Scotiabank CARIBANA™ 2008 Schedule Announced

Luminat’eau: Carnival H2O (formerly “Carnivalissima”)
Friday June 13 - Sunday June 15, 2008; Noon - 6:00 p.m.
Harbourfront Centre
Luminato month long event closing at Harbourfront.

Calypso Tents Music Series
Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from June 13 - July 13, 2008; 8:00 p.m. - Midnight
De Great Iron Pot, 55 Nugget Avenue, Scarborough Calypso City, 25 Cecil Street, Toronto
This is an exciting annual showcase of Canada's best Calypso and Soca original music for the Caribana Festival. The series runs three nights each week (Friday Sunday) at various venues in Toronto, each night featuring a different cast of singers and 'live' bands performing Calypso in its best storytelling tradition: social and political commentary, humor and wit.

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Official Launch
Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall
Tuesday July 15, 2008; Noon - 2:00 pm
This official ceremony launches the activities for the 2008 Caribana Festival Season. Patrons can meet and mingle with Federal, Provincial and Municipal officials, Caribana representatives and sponsors while sampling Caribbean and international cuisine. It is a snapshot of what's in store over the coming weeks.

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Junior Carnival
Shoreham Drive Yorkgate Mall
Saturday, July 19, 2008; 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Junior Carnival provides festival-goers and the surrounding community the opportunity to experience the thrills and joys as young masqueraders participate in their early festival years

Roots to Rhythm - Art Exhibition
Royal Ontario Museum
Thursday July 24 – Monday Aug 4, 2008; Noon - 9:00 pm
A Visual Art Exhibition – COLOURblind International – ‘Roots to Rhythm’ produced by the Association of African Canadian Artists. An intriguing collection of over 60 works that have been influenced by our journey.

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Caribana Gala
Liberty Grand – Exhibition Place
Friday July 25, 2008; 7:00 pm – 1:00 am
An elegant evening of style and glamour, celebrating Caribana and paying tribute to its pioneers. Proceeds from this event will be directed to a Caribana Foundation.

'Kaiso 365' Calypso Monarch Finals
Leah Posluns Theatre, 4588 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Saturday July 26, 2008; 8:00 pm - 1:00 am
This is where the Calypso Monarch is crowned. Come and see the best and biggest Canadian Calypsonians battle for the crown. From the topical to the lyrical, the sweet Soca rhythms will lift you out of your seat and get you moving.

King & Queen Show
Lamport Stadium
Thursday July 31, 2008; 7:00 pm - Midnight
On the Thursday evening before Caribana Day the Kings and Queens of the Bands meet to do battle. Like peacocks they will primp and preen, eliciting “oohs” and “aahs” from the audience. It is an honour for any participant to be enthroned the King or Queen of Scotiabank Caribana 2008. The King and Queen symbolically have the keys to the city, freedom of the streets. Their movements are supposed to be uninhibited. Band members and onlookers alike are to give them the respect, even if mockingly, usually accorded to real-life royalty

Pan Alive
Lamport Stadium
Friday August 1, 2008; 7:00 pm - Midnight
A thrilling evening showcasing the musical and tonal qualities of the steelpan as members of the Ontario Steelband Association compete before a panel of judges. This Panorama of the North is the biggest opportunity to hear this wonderful instrument in all its glory. The evening is devoted entirely to the capturing rhythms of the steelpan.

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Parade
Exhibition Place (Lake Shore Blvd)
Saturday August 2, 2008; 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
This showcase event features an incredible display of colour and pageantry, commencing at Exhibition Place and proceeding west along Lake Shore Boulevard. Exhibition Place and Lake Shore Boulevard will come alive with the sights and sounds of Carnival!

De CARIBANA™ Lime — Island Festival
Olympic Island
Sunday August 3, 2008; 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
This event features a full day of performances from a variety of artistes, highlighting the diverse cultures of all the Caribbean people. Activities include a food competition, song, dance, theatrical drama and storytelling.

Source: http://www.caribanafestival.com/

Mac Farlane launches Earth

Photo by Mariamma Kambon

Trinidad, Friday September 14th, 2007 - Not much fanfare surrounded the launch of Brian Mac Farlane's 2008 presentation of 'Earth - Cries of Despair, Wings of Hope' on an overcast morning at San Fernando Hill on September 13th, but the simplicity of the presentation was only the backdrop for the revelation of the most amazing costume designs thus far for Carnival 2008.

The invited were mostly media with Mac Farlane support staff and well wishers, all privileged to a first look at Earth. After a short media briefing, mud drenched characters led the way to the accompaniment of tambu bambu. In the distance a replica of the Earth seemingly rose from the remnants of a once quarried rock that is now the preserved majestic San Fernando Hill. As the Earth fell to the ground a figure clad in white robes, mask over the face was revealed, behind the mask was Brian Mac Farlane himself. A sea of painted and mud smeared brown cotton waves punctuated by protruding mud caked faces of the Earth characters were his milieu.

