An explosion of colour and glitter in Tobago

AFTER the first band — Gloria Stoute’s “Fan-Fan-Ta-See” — appeared just after 3 pm, downtown Scarborough exploded in colour and glitter Tuesday  afternoon as the adult mas bands took centre stage before a huge crowd which had been waiting for hours, sometimes impatiently.  Following the first band 20 minutes later was “Carnival Metamorphosis,” a presentation of the Roxborough Police Youth Club and Parent Body, led by Lynette Clarke and Yvonne James. And then the bands came in quick succession transforming lower Scarborough into a melting pot of colourful costumes; that is until the 2000 mud-soaked members of “Weinity Mud Forever” — a presentation of SKP Promotions led by Sherrel Phillips — invaded the town forcing the huge crowd of spectators to take evasive action.

In between ‘Carnival Metamorphosis’ and ‘Mud Forever’, the steady procession of bands included Kit Promotions “Maritime Fantasy,” Fantasia Mas Production’s “Party” led by Martin and Monica De Leon; “Gold in Its Splendour” a Lue Ann Melville/Lindy Davidson production, designed by Hilton Thomas; “Freedom of Expression” led by Yvonne George and Veronica Anthony. Several other bands also make their way before the judges later in the afternoon. As the sun set, sections of the large crowd and mas players started last lap partying in the streets that ended hours later as the curtain came down on Carnival 2005.