Mas designer: Make Tobago’s Carnival 2nd greatest show on earth

MAS designer Sabrina Seurio believes Tobago’s inaugural Carnival, being held from October 28 to 30, should be a permanent fixture on the country’s cultural callendar.

She made the statement on Friday night in an interview with reporters after a viewing of Zain Carnival’s 2022 presentation Treasures of Speyside, at the Mt Irvine Resort.

The band's designer said while Tobago could not compete with Trinidad’s Carnival, which is regarded by many as the Greatest Show On Earth, she saw no reason why Tobago’s could not be the second.

“I feel as though, really and truly, we can have a separate destination Carnival in Tobago that people aspire to want to come to have a great time and end the Carnival. So Trinidad starts it, we end it and make it spectacular, make it fantastic, make it great, make it global, make it something that people will want to give up Miami Carnival and come to Tobago Carnival.”

The band’s overview of Treasures of Speyside, which was posted on its social media platforms, said the village comprises many hills and rivers cascading downward to the sea.

It said the village was named after the Scottish seaside town of Speyside Way, which boasts of similar topography.

The band has four sections: Kenza (The Gem) – Speyside Reef; Nubia (The Golden Treasure) – Brain Coral; Divavasu (The Treasure of the Sky) – Greater Bird of Paradise; and Azizi (The Beloved Treasure) – Waterwheel.

On the inspiration for the presentation, Seurio said Zain wanted to capture Tobago’s beauty and heritage.

“What we wanted to bring to the band and our space, for the first Carnival that we are having in Tobago, is something that is synonymous to the island and I found that Speyside. Because of its beautiful treasures, I felt as though we really needed to bring that and bring a bit of history and vibe, a little bit of what that particular town is really known for.

“And those four elements that we would have brought, the four treasures, I think is perfect for us to not just portray for Carnival but as a tourist attraction.”

She said it was not difficult to pull the concept together.

“Initially, my focus was going to be on the reef and then I said there are so many beautiful treasures that I could get out of Speyside in particular. Why not bring that in and create the theme of the band for the 2022 presentation.

“And now that we have a space that is separate from Trinidad, I think it is a perfect opportunity to do something really different and really rich in culture, which is very important to the band – keeping that culture and the history of Tobago alive.”

Seurio, who started mas-designing six years ago, said many mas bands do not celebrate the heritage of their respective spaces in their presentations.

“They do not tap into that passion, the greatness of where they are at, and I felt that Tobago, thankfully, has the space in which we can do a lot more to let people know about the island so that we could bring in that foreign exchange. We need people to recognise that Tobago is a place that they can come to revel and relax.”

She said masqueraders can expect a premium Carnival experience in Treasures of Speyside.