Your 2007 Trinidad Carnival Mas Experience

Tribe vs Island People

So this was the first year in many carnivals that I didn’t play with my
usual crew only because they decided to give island people (IP) another chance after the disaster that was playing mas with them in C2K6.

Not me, I needed to spend my hard earned $$ where I felt I wouldn’t be robbed of a great experience because of poor planning and organisation.

Even argument after argument with meh crew as to teething problems that they were “sure” IP would sort out, I just wasn’t prepared to take that risk again and spoil another carnival with sour vibes, no coconut water for meh johhnie, no tequila, and worst of all no decent food to make sure I went the distance.

So at the last minute ie. carnival week (hehe) found me in a mad
scramble to get a costume in Tribe, which I did thanks to the help of
tribe management. From the moment I went to pick up my costume I was convinced that I had made the right decision. From the tents and chairs to wait outside, and INFORMED security and assistants, to the fast moving lines (which were seated lines by the way in a/c too), I was in and out of there in 45 minutes. Even the two for one on Heineken just outside the main area are some of the little extras that they considered in seeking to ensure that the masquerader has a memorable experience from a - z.

On the road, down d road, outta bodied and back to mehself (sorta)
Tribe is a great example of what hard work, strategic planning, and
precise execution can bear fruit. Think about it, these are the facts
here, I passed IP while being shuttled (in a/c again bout 2pm on
Carnival Tuesday so u kno d sun blazin) from Stanmore Ave to Mary
street park in St. Clair, where like Carnival Monday, there awaited
tents filled with food, water, red bull, clean toilets with full length mirrors (for us divas), tall willowy tress with blankets underneath, and I breathed a deep sigh of relief as I remembered seeing
those IP masqueraders eating on the side of the road on smelly Cipriani blvd while others looked like they was about to fight somebody for some food.

U see the point I’m getting at now right?

Tribe is EVERYTHING they promise and lots more. I can’t even begin to describe how blissful I felt to be on the road carnival tuesday just
about sunset time of day and by on the road I mean the Foreshore, where the sun set in ALL its glory, and I was there, johnnie in hand, jumbie in meh head and a knowing smile on my lips…knowing because of the faces of the IP masqueraders we had just blocked on Mucurapo Rd (what goes around comes around bitches) looking on longingly to be part of a TRUE carnival mas playing experience.

So bottom line, next year I don’t have to convince my crew to join d
tribe, dey dun say so themselves already!!! I mean come on now, how does that saying go again? - once is a mistake, twice is a habit and three times u is a forkin bobolee!!

Obvious winner here.

I was in Tribe’s Dame Lorraine section. The people that I was with were all in IP, therefore I was in Tribe by myself. Monday I had a time but it seemed like nobody else was. I kind of wished that I had paid the extra money to get an IP costume. By the end of the day when we passed the guesthouse I saw my IP crew and they proceeded down the road with me in Tribe. Tuesday was better because I see that everyone had rested up on Monday and had better vibes Tuesday.

I liked the fact that Tribe wasn’t crowded and I could move around as I pleased. When we got stuck by IP crossing us I went and found my friends. It was so crowded in IP I thought I was going to lose my mind. The only thing keeping me sane was the absolutely beautiful men in IP. That is one thing that I can say for IP, the men were gorgeous! The men in Tribe were not very attractive to me.

All in all I had a good time with Tribe by myself. Next year my friends want me to come to IP, but that’s a struggle that I will have within myself. Everything outweighs IP except for the men. Question is do I want to put myself through hot hell just so I can look at sexy men?

So for some reason, I ended up playing in Harts’ “Utopia” in the section “Xen”…did I mention I signed up by meh damn self???? Anyhoo…the reason for that is that the section I’d liked in Tribe was sold out (thanks to the blasted LAST MINUTE people I usually play with!!!) and I’d decided that if I was gonna pay close to 3 G’s for a costume, it might as well be something that looked good…so check me online December 23rd scrambling to sign up…thank God I got through, because by Boxing day, the section was totally sold out, and by January, so was the rest of Harts…

Online registration was extremely painless and quite easy. I must say I was pleasantly surprised from the get-go. Costume collection was also blissfully easy - in and out in UNDER 15 minutes, pleasant, polite and helpful staff - so far, so good…

Now for the good stuff…LAST MINUTE Trini people again…some of my friends decided that they wanted to play Harts too…on CARNIVAL SATURDAY…so check yuh gyul, sitting on d pavement outside d Mas Camp from about 11 o’clock, waiting for costumes to go on sale…if I had a dollar for d amount ah people pass an tell meh dat Carnival Monday was two days away…JEEZ! The things I do for friends…long story short, inspite of the sign that Harts had saying that absolutely no male costumes were available, we still were able to get one…and meh same friend who refused to sign up in Harts all the time because she didn’t want to pay her money to be “discriminated against” ended up in my section self! AH WELL LAUGH AT SHE ARSE…

Carnival Monday was good…the band followed their leaving time to the minute, so by 11.15 we had to find them on Charlotte Street…talk ’bout SPEED! But at least they kept the pace going and the vibes good. Wearing the costume wasn’t necessary…heck! Wearing d damn Harts hand band thing on Monday wasn’t even necessary! Twisted my ankle, and their First Aid Kit was impeccable…that “freeze spray” thingy is the best thing since sliced bread… Tuesday was great as well…even though we were blocked from the “stage” and had to cut through Chancery Lane…

All in all, it was a good experience - great security, good music - and the even better aprt is that their music trucks all play the same thing, so yuh not hearin’ one ting while yuh waist goin’ ah nex’ way an’ yuh feet chippin’ tuh someting else - prompt, efficient service at the drinks cart, one hour break for lunch and basically they kept the vibes going and the pace constant…there was not a lull at any point…the question therefore is “Will I be playing in Harts again?”…HELL AH FLICKIN NO!!!!

Harts has never been, and from chatting with some of the Staff, will never be all inclusive…one major convenience that is much appreciated by masqueraders, and while I agree with the whole “If it aint broke, don’t fix it” thing…I still feel that even Harts should adapt to modern times.

Secondly, at NO POINT on EITHER Monday or Tuesday, was ANYBODY in their section…call me old school, but I just like dat kinda ting…even if is fuh a lil while when crossing the judging points. Everybody was everywhere, which was a damn shame, because Harts had some of the prettiest costumes this year. It makes one wonder why the designers take all their creative time and effort to describe sections’ meaning and details if they playin’ mas just for fun - it makes their efforts all for naught. People were more interested in sticking close by their beverages, and since the band was not all inclusive, with each section having its own drink cart…well, you get the idea…

To sum it all up…and the MAIN reason why I’d not be palying in Harts again…

Costume - $2,495.
Drinks Cart - $300. (Ah get ah bligh from ah pardner)
Wee Wee Truck - $70.
PLAYING MAS DOWNTOWN - PRICELESS!!!!

Dem blasted people make d rounds bout fifty two MILLION times…at one point, I could have sworn that I’d passed d same damn house for the fourth time!!!! JEEZANAGES!!! Again, call me old school, but I like to go downtown, and so, to me, this is where Harts failed majorly…they stuck to their usual route of St Clair/Woodbrook/St James…leaving us who’d previously had the taste of downtown, bitterly disappointed…

Who knows? Maybe I might be eating my words next year and going Harts again…depending on the fugliness of the other bands’ costumes…I guess I’ll see in a few months when the launches start, but for the hour, I’ll stick to my guns and go with Tribe… :-)