Band launches on the way

MELISSA DOUGHTY

Themes for an early Carnival 2024 range from Japan to Bushfires and, as the months wind down, band launchings are being announced. Carnival 2024 will be on February 12-13.

Among the earliest is Peter Samuel’s Kinetic Mas, whose 2024 presentation Yokoso will be launched on July 8 at Little Carib Theatre, Woodbrook.

Samuel said, “Our theme is a very strong Japanese theme. Yokoso means 'welcome.' People are welcome to come to the mas camp after the show and register from then, if they would like.”

People were being invited to register early to give them enough time to pay for the costumes, he said.

“When you find Carnival is that early, especially when people come out of Christmas, they have to look to pay for a costume. We are giving them ample time so they can pay little bit, little bit, so they would not feel it as much.”

Trying to get away from what Carnival has become led to the 2024 theme, Samuel said.

He said the band wanted to go with something more creative and he grew up seeing designs centered on historical happenings and spaces like Tibet.

“It is history but with a modern twist to it,” he said of the 2024 design.

Samuel said the band was catering for all ages and all bodies.

Its recent focus has been to introduce new designers to Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival scene. Young designers Sudesh Ramsaran, Chelsea Nimoi Fraser and Donna Dove designed the band’s 2023 presentation, Cyber Nation.

Two of these designers have again worked on its 2024 theme and Ronald Guy James will do its prototyping and production.

Samuel said the band was also speaking with other young designers.

“We are open to getting younger people involved, not just from a design point of view but participating from the manufacturing and production side of it.”

He said the band used some students from the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s (UTT) Academy for the Performing Arts programme, and hopes to do the same this year.

“It is starting so early we can take out time with the production and keep that cost down. We are one of those bands which still provides live music on the road both days, and that comes with a cost.”

He said the band is keeping it affordable for the masquerader again next year.

He could not give the price range now, saying it will be announced closer to the launch.

“Although we are well into production, we are still sourcing some fabric. We are looking to bring in stuff from Japan so we are working on those final costs.

“But I guarantee you, it is going to be one of the more affordable bands in Port of Spain,” he added.

Ronnie and Caro

Large band and Downtown Band of the Year winner Ronnie and Caro will host the virtual launch of its 2024 Bushfire presentation on July 28.

Bandleader Ronnie McIntosh said the band was considering a small, physical event but is still undecided.

The virtual event will be composed of videos with narration.

The band does not have plans to increase prices but found, "every time you turn around, something going up.

“But we are doing our best to keep our prices at 2023’s.”

McIntosh said the band was in the process of completing its designs and scheduling photo shoots. There will be ten sections in the 2024 band.

He maintained that next year’s Carnival is going to be larger than this year’s as 2023 was the first official Carnival out of the covid19 lockdowns and restrictions.

Ronnie and Caro has been receiving a lot of calls and messages since it announced the launching on Monday.

There are a lot of people still recovering from that shutdown, but people seem to be catching back themselves a bit.”

K2K Alliance and Partners

Medium band of the Year winner K2K Alliance and Partners will host a physical launch of its 2024 presentation at Queen’s Hall on August 30.

On its Facebook page on June 10 the band said, “Sit in the front row and join us for the debut of the 2024 Collection of K2K | NORMI | KEV. This year we are excited to include The Color of Courage Series in our programme.”

The band also said more details would be provided shortly.

Tribe Group

Tribe Carnival, which is composed of Tribe, Bliss, Harts, Lost Tribe, Rogue and Pure, will host its SunsetWKN from July 21-23. It held a similar weekend-long event for the first time last year.

On its Facebook page the band said its Sunset Theatre is on July 21.

In a release last year the Carnival group said, "SunsetWKN, the launch of the Tribe Family of Bands’ (TRIBE FOB) Carnival 2023 presentation, is a condensation of Carnival experiences into three days, kicking off on Friday evening with a cultural spectacle dubbed the Ariapita Street Theatre."

Sunsweat – a free fitness fete experience on the morning of July 22 and the band launch that evening.

Its Sunset Jam, a Carnival fete, will be on July 23.