Fayola K J Fraser
Tobago native and mas maker Anya Elias is pushing the boundaries of the T&T Carnival scene as one of the main forces behind the recently launched Tobago Carnival. Proud to be a Tobagonian, Elias was born and raised in Tobago until she completed secondary school in 2003.
Coming from a long line of business savants, from an early age, the drive to work hard and believe in her ability was instilled in her, as every July-August vacation from primary school, she worked in businesses owned by her family. “My parents instilled that drive and passion in me from the beginning to build my own dreams and never allow myself to spend time building anyone else’s.”
She attributes these traits of resilience and discipline to her parents and grandparents, remembering seeing her mother work hard in the family business, even up until 10 pm on Christmas Eve.
Elias moved to Trinidad to pursue her Bachelor in Business Administration at ROYTEC post-secondary, but she still stands tall and proud of her Tobagonian roots. “Growing up in Tobago, there were a lot of challenges, but if it were not for this tiny island, I definitely would not be the person that I am today. One thing that Tobago has instilled in me that I will never be able to get rid of is that we protect our own, we support our own, we fight for our own if necessary.”
After attaining her BBA in Trinidad, Elias went on to Florida International University to pursue her bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Marketing and Human Resources.
When she returned to T&T one evening, over drinks with some friends, her foray into the carnival industry began. While everyone vacillated over which band they would play with for Carnival 2009, one of Elias’ friends suggested that the group start their own carnival band. Taken with the idea, they began by creating a committee, writing up a budget, brainstorming concepts, and identifying designers to kick-start what would eventually become Spice Carnival Band. The lead-up to their first year on the road was a hectic process, filled with sleepless nights, and they debuted with 600 masqueraders in year one, who all “had the time of their lives.” Elias herself made history at 21 years old as the youngest-ever band leader in T&T.
As the second year approached, Elias’ designers at Spice encouraged her to pivot from bandleader to designer and design her own costume. “Designing that costume was painstaking, to say the least,” she recalls. “I re-did the bra about ten times, but I will never forget the night when I finished the bra and fell in love with it and the designers’ eyes lighting up,” all congratulating her on what they believed would be the most popular design. When the costume launched, it was indeed so popular that her section sold out in days and the band sold out in under a month. Aside from her pride at putting her own piece of her heart out on the stage, Elias remembers feeling elated that Spice was the only recorded band to have ever grown so quickly, from 600 to 3,000 masqueraders in one year.
“Behind the scenes of Carnival is a long series of happy, sad, nervous, and exciting events,” she says, “and at the age of 21, no degree in the world can teach you about the Carnival industry.”
She recalled her early entry into the industry as a baptism of fire, and she learned how to manage every aspect of producing a band, from registering masqueraders, leading road management, answering phones and emails, planning events, and conceptualising menus for the road. She credits her work in the industry with teaching her valuable business skills, such as learning to take calculated risks, how to price and mark-up products, and staying on top of important trends. After 19 years in the industry, her key takeaway is to “trust the talents of your team, as when everyone executes their functions efficiently, it brings together the successful ingredients to make a delightful dish that we call the road experience.”
Some of the major highlights of her career have been as both a bandleader and a designer. She remembers the first time her selected costume material became so sought-after that it even got a name, “Isis Trim”. Being able to travel to China to observe and approve the production of costumes was a humbling experience. Seeing how much work went into every detail of production made her more appreciative of every piece.
In 2014, she had her first private section in TRIBE, showcasing her design, and felt overjoyed to stand back and watch her presentation and costume ignite the stage. The post-COVID euphoria of Carnival 2023 was also a major career highlight, and she remembers standing on the side of the stage as the section crossed, “all the smiles, the energy, the expressions of total freedom and bliss on everyone’s face, from the truck drivers to the DJ to the security, and most of all the masqueraders ... feeling that feeling, the blessing of being back on stage after COVID.”
What she described as her most emotional highlight, however, was the inaugural year of Tobago Carnival in October 2022. Sitting on the advisory committee and helping to bring the Carnival to life in her home made her immensely proud. “I felt like Tobago Carnival was mine too, and that feeling for my little island took up a spot in my heart forever.”
Although she is deeply immersed in Carnival, she doesn’t discount the way that the festival has changed, and at times for the worse. Believing that “the Mecca of Carnivals is becoming too impersonal.” She suggested that leaning into technology for registration, distribution, and all aspects of the process means that bands don’t interact and interface with masqueraders sufficiently.
Throughout her years as a designer, she has always had those one-on-one interactions with women wearing her designs, so that she can answer their questions and give them the advice that many masqueraders want. “We need to add our personalities to the equation once more, as people appreciate that element more than you think.” She is also an advocate for programmes that encourage young people to become interested in the Carnival industry and offers training and education on designing, feathering, wire bending, sewing, marketing, and events.
She suggested that children and schools can take field trips to Carnival mas camps and production houses to learn what it takes to get into the industry so that we can ensure there is a generation to come that will keep the mas alive. Taking her own advice, Elias is a judge and guest speaker at the official launch of Miami Carnival this weekend, and the prize for the design competition is a one-year mentorship with her.
Mulling on her advice to other women, she said that although the carnival industry was not for the faint of heart, there is so much passion to be uncovered within its walls. The most important steps, she suggested, are for people interested in the industry to find a mentor, embrace making mistakes, accept and utilise constructive criticism, and “be a sponge”. She has embraced every challenge that has come her way and found a way to surmount it. She has sought to forge new paths for designers, band leaders, and women, created opportunities and opened doors for others, and for her little island of Tobago.