Minstrel mas origins
Tracing its 2007 origins, Toppin said: "The lady from culture (Glenda Rose-Lane) said she wanted an infusion of traditional characters in the Carnival. I told Vernella. She is a culture buff. She said: 'We are going with the minstrels.' We bought the clothes. It costs about $600 to outfit a minstrel. "Most of the members are from Roxborough Folk Performers and Scarborough," he said. "We sing old songs like My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean, Valerie Valera and Yellow Bird...We have incorporated the old dances with the modern. "A minstrel is a travelling musician who is also a performer. We keep the band under 30...between 10 and 30."