blocko is Sat. July 28, at 10 am.
DRegulars.ca 

Don't give up on Caribfest so fast.

You all know we are big supporters of Barrie's Caribfest, and you may have heard that the city of Barrie did not come through with the permit necessary to hold Caribfest at its usual location on the waterfront. I don't know why they have taken this position, but the organizers are determined to deal with the situation and move on.

They are looking at alternative venues and plan on making an announcement soon.

Whatever the new plan is, I really hope it includes some form of street parade. I think this is what draws most of the crowd. Without that, your carnival becomes a concert.


The organizers assure that whatever changes are made, they will have Rupee, Benjai and other performers, so don't make alternate plans for that weekend just  yet.We wish them the best of luck.


Times are tough this year for the regional carnivals. All I'm hearing about Hamilton is, its not happening.

CariVaughn has had its share of setbacks also, I hear due to funding issues, the TMBA bands which had been listed to attend the carnival, will no longer be taking part. However, all masqueraders are invited to bring your costume and join the parade without your band. There will also be an option to purchase Baby Ts or tanks for the men.

People might think that this has nothing to do with Caribana, but this is a danger to the festival. A large part of the draw for masqueraders is that you get the option to jump up 3 times. We overlook a lot of the issues and challenges that Toronto masqueraders face because firstly, we love the festival and mas, but a close second is, there are two more chances to get the experience right.
Bandleaders, its a lot easier sell to convince guys to pay $200 plus for a costume when you can point to regional carnivals as being included.
I'm not saying that we expect you to incur expenses and don't get paid. I want you to make money, because if you don't make money, there is no carnival. And, I understand its a tough sell for government to support the arts right now. There is an opportunity here for collaboration. Maybe we don't need every band to send a truck to these smaller carnivals. Perhaps a communal 2 or 3 trucks is enough. As masqueraders, we appreciate the extra beverages that might flow, but we only really need ice and water from the band. I think it's in everyone's interest if these small carnivals succeed.
I know I'm just looking from the outside and you still need to rent a truck to transport your big mas and countless other expenses that I don't know about.
I don't have any easy answers. When I heard about Barrie being in jeopardy, this sadness came over me. I felt like when they cancelled battle of the planets (G-Force) when I was a kid. It was a REAL sad feeling. We can't let this thing die.

Juniors sure showed us how to play mas!

 Junior Carnival 2012 at Downsview Park

Congratulations to Toronto Revellers for wining Band of the Year! Very well done. I was quite impressed with their Indian Bollywood inspired costumes. Every year, their costumes seem to get better and better, more elaborate and intricate, and certainly representative of the band theme.
We also heard that Tribal Knights took both the Junior King and Queen titles (unofficial results) So big up to Dexter and his crew also. (as soon as we find the rest of the results we will post them.)

The scorching sun and long wait time didn't stop the kiddies from showcasing their mas and parading through Downsview and the adjacent vacant John Drury Drive (which has former base housing).

Holding it at Downsview should have made sense. Looking at the map, and seeing it all setup at 9 am, I figured well, there's plenty of space. The "ribbon cutting" began at 11:00, finished 30 minutes later, and the first band was on the route by noon. But once the first bands did their loop, they were stuck at the end of the parade route, which is also near the assembly area (the beginning), only to be left to wait to cross the bridge and get into the park with the family activities. Gridlock was definitely a problem with the parade. The 5th band, Tribal Knights, was still at judging at 1 p.m. There were 13 bands. Imagine that long wait for the wee ones.

I also noticed the Kings, Queens and Individuals had quite a bit of time at judging, as did every section. Perhaps a time limit for bands should be tried, considering who the masqueraders are: young, and therefore they get tired and cranky quicker, especially in the humidity, with very little shade.

It was a rather odd feeling parading around John Drury Dr. since the houses were empty. One band leader accurately called it a ghost town. The spectators were only set up inside Downsview.
I missed seeing all the spectators cheer the children on along Jane St.  

The park certainly was big enough though, with plenty of room for the food vendors, the huge stage, assorted tents, and big sponsor Chevrolet (GM).

Parking looked to be plentiful, but many selfish drivers wanted the prime spots, so they inconsiderately made their own parking spot. Obviously many people didn't give a rats a$$ and parked directly behind cars, blocking them in. Yes. Come on, think about if that was you stuck there and you had an emergency! STEUPS!!!! Bad kharma, as this is now bound to happen to them.

So what did you think of holding the parade at the new location? I'm curious to know what the bands, adults walking the parade with their kids, and spectators thought.

