One Sunday Afternoon

It's my first time in Trinidad in 9 years. Amazing how the island has changed. Doubles prices gone up, Skyscrapers gone up, Arapita gone up; huh even the recession fighter, Stag gone up!

I guess all those "gone up" things would be considered development and growth. A bit of natural progression with some instinctive evolution. So the land of oil and soca has also evolved in it's core competencies. It have about 3 million oil companies on de island (just drive thru St. Clair and look for Manning new PM office). As for soca. Well that on de radio whole day and night, as a matter of fact there are radio stations dedicated strictly to soca and local music. Thank goodness. Really, it's a good thing. The radio very different from some local TV stations that begging people to support their station, yet refuse to bring out any worth while programming. What's up with that?

Photos By Jonathan Mark©
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All that to say that it's June, yeah sun burn and blisters from Carnival 2009 barely gone and already I get invite to a "2010 Carnival Band Launch." I remember the days when this was a fete with two, three mannequins under a couple spotlights with plenty feathers on them. Ah few colour sketches of de costumes and maybe a little price brochure. Nowadays is Zen we in, and the "presentation" is a whole production. Big boat on the stage, plenty models in bikini and some fellas in silver chest plates.

It's a Sunday night so party done round midnight. I'm down there very early. Eight o'clock barely break and I in a long like on Keith St. This Jungle Juicer been on the outside too long to get the, "eh boy, pass on this side and come thru na!" So I patiently line up and watch de other media crews blow pass me like their cameras bigger than mine. If they only knew.

So, yes it is very early for a band launch, maybe? But it is the first for the upcoming season, and besides, I rather this than hear people complain bout how their costume ent done yet over the next 6 months starting from Pan Prelims. Spice, all this preparation time, doh make joke! By new years day de sewing machine should be back in de cupboard. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah... ah know, people ent going and pay dey money till J'ouvert morning and coming fuh alterations 9am Carnival Monday. Oh gorsh man, we is Trini!

I catch a nice vibes in the party even though I was upstairs in the VIP and them people standing around like they come to measure the stitching on the costumes. Social party! Big up the one thick thing that was doing a dutty wine by the balcony. Yeah, I had to go downstairs to get my party on cause I from foreign and my pride will be on the plane with me in 3 days. That is my excuse to wuk up de place like a skettel. I did go back up to the VIP to check out the presentation. I liking a bird's eye view. Very nice. They were. The costumes weren't bad either!! Did I mention that the modeling industry has gone bananas as well? I hear plenty about a white feather and more about a pink costume, incase you need some advice making your selection. That is what town was saying. There's a small buzz out there for Spice, I think worth checking out if you've had your fill of the commess involved in getting into some of the bigger bands. Besides if a band launch is any indication of the group that your going to be spending your very limited 2 days on the road with, I'd go with Spice. I'm going to have to take notice of how many of these kind folks I see at other launches. The work is all about the love of this here Carnival.

Spice Mas (www.spicecarnival.com), thanks and good luck with the continued growth of Trinidad Carnival.

Dr. Ram Dass

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