Tribe wows with Carnival 2023 launch

Three years of waiting culminated in an explosion of colour and rhythm at the Jean Pierre Complex on Saturday night, as the six bands under the Tribe Family of Bands (FOB) displayed their costumes before an eager crowd.

The event marked the high point of the band's Sunsetwkn series of events, which began on Friday afternoon with street theatre on Ariapita Avenue and ended with the Las Jam Carnival fete on Sunday.

The launch was highly anticipated as the last Tribe band launch was held in July 2019, before the beginning of the covid19 pandemic the following year.

In March, Tribe opened "pop-up"  registration for Carnival 2023, which was sold out in less than 24 hours, but management promised the public they would have other chances to register after their launch.

While the show  began at 9 pm, patrons packed the stadium from as early as 8 pm and were kept entertained by live DJ performances and giveaways.

For the first event, patrons were treated to a sound clash between DJs Private Ryan and Travis World.

Speaking with Newsday after his performance, Travis World, real name Travis Hosein, said he was impressed with the turnout of patrons and was confident Carnival 2023 would be one of the largest Carnivals yet.

"Since yesterday (Friday) we've seen the crowd. Everybody is ready, everybody is anticipating Carnival 2023. I think it will be one of the better Carnivals we've ever had and I'm excited for it.

"Honestly yesterday (Friday) on Ariapita Avenue was an eye-opener for me, because I thought people would have been hesitant or scared because the pandemic is still going on. But I think people are starting to free up a bit more, which is good and everyone is really excited for the road."

The DJ's played and remixed music from two separate trucks on either side of the stadium as dancers and moko jumbies walked among spectators.

Beginning promptly at 10 pm the band began the presentations.

As the music briefly stopped and the stadium lights  were dimmed for greater effect, a silence fell over the crowd, which was  eagerly awaiting the first costumes and greeted the models with cheers as they strutted onto the stage.

Tribe's sections for its 2023 line-up drew inspiration from mythology, making full use of bright colours and accessories to represent their source material while remaining practical for masqueraders on the road.

One of their sections Aella, means "whirlwind" in Greek and is also the name of an Amazon warrior in Greek mythology.

Another section, Loki, which refers to the Norse god of mischief, was also featured, while the other sections, Amazon, Worldwind, Gaia, Inciendo, Sahara, Dhalia, Chuma, Mazu, Falco and Diosa, pay homage to different mythical and folklore figures from around the world.

As for the Lost Tribe, its sections, Dreams, Wish, The Washing, Light, Glory, Dawn, Power, Free and True also dazzled the crowd with dancers who accompanied masqueraders on stage.

Bliss sections include Saber, Alcaran Azul, Toci, Nyanga, Vixon, Femme Fatale, Eyrie, Panthera and Venom, drawing their inspiration from nature and wildlife as DJs played a selection of Afro beats to match the theme of their costumes.

In Harts, sections Mist, Glow, Solmani, Reef, Isla and Asteria were presented. Rogue's sections included Machina, Trinity, Lee Loo, Molly, Alexa, Roxy and Borgue, which were introduced to different hip-hop songs.

Pure's sections are Ecstasy, Euphoria, Effervescence, Radiance and Mystique.

Between their presentation, artiste Yung Bredda performed some of his hits with dancers, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Speaking with Newsday after his performance, Yung Bredda, whose real name is Akhenatan Lewis, said he was happy to be a part of the show.

"This was my first time ever experiencing Carnival in Trinidad.

"I've lived in Trinidad for 22 years. This is the first time I'll ever be on the road for Carnival, and I just want to say it's epic. I don't even know what I'm doing right now I'm just having fun."

Lewis's manager Jesse John said he was shocked by the turnout for the launch as well as for Tribe's street-theatre event on Friday.

"This is the first band launch I've been to in a couple of years and it was really amazing. The turnout was really good.

"The event on the avenue was really good, and we have to commend Tribe for keeping up the tradition of Trinidad and Carnival."

While spectators danced and swayed to the music outside, backstage was a hub of activity as managers and co-ordinators hustled to put the finishing touches to costumes.

Speaking with Newsday, Tribe CEO Dean Ackin said he was heartened by the support and turnout. He said the large presence was evidence that the public, while aware of the pandemic, were ready to continue with their lives as normal.

"I think people have pent-up emotions, pent-up energy that they want to release. You see it here tonight.

"Last night was similar. We were even more amazed at the turnout on Ariapita Avenue, the vibe, how everyone just came out to have nice clean fun. They enjoyed the cultural show and I think people are ready to start living normal lives again."

Ackin said the event was historic  not only because it was the first band launch after the pandemic but also because of the sheer size and energy generated by the public.

He said Tribe intends to keep the momentum in the lead-up to Carnival 2023.

"We have a number of surprises for them. Every year we change, and Tribe was always based on innovation and doing things new and different, so we have a lot of things in store. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag , but I think they're (the public) in for a tremendous time.

"We're hoping it will be a bumper Carnival, we're hoping it will be a safe and secure Carnival and people just want that escape."

Finishing off the event, soca artistes Iwer George and KMC performed their hits, keeping the crowd energised.