Call it the tug of mas–and it was on show from the word go in Between The Trees–the small band produced by Rosemary Perkins for the Red Cross Children's Carnival 2010 yesterday. The first section, comprising tiny children in winged costumes, came on stage at the Queen's Park Savannah in brilliant sunshine, each holding on to a rope which adults used to guide them around the stage. They were too small to dance in time to the music, but quickly caught on that they must mimic the adults guiding them. But it was not tug of war, just the traditional launching of the first big mas event for the Carnival season.
In a sense it was nine days to Rama, when the adults will be doing their thing on the streets and on stage throughout T&T for Carnival Monday and Tuesday, next week. Intricate costumes were the order of the day as some 112 individuals, ranging in age from babes in arms to eight years, took to the stage to start the show in a smoothly organised event that was a credit to chairman Michelle Rolingson-Pierre and her committee.Then it was the turn of some 24 small bands, with up to 60 members before some 58 more individuals, boys and girls between nine and 11, had their moment in the sun to show that their mas genes ran deep.
They did not disappoint, because the phlanx of judges wore a perplexed look as they pondered how to allot the scores of prizes on offer from generous sponsors that included Digicel, Blue Waters, bpTT, Courts, Carib/Smalta, Flavourite, Bermudez and British Gas. Seven medium bands with up to 150 members pranced across the stage after which about 64 individual boys and girls between 12 and 15 bid to catch the nod of the judges. The curtain came down yesterday evening with four bands in the large category, each comprising over 150 members, sought Carnival glory. It was a show of class, which assured that T&T Carnival was in rock solid hands for the next generation.
LEFT: ?She was like a punch line with her smiling face from Tell Me A Story.
RIGHT: ?She was a joy to behold as her costume caught the rays of the midday sun.
ABOVE: ?Female parang singers From the Success Laventille Composite band From The Hills of Paramin