Looking at the preview picture that Saucy had on her blog of Brian MacFarlane’s India, one can almost see the story of boyie take shape before you.
These designs seem to show a lot of blue and white in them, the first two without a doubt the African element of the story, the “other set” of migrants that Boyie (Pariag?) encounters when he got to Trinidad.
These designs seem to show a lot of blue and white in them, the first two without a doubt the African element of the story, the “other set” of migrants that Boyie (Pariag?) encounters when he got to Trinidad.
The traditional limbo dancer style costume for the male, and the traditional female bel-air type costume that has been used very often in carnival. The next two are obviously the subject of the theme, the Indian element the male in a turban the females head piece all in an Indian (or Indian-ish)style.
See the motif in both sections, not only a blue white finish but an ocean or sea feel, you see these two sections could be united by the Atlantic, that brought them both to Trinidad, a “Jahaaji Bhai” as it were.
The red last costume looks like an Indian dancer, but the headpiece throws me, it looks Indian-ish, but is it?
Because I seem to get more of a Thai feel from its structure but i am no expert.
Does any one out there care to guess what might have influenced that style headpiece?
Any how i waiting for the rest ........
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4 comments:
Ok...I hear what you saying about that Indian headpiece...it does have more of an Indonesian/Malaysian finish to it and your picture helped to bring your point across. I'm not sure if McFarlane is going to address Malaysian influences on India and vice versa...I waiting to see his site launch to determine precisely where he is going with this theme. Although there is the possibility that McFarlane might make the curry go sour...I haven't seen too many bands take historical themes and do justice to them. Most times all they do is make costumes and then take ideas and fit them around the costumes, which is just ludicrous. But what is insulting is to listen to to the commentators and analysts a la Hennessy et al describe the costumes on television on Monday and Tuesday and attempt to imbue the depictions with some level of meaning that isn't necessarily there. But I beginning to rant and I was just meaning to comment on your comments.
Another thing...you eh nutten to say bout de music??? It have real song out now...take a stab at one nah...I want to hear yuh comments...Rhoda.
anybody listen to Machel's "Higher than High" and find he used a similiar introduction to "Delirious" in it? It's not the same notes, rather it's the same call/chant at the beginning.
ay this is a Mas Blog lady .
However i understand the relationship between mas and music and i must say, if this is the crop of ore Carnival soca yuh know next Carnival gonna br HOT!
I for one gonna be hitting fete after fete after fete after fete!
"...I haven't seen too many bands take historical themes and do justice to them. Most times... they...make costumes and then take ideas and fit them around the costumes, which is just ludicrous. But what is insulting is to listen to the commentators and analysts...attempt to imbue the depictions with some level of meaning that isn't necessarily there." Rhonda, are you kidding me? This is NO rant, this is absolutely well said.
Historical themes should be relevant to life in Trinidad and Tobago (it could be satirical, metaphorical, or comical), but just a "Halloween" type masquerade.... is silly nonsense. But who is really thinking about these things when a lot of "revellers" "think" Trinidad & Tobago is just a "great" "excuse" to have a big "street party."
George Bailey, did justice to the lush African themes, and I hope Brian MacFarlane doesn't "make the curry go sour" with "India." His "The Washing byfirebywater" was a wonderful mixed of historical, mythical, whimsical, and comical. And this year's "Threads of Joy" was a tiny mistep in abstraction and whimsy, but his heart was in the right place.
I'd like to see serious mas band designers in Trindad and Tobago take on the very relevant themes of T&T's "myths and legends" more often than not. Peter Minshall (who could be quite cerebral sometimes, and I hesitate to see "too cerebral" because I admire his genius) should not be the only one.
Bikini mas is an excellent opportunity for fantasy themes, but too many mas designers just focus on mimicking a Rio style or Las Vegas show girl type exposure (this year 2006,Ian Mackenzie and his wife seemed to reach the outer limit of excesses which is "not acceptable" in Trinidad's mas "exposure"). Mas designers of the Bikini thing do great work for individual costumes, but most have yet to understand the "dynamics" (how the costumes interplay) of BAND design. I like very much TRIBE's "Ole time something...Come Back Again" sexy interpretation of some traditional mas characters. With anticipation, I am quite curious how it's going to look as a band.... We will see in February, 2007. Island People's "The Enchanted Forest" was a glorious band design failure in 2006.
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