As Mac Farlane began his tale of The Earth the real story unfolded. The Earth has been damaged by elders, raped by the greed of humans who have ravaged its resources. In spite of this the planet still wants to give life and there is hope for renewal in the children of today. To this end Mac Farlane will join with children’s Band of the Year Rosalind Gabriel to present 17 sections; 13 adult sections representing Cries of Despair and 5 children’s sections portraying the Wings of Hope. On Carnival Monday masqueraders will be wrapped in cloth and bathed in mud while on Tuesday yards of fabric, parched, cracked and dry with mud will be pulled throughout the band to signify the Earth begging for water.

Registration opens to the public today (Sep 14) at the Mas Camp located at 49 Rosalino Street, Woodbrook, Trinidad. Mac Farlane Loyalty Card Holders are invited to register from Friday September 14th to Sunday September 23rd. New Band Members are invited to register from Monday September 24th. Mas Camp hours are from Monday to Saturday 11am to 8pm; Sundays and the Republic Holiday 3pm to 8pm

For more info about Mac Farlane's 2008 presentation 'Earth - Cries of Despair, Wings of Hope' and to register online, please visit http://www.macfarlanecarnival.net/. The Mas Camp phone numbers are 868-628-4168 and 868-628-1274

Photos from the launch are available at...
www.toronto-lime.com/pictures/carnival/2007/070913_macfarlane_launch

EUSTACE AND CARVALHO TAKE THE NEXT STEP, BRINGING COLOURS OF IMAGINATION TO CARNIVAL 2008

Photo by Calvin French

September 11, 2007 – Legendary bandleaders Curtis Eustace and Faried Carvalho are preparing to launch Colours of Imagination in Trinidad on September 22, with their first Carnival band, Evolution.

Carrying on a tradition of excellence and innovation, Eustace is confident that Colours of Imagination will be a unique addition to the Carnival. “We have always brought a different style, and introduced a lot of technology into carnival,” said Eustace. “How we build our costumes, the weight of the costumes, the size…the engineering… hydraulics: there are a lot of things we’re introducing to the arena.”

In order to comfortably accommodate masqueraders of all shapes and dimensions, Colours of Imagination will proudly feature a variation of costume styles for women. “We want to cater to everybody,” said Eustace.

Carvalho told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper, “Not every woman could go to the gym and get buff. This band is also for the mother who just wants a break from her kids for two days.”

Curtis Eustace, along with his brother Marcus Eustace, is also the band leader of Toronto’s Carnival Nationz, who took home the band of the year title two years in a row, after their inaugural Caribana appearance in 2005. In 2007, Carnival Nationz took home most of the Caribana titles at the King and Queen show at Lamport Stadium. While Eustace has also received the King of Carnival title eight times in Trinidad – tying Peter Samuel as the all time winner – the Evolution band is a Carnival first.

“Trinidad is going to be a big stepping stone. It is the next step in the Eustace name,” said Eustace, whose father, the late Tedder Eustace, was a three-time Carnival King in the seventies and eighties. “I have a nice committee with me, and with their help, I think we should be successful.”

“We’ve accomplished Kings, Queens, Individuals, Toronto, Miami; Trinidad is the biggest step, and the last step to complete the circuit.”

Evolution will launch their 2008 Carnival presentation 'Colours of Imagination' on Saturday September 22nd at Pier 1 (Chaguaramas, Trinidad). For more information, please call 416-565-4079, 416-676-6504 or 868-333-4379.

Unleash your Animal Instinct - Island People 2K8 launched

Unleash your Animal Instinct - Island People 2K8 launched
by Saucy Diva

Having received my invitation to Island People’s launch the day prior to the big event I was most excited for the prospect of viewing costumes up close as I was afforded access to the VIP and backstage areas. The first thing I noticed upon arrival at the Jean Pierre Complex , was the massive stage constructed that was stark white; I later learnt that the décor was deliberate as the costumes were to stand out amidst the pure white background.

Backstage it was as if I were in the middle of a costume wonderland surrounded by fantastic, jaw dropping costumes that could rival any samba school in Brazil with an abundance of plumage and little of anything else!! Sooner than I could blink and eye to process the bounty of statuesque models in these wickedly sexy costumes it was time for the show to begin.

Opening to a thunderous applause Black Widow Spider, designed by Sonia Mack, started the presentation by being the first section on stage. The concept of the theme Animal Instincts, we were told, is to bring out the animal inside and the twelve sections that were portrayed did just that. Models crawled, slithered and growled their way around the stage sporting special effect contact lenses and dramatic makeup which added an eerie primal look that enhanced the presentation that much more. I was treated to costumes from sections Red Tiger, Kingfisher Bird, Dragon Lizard, Polar Bear, Black Widow Spider, Great Egret, Portuguese Man O War, Lion and Lioness, Silver Fox, Cheetah, Zebra and Crocodile.

Judging from the positive response of the large crowd that was on hand to witness the show, I can only surmise that many people will be walking on the wild side for Trinidad Carnival 2008. Island People’s registration begins on August 27th.

More photos from the launch are available at:
toronto-lime.com/pictures/carnival/2007/070818_islandpeople_launch

For more info go to http://www.islandpeoplemas.com/

Photos by Saucy Diva
(Click on thumbnails for
larger view)

Dragon Lizard

Silver Fox

Black Widow Spider