Bandleaders pander to masqueraders’ tastes

“Just like various brands of cars which would obviously look alike because all must have doors, a hood, a trunk, it’s the same thing with Carnival costumes,” said Poison’s costume designer Michael Headley in an interview with Sunday Newsday.

Headley was responding to claims made by onlookers and masqueraders alike that the design of Carnival costumes, particularly women’s, from year to year have become monotonous. “Yes, it’s a fact that there’s a similarity... The order of the day is that women go to the gym and want a costume to embellish their physique. Anything that becomes cumbersome, they are not going to wear it.” Poison’s “Fleurs de Passion” featured 32 sections with more than 6,500 members — the Carnival band with the most revellers. Headley said that while the costs of costumes were as high as $1,800 all-inclusive, material which had to be purchased in the Far East was expensive.

Thais Hart of Harts Limited said that “costumes from a certain era all look alike, it depends on the trends that are in at the time. Back in the 1970s, women didn’t take part (in Carnival) as much as men.” She said that in recent times, women feel free to play Carnival in whatever they want and with the little that they wear, they take it off after they cross the stage at any rate, and that makes it harder to design something innovative. “It’s not that we’re shortchanging them. It’s not less of a costume.They’re smaller and more expensive because it takes much more with a bikini to add a lot more braids, beads, rhinestones than something with more material that wouldn’t need embellishing,” said Hart.

This year’s theme “The Strip” featured the section, “Jubilee Leaders” which cost $2,000. Barbarossa’s bandleader and costume designer Richard Afong agreed that the costuming needs more creativity. “This is one area I can’t defend.” However, he attributed the similar trends to “an evolving mas”. He said: “We’ve played everything historical. We are into the realm of fantasy.The beads have become full circle. I don’t think we can do anything more.” Afong said that the influx of women playing mas greatly influenced the look of the costume. “They want to look beautiful and sensual but it is not an excuse for lack of creativity or imagination.” He came up with a solution: “What we should do is revisit traditions and use imagination. We have to put more creativity in concepts and design.”

Afong said that despite the cost of his costumes, this year he “broke even”. “One large ostrich plume costs $35-$40. A basic bikini costs $40-$60 depending on who does it for you. Add music, labour and security and now they demanding all-inclusives, they want drinks.” He cited crime as a reason for the decrease in masqueraders this year. “Last year it was election, next year it might be trouble in the Middle East.” Afong said that for Carnival celebrations to be properly managed, Government must support bandleaders. “There is an escalating cost of raw material, added to that we have to pay VAT and duty. “Carnival brings in close to $800 million and Government invests $40 million. We create employment. We need the Government to sit down with the bandleaders and make it more viable.” Winner of 2003 Band of the Year bandleader and costume designer Mike Antoine (Legends has four Band of the Year titles to date), whose costumes ranged from $800-$1,400 refused to pander to comments of “monotony in costumes” saying that was foolishness and negativity in Carnival. However, he said that the “world is evolving, things are modern”, hence today’s trends.

Commenting on the win of King and Queen of Carnival, he said: “I am happy with it. They spent plenty money. We are doing something to help the nation. It’s our culture and it’s embedded in us. I want to see the Government manage it properly.”