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| Photo By: Sid Naidu Photography |
I just want to
touch base with everyone post Toronto Carnival 2014. How was your overall
experience??? I did not participate in too much of the social stuff because
Carnival Spice was pretty booked up (AMEN!). So please share; I would love your
feedback.
Which band did you play with? Did you
have a great costume pick-up experience at your mas camp? Besides your costume
what items were in your costume bag?
What Fetes/Parties did you attend? Which
were the most fun?
Did anyone check out Jab Jab Jouvert?
How was your road experience???
This question is
a biggy! It is clear the road had several issues this year; mainly in the
logistical and security department. Issues so serious that many folks are
speaking up to ensure many of these mistakes are not made next year.
If I were to
rate my experience on the road this year I would say 6/10. For factors out of
my band’s control I didn’t get food or water, I lost a majority of my friends
for two hours, and I didn’t make it to the end of the lakeshore. Womp Womp. I
did however like the look and feel of the costume I put together, I got to see
so many wonderful people, and I got see beautiful mas in the sun.
A primary issue
this year was the HUGE presence of
people not in costume on the Lakeshore!! Ughhh you people stress me out. I know
the soca is contagious and I know the fences may be hard to see through, BUT if
you are spectator then you need to spectate on the sidelines! You can hear the
music from the sidelines as well! ...but when you decide to take it upon
yourself to hop the fences & sneak through barricades to get to the
Lakeshore, you are ruining the parade and identifying yourself as a STORMER!
2014 Toronto Carnival Stormers caused costumes (which are not cheap) to get
ruined, a back log of the music trucks, music to stop being played on the road,
interruptions on the stage where costume competitions take place (causing some
bands not to be judged)... I could go on...
Now Have A Great Day.
Stay
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Simply Sensational Shakera,
ReplyDeleteLOVED seein ya on de road! This picture of you is perfection, btw!
Played with Saldenah, Arawak Princess, 8th section. I really had the greatest costume pick-up experience at the mas camp EVER! Was impressed how my section leader & workers were ready in advance. I could have picked up my costume on the Friday the week before actually. Extras were a customized bevvie bottle & a soca CD. I had the best jewellery I've ever worn for mas custom made for my costume.
(I detail my full experience on my blog.)
Jab Jab J'ouvert was jammmmmin!!! (Also a post on my blog. ;-) ) It's a MUST now. Couldn't think of a better thing to be doing the night before than getting dutty w Bunji & Fay Ann. lol
De road, de road, well, (& yep, this is also on my blog, lol) we got in the CNE @1ish, & our band was already out of the CNE. What's with bands starting on time?? lol I didn't care for the CNE circle the last 2 years, so I wasn't torn up about missing it this time. It was fun while it lasted (on the Lakeshore), when I can find carnival friends, I'm :-D. Then of course, once the disrespect storm hit, it became a dangerous claustrophobic mess. We did make it to the end w Sally, but went back to find others, & it was chaos. So we got out of the CNE at 6.
Very happy to see this post of yours, and your sizzling success with Spice!
OXO
I didn't catch a glimpse of you on the road this year ! Nor people from Saldenah so I guess that speaks to the lack of mixing on the road this year.
ReplyDeleteI played with Carnival Nationz in the Revolution section.
I was not satisfied AT'ALL with the pickup process. (Last minute pickup time release; tight time frames to pickup for specific sections; 2.5 hours to wait before getting my costume; my costume was not ready even after that wait; band leaders did not care that masqueraders had to wait after giving such a strict pick up schedule; lack of quality of add ons for the price I paid).
Don't get me wrong; I love my costume. I picked it specifically for the design and detailing on it. However it felt like they cut corners. The head piece was smaller than what was advertised as registration and online. There was an extra "X" WRITTEN on an "XL" shorts that they tried to pass off as XXL. :| As if writing on the size changed the fit *kiss teeth* AND I ended up making my own feather boa addition to my belt because what they did wasn't worth the additional $10.
In addition to my costume I got a toothbrush .. (?) I thought it was to brush off glue gun hairs but it was really a teeth toothbrush .. and a really nice soca mix CD called Havana that I will let NO ONE borrow hahaa
I went to Jab Jab J'ouvert .. Played Mas.. Attended the Main Event and ended the weekend with Outkast at OVO Fest. Aka I got no sleep and my legs were mashup.
Jab Jab was very good - I did the VIP however did not receive whatever two swag bags came with my ticket and no one appeared to know what I was talking about. I did get my food .. however no two included drinks. By the end of the night they ran out of non-alcoholic beverages .. there wasn't even water. I watched the main line up storm the gate and get peppersprayed by police .. twice.. and everyone else who jumped the fences around the venue. I however ended up on stage jab jab'ing so all I could do was shake my head and sip tea like it wasn't my business.
The layout on Lakeshore was ridiculous this year!! It is clear they are trying to push the carnival even further out of the downtown area and attempting to mask their plans by saying "more road". I came late .. around 12:30 and my band had already crossed the first stage. As I found my band and came to realize that the second stage was at the end of Lakeshore I knew that they would say we couldn't walK up and down lakeshore like previous years. Once you crossed the stage that would be it (time to go home). I felt like an animal in a cage as we approached the lakeshore. There was absolutely nothing to do. There was no music and they kept telling us to stay in our sections ... and if you tried to mix the Marshalls escorted you back to your proper section. I recall sectors yelling and asking why we all looked so vex... and why we weren't dancing. I ate my included meal in boredom and was hungry later when we crossed the stage .. three hours later.
As much as I understand that it is a competition I felt the second stage should've been higher up on Lakeshore allowing the masqueraders to have a good time and enjoy themselves. Also alotting an opportunity for the bands to mix together. After crossing the stage, the trucks were no where to be scene and beelined down lakeshore too quickly for anyone to keep up... which again I understand would be a preventative measure to having people trying to climb up onto them.
All in all caribana wasn't the same this year. And left me debating whether to play again next year.
Hope you and Carnival Spice had fun! Looking in the newspapers for more spreads of you !!
Chantelle xox