 

Junior Carnival Band of the Year
BAND - THEME
1) Junior Revellers - The Jungle Book meets Bollywood
2) Carnival Nationz - Empires
3) Tribal Knights - Candyland


Junior Carnival Queen of the Bands
CONTESTANT - PORTRAYAL - BAND - THEME
1) Celena Seusahai - Skittlez - Tribal Knights - Candyland
2) Kai Lewis - Queen Elizabeth 1 - Lil' Nationz - Empires
3) Chania Cunningham - At the Temple of Shiva - Junior Revellers - The Jungle Book meets Bollywood


Junior Carnival King of the Bands
CONTESTANT - PORTRAYAL - BAND - THEME
1) Malik Adams - Willie Wonka - Tribal Knights - Candyland
2) Keishaun Ewing - Predator - Fantazia International - Wonders of the Enchanted Forest
3) Demeko Minott - Tonatiuh, Aztec Warrior Sun God - Lil' Nationz - Empires


Junior Carnival Female Individual
CONTESTANT - PORTRAYAL - BAND - THEME
1) Desiree Pennant - Peafowl in the Garden - Fantazia International - Wonders of the Enchanted Forest
2) Caneisa Edwards - Cotton Candy Fairy - Tribal Knights - Candyland
3) Reeyana Singh - Flamenco Dancer - Lil' Nationz - Empires


Junior Carnival Male Individual
CONTESTANT - PORTRAYAL - BAND - THEME
1) Aaron Degraff - Mystical Creature - Fantazia International - Wonders of the Enchanted Forest
2) Deon James - Trust in Me - Junior Revellers - The Jungle Book meets Bollywood
3) Jaden Nelson - Matador - Lil' Nationz - Empires

I took the results from http://www.decocoapanyol.com/ 

Visiting a mas camp: Blues Carnival Fusion

Serenity

EDITED Tues. July 31 TO ADD:  It's not too late to PLAY MAS. It's okay if you're last minute. $100 Costume blowout going on RIGHT NOW.

On our annual visits to mas camps, we stopped in at  Blues Carnival Fusion to see how things are coming along. When we pulled up, we were greeted with tunes blasting, and maneuvered through the big mas being constructed outside, and children playing. Typical busy camp environment.

Revelation

Burning Ignacia

Nuclear Fusion

Golden Ages

Armageddon

Jr. costumes

 Illuminati, Solar Flare and Mystical Realities

The costumes look great in person, I especially like the entire Armageddon front line. Hey, not bad at all if this is what the end of the world looks like! 

http://www.bluescarnivalfusion.com/bcf/

Official Launch 2012

Today was the official launch of the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto (Caribana).

It was quite a day, with record breaking temperatures and lots of Caribbean food, music and culture.  
Things ran smoothly with everything starting and finishing on time. I think the bandleaders and models were happy with the new arrangement of providing facilities for models to get ready in an adjacent building, they all looked lovely, so I guess the prep area was satisfactory.

The event began with speeches from sponsors, politicians and other stakeholders. Then we were treated to some Pan, Calypso and finally, the costume presentation. I know the guy who pays the piper gets to call the tune, and this is a launch, and its a chance for the organizations who put up the money to get their message across, but there was a lot of talking.

 The models came on the scene about 11:30am and they started mingling with the crowd and posing for pictures (great idea) but they didn't make it to the stage until 1:30pm. After a while, in the heat, many of them went to seek shade and air condition (can't blame them). Then with only half an hour for the model presentation, I think they could have used a bit more time. Maybe the oppressive heat made me a little cranky and I'm being too critical, what you all think?    

One of the speakers started talking about the shooting last night, and I immediately started to think, why do they want to link the two events? Caribana gets linked to every violent event involving Caribbean people within 200km of Toronto from May to September it seems. Then I listened to him and as he expressed his condolences and spoke about taking responsibility for  some issues within the community, I started to change my position a bit.

Playing our national anthem, she's very young and talented.

Our next big event is this Saturday at Downsview park, its Kiddies Carnival!!!!!!

Contrary to some misinformation I have heard, THIS IS A FREE EVENT.
And its not just a parade, there is a stage set up for performances and there is a marketplace, and Dominoes and All fours tents for the adults. Also the new sponsor Chevrolet, is setting up a test drive  demo facility in the parking lot. Its gonna be a good time.

 Mayor Rob Ford

I talked to one of the organizers and it is confirmed, the steel band association has chosen the jouvert pan lime in the CNE over participation in the parade. So its true, they will be playing pan all night in the CNE and they won't be on the road during the parade. I think this is cool, and within a few years, the jouvert event has the potential to grow into something spectacular.

See you all Saturday, hope you like the pics

 Structure performing