While the people of Japan try to pick up the pieces following two simultaneous disasters which struck earlier this year, a local mas band is seeking to motivate them further by exploring their cultural attributes and celebrate the beauty that abounds in the Land of the Rising Sun.New kid on the block Oasis Carnival has decided to pay tribute to this Asian country in its Carnival 2012 portrayal titled Nippon-Land of the Rising Sun in a festive way.During the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA) Parade of Bands competition on Carnival days potential Oasis masqueraders will dance to the beauty and splendour that is Japan.Giving a dry run of things to come, bandleader Jody-Ann Herde and her team unveiled designs that embodied the Nippon-Land of the Rising Sun concept before an audience that was eager to receive it at the August 5, unveiling.Venue was The Anchorage Entertainment Centre, located on Harts Cut Road, Chaguaramas, where seven sections -Koi, Phoenix, Geisha, Cherry Blossom, Kiyohime, Samari and Yen-were presented by a cast of models that epitomised fun during the 33-minute public launch.Forty-five minutes earlier, the media got a special preview of the costumes at a reserved section at the venue.
Favoured by the gods
Oasis Carnival's desire to pay tribute to Japanese culture during this telling period in the countries' history, it seemed, pleased the gods.The faiths guided Horde and her team to the covered area of the Anchorage for the unveiling could take place as planned.Storm-like weather patterns filled most of the day. Another mas band with plans of launch simultaneously, but out door, had to postpone that event.When the rains subsided, however, scores of Oasis Carnival fun-lovers were still motivated to turn out and witness the world premier of Nippon-Land of the Rising Sun.
Reflections
Herde said Oasis Carnival's dream came through in September last year with its maiden unveiling and ultimately its place on the streets of Port-of-Spain during this year's Carnival."It was great for us. We started off our Oasis vibe with our Retro-Party which was held in September and our Oasis For Hope Christmas Drive which were well received and will become annual events on the Oasis Calendar."Our primary goal in creating the band was to indeed be an Oasis for masqueraders who had got lost in the desert of large, impersonal mas bands," she said.Herde continued: "We offer a respite from the hectic pace that has become synonymous with playing mas. Our Oasis on the road will keep masqueraders refreshed and ensure that their every need is catered to while they enjoy themselves. In our 2011 presentation, we truly blossomed and showed Carnival revellers that this is what we are all about."
Celebrity designers
Leading local designer of men's apparel Ecliff Elie, as well as former national footballer and North East Stars FC midfielder Leslie "Tiger" Fitzpatrick, have joined the dream pool at Oasis.Elie designed the costume Koi, while Fitzpatrick collaborated with Steve Sealy Jr (musicians/sound engineer) to give life to the costume called Yen.Fitzpatrick said he had always been a fan of mas, but had no clue how to get involved.He revealed that immediately following T&T's 2006 World Cup campaign, some Soca Warriors, himself included, had an idea to invest in a section in a band. The first challenge, however, was securing a band. Then, they realised their conflicting international schedules created more hurdles.On communicating his intent to Oasis committee members Garvin Warwick, the band's management gave Fitzpatrick the green-light.He said: "Now that I've done it, it feels fantastic. When we did the photo-shoot for the book-let, we had good reviews from band members. Now that it's done, it's rewarding to know that it has been accepted. I'm already looking towards 2013 Carnival, because we have set a high bar. The band has a good vision and we have a long term goal."Before being invited to bring a section, we played with Oasis to get the vibes. It was intimate. I knew a lot of the people in the band. I had a blast. We liked the fact that it was young and fresh."