The folks out there are telling us that this year, they just aren't feeling the carnival spirit. Well, we promise you after this story you will. Last night 7 news visited the carnival camps where we found that the spirit of carnival, so long in doubt, is alive and well, in fact, more than that, it's on an upswing.
The Mas Camp sound system pulled into the Jump Street Posse junior band’s camp at 11:00p.m. and found, not sleepy school children winding down, but energy unbound as the children were dancing in the street.
And all this energy comes from the band that wanted to throw in the towel just four nights ago. With these kids counting on her, a still defiant marina Welcome says she couldn’t let them down like this.
Q: “We saw you very upset saying that you won’t participate in this year’s road march. You still stick to your guns?”
Marina Welcome – Jump Street Masqueraders
“What happened I had a meeting with my committee and my sponsors and they told me to be brave and bring the group out. Whatever happens, happens right. So we are going to show them that Jump Street has a lot of love. I didn’t regret a word I said. I meant every word I said. I’m only doing it for the love of the kids because I don’t want to disappoint them or my sponsors.”
And with the glare of the lights on them, these young revelers shine even in the night.
Their energy was matched at the Black Pearl camp where, even crammed in a room the Young revelers were incredibly hyped and amped.
Dorla Vaughn – Black Pearl
“They have energy they are hyped. They can’t wait for carnival day.”
And from the promise of Black Pearl to the Mahogany Masqueraders who are working out their routines in an open lot.
And while they shake and shimmy just like anyone else, organizer Lydia Avila says that her masqueraders must have standards of presentation. It’s something they’ve put a lot of thought into.
Lydia Avila- Mahogany Masqueraders
“ I’ve put a lot of critical thinking into it in regards, in reference to what are you going to display, the type of move that they are going to do and the costumes that are going to be appropriate for that day. Because as you know NOPCA is out there looking forward to seeing negative things but our band promotes strictly positivity. And for this year our theme is ethnicity. We are dealing with the diverse cultures of country and everybody will be fully clothed.”
Those are standards that the reigning senior champ Southside Masqueraders couldn’t care less about. When we visited they were already throwing down in the true spirit of abandon.
Pauline Bradley – Southside Masqueraders
“Well I fell happy, I feel great. First of all I’m happy for the band that we are able to represent this year because we were last year’s champion, reigning champion so I really feel good that we could come out this year again to represent.”
“As you can see the colorful costumes, the lot of feathers everything about our costume, energy, you name it and we got it.”
Member – Southside Masqueraders
“It’s for kids, my nieces they love carnival, they went last year and they wanted to go back because we see carnival coming to a close we cannot have that. We want to bring carnival back to life. Whatever it takes.”
“And nowhere is that spirit of keeping carnival alive more present than at the Erotic camp. We found a hive of workers busily fastening and gluing glowing sequined costumes.”
David Matus – Erotic
“The theme for this year is red. Just red. It has nothing to do with politics. If you notice everything if fully red. There is no red and white, there is no red and blue, there is no red and anything. It’s just red on top of red, different shades of red, different textures of red. Red on top of red, just red”.
Jose Ketz - Erotic
“The idea really was just done to accommodate our budget. You asked about budgets, we had a little bit of money so we’ve done the best we could. We decided to go red mainly because we’re trying to stick to our budget. It was under 25 thousand so we barely made it. Anybody in carnival knows that’s a little bit of money for a big mas band. We’ve had a lot of work, Raul has put in a lot of work, David and the girls have stayed here all night trying to prepare for this road march. And we’re glad to say that come tomorrow night we’ll be done. Friday we’ll be ready relaxing and Saturday we’ll come out with a band”
If they seem a little less into partying and more into production than the other camps, maybe it’s because these folks have 110 headpieces to complete before carnival day.
David Matus
“It takes a lot of work it takes a lot of energy, a lot of time, concentration. So right now all we have left is 110 head pieces to complete between now and Saturday and we’ll probably believe that we can do it between now and Thursday”
Anita Hamilton
“Many hours of time dedication and a lot team work has a lot to do with it because the hours being put into this camp makes you wonder if you are being paid. There is not dime being paid out when it comes to the labour that is being put into the camp so it goes back to the love of carnival.”
The love- that’s what’s behind this sober determined effort. These folks are veterans from senior camps in carnival’s glory days who’ve come out of retirement and put aside past rivalries in the name of carnival.
Jose Ketz
“Erotic is a combination of three of the former bands which is JEM, C-Jamm and Cultural Heritage and we really got together just to ensure that carnival doesn’t die, we want the spirit to continue. So we aren’t in the competing mood but if we win that will be a plus and we feel once you see us carnival day we might win automatically.”
Anita Hamilton
“We looked at what happened last year. It was a real, I must use the word, disgrace to know where the level of carnival was at and what happened last year. So the main leaders from the three main senior bands got together amalgamated and we formed Erotic.”
And while those good intentions of saving carnival are well and good, out there on the street it’s going to be all or nothing as the defending champ reminded us.
Pauline Bradley
“There is a competition but the last meeting my aunt said that there was only one prize and first prize so its win, loose or go home.”
Q: “You expect to win?”
“Well of course we expect to win, we are coming with full force so Erotic watch out.”
And that’s the spirit all these camps are taking to the streets. They want to win, but really putting off a great show is what it’s about.
Anita Hamilton
“This band is strictly fun F-U-N strictly fun”
Dorla Vaughn
“They should expect something good because everybody is trying and putting in their little extra from their pockets towards carnival because everybody has this mentality that there won’t be any carnival and we are trying to put aside that mentality we are trying to bring out something good. But the colors alone are going to hit people’s eyes on that day.”
“Lot of energy and a lot of class. It’going to be carnival but in a positive way.”
“Everybody could come out and watch carnival. Carnival might be slow this year but it will be good. Beautiful colors, beautiful costumes so come out Saturday September 11 and enjoy yourselves.”
David Matus
“Very good show, very good show. It’something that everybody will remember and something that will be looking bright coming down the boulevard. 110 people in full red will be something very eye catching.”
Marina Welcome
“A lot of love and hard core dancing I mean we are going to bash. We are going out there to have a lot of fun and I mean a lot of fun. If we win we win but we will have fun come Saturday.”
How good is that boast? well you can judge for yourself on Saturday by either coming out to see the carnival or tuning in live on channel 7 when the event will be hosted by Neil hall and Leila
Pandy...