Legacy's costume designs for Trinidad Carnival 2016 will be unveiled the night before the Independence holiday, on August 30, with the launch of their presentation Life at popular nightclub and lounge, Tzar Nightlife on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook. With this theme Legacy will celebrate the wondrous and ever-unfolding gift of life, the important things that contribute to life and indeed, make it worth living.
Legacy bandleader "Big Mike" Antoine said: "Life is love; life is culture; life is nature; life is rhythm; life is passion; life is spirit; life is precious.
These are just some of the themes that will be brought to life on stage at Legacy's band launch and on the streets of Port-of-Spain on Carnival Monday and Tuesday."
In addition to the presentation of costumes, Legacy's band launch will also feature live entertainment by popular artistes–Nyce and Lil Saint–and popular club and radio DJs including Nigel Snipes, RKG, First Order and UCL Mix.
Trinidad Carnival falls early next year (February 8- 9) and the Legacy team is already well underway with the planning process. Come 2016, Legacy will cross the Savannah stage and other official venues in Port-of-Spain giving masqueraders that once-a-year opportunity to have their moment in the spotlight.
Antoine adds: "Our masqueraders wait all year for these two days of fun and revelry and our objective is to ensure that we provide a spectacular costume and all the necessary amenities for the time of their lives."
Titles awarded to Legacy in 2015 include Uptown Band of the Year and third-place in the Downtown Band of the Year competition but, according to Antoine, "the judges' nod of approval is but a bonus.
The approval and enjoyment of Legacy's masqueraders is what is of paramount importance."
An August band launch is unique to Legacy as Antoine usually launches the band in October when he returns after participating in Miami Carnival.
Antoine can safely be branded as the poster boy of T&T Carnival as his designs and portrayals have won him not just prizes, but glowing laurels across the globe including New York, Miami, London, Canada, Jamaica and Barbados.
In fact, Antoine once produced the largest mas band ever in Barbados and his experience is sought annually by mas people worldwide. Asked about the earlier than usual launch Antoine said with his trademark smile: "The 2016 Carnival race is a sprint and it's pace from start to finish. Legacy is one of the frontrunners of mas in Port-of-Spain and next year we want to be prepared to take it to the next level."
Ensuring that Legacy has been a success story and having the back of Antoine for many years is his companion and adviser Juliet de la Bastide.