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Islandevents brings heaven to earth on the streets of POS for Carnival 2006. The popular all-inclusive band will hit the town on Carnival Monday and Tuesday with its eight-section band “Mardi Gras …. Suel Para’di.”
“Mardi Gras” comes on the heels of the highly-successful “Moulin Rouge – A Tribute to Josephine Baker,” which took Trinidad by storm last year and had masqueraders raving. This year marked Island Events’ foray into the Carnival arena as a band after five years as a section in mas’ band Poison.
Mardi Gras pays tribute to the people of New Orleans who continue to pick up the pieces after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The band will capture the essence of Suel Para’di – Heaven and the mystery of New Orleans Carnival which has become known for its use of masks, beads and vibrant costumes.
As a band, Island Events aims to set itself apart from all others by offering its masqueraders what it terms, “the ultimate Carnival experience.”
What the band leader says
Island Events band leader, Michelle Khan said, “Our mission is customer focused and service driven. Carnival has become a sophisticated product and the customers have increased demands and higher expectations. The decision to produce independently last year is aimed at better fulfilling those demands”.
“Our team for Island Events Mardi Gras for Carnival 2006 has tremendous experience, not only in design and production but also in marketing and events management, all of which are critical to the success of this venture,” she continued.
We are pulling out all the stops and if you think the experience on the road was fantastic this year wait till you see what we have to offer for Carnival 2006. We have been working quietly since Carnival 2005 and are ironing all the ‘kinks’ so that we offer the level of service that is deserving of each masquerader.”
About the band
That year the section also played a major part in the sponsorship of the Miss Trinidad and Tobago/Universe pageant where all contestants received a full package to play mas. In 2003, Island Events produced the costumes for a recreation of Carnival put on by Virgin Atlantic’s owner and British billionaire, Sir Richard Branson. This was held in Tobago.
Throughout the years, Island Events has been known to play host to a number of international personalities such as Victoria Rowell (Drusilla on the popular daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless) in 2003’s Desert Rose and later on Hollywood Actress, Gabrielle Union and her husband, NFL Player, Chris Howard in Jungle Fever last year. She was joined by actor Dorien Wilson of television’s The Parkers and MTV VJ, Ananda Lewis.
Union enjoyed her Island Events experience so much that she returned to Trinidad for Carnival this year to play with Island Events – the band. Alongside Union was fellow actor, Anthony Anderson known for his roles in Two can play that Game and Mailbu’s Most Wanted, and Janice Coombs, mother of rapper/designer Sean “P’Diddy” Coombs.
The band has also hosted a contingent of high profile individuals including Minister of Education Hazel Manning, Tourism Minister Howard Chin Lee and Housing Minister Keith Rowley along with a number of local and regional celebrities such as Rachel Price, Iwer George, Maximus Dan, KMC, Timmy and Rupee of Barbados and Courtney Walsh.
Island Events as a charitable organization
In 2002, Island Events raised over $12,000 through its official launch. The money was presented to the American Red Cross in aid of the victims of the terrorist attacks in the USA. Through the years it has also raised funds for local charities like the St. Dominic’s Home, Tobago Oasis Foundation and the Lady Hochoy Home for Children. Island Events also has a close affiliation with the UK Women’s Group. |
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Island Events presents "Mardi Gras" for Carnival 2006
Island
Events first made a name for itself as a popular section in Poison. In 2002, its
section Hot Like Fire became the first to sign international sponsorship
with Sandals Resort International and Virgin Atlantic. This was seen by many as
an unprecedented move in the history of Carnival.