THE BEST OF 2006

Carnival 2007 is upon us (less than 7 weeks away) and while we get set for another best carnival yet, this time without the Queens Park Savannah, I would like to look back at last years carnival and show you what sections in what bands were the best of the best 2006 Carnival costumes in the wonderful world of mas.

These costumes for me were not only a pleasure for me to look at but I truly admire the thought and what I can only describe as the extra effort put into the mas by the designers and bands to produce in my opinion as some of the best mas for 2k6

Legacy
I think Big Mike and team Legacy had a great year last year, as a serious critic of the brother’s work I personally think Mike is yet to achieve the best work, but in 06 his work has improved a level or 2.

This for me is his best work in 06. with the rise of the new school big mike managed to dig deep and change his style a little in 06 Caribbean heat in my opinion being the most dramatic change in his b+b+p=m formula that stumped his creative horizon.

Kingdom

Arabia

Caribbean Heat

Artica

Island People.
Enchanted forest was the first presentation of new big band I.P and while I thought the theme of the band, that of an Enchanted Forest was pure, pure, rubbish, or crap to the tenth power, and the story line seemed to be more of a children’s nightmare, than a well thought out storyline, there were two sections that did “shine” above all the bad concepts and glossy hype that I.P. put out

songbird

Pride

These 2 sections in I.P.were the best they had to offer last year, these costumes designed for the new school type of masquerader is focused first on the "body beautiful"and not much else.

And while the costumes did look good on the net, on the street i did not get that vibe from pride, but songbird did do better on road.(on some people).

Trini Revellers.
The band of the year in 2006 "Rome" by Trini Revellers had some really good designs in it and some really bad ones; this is because of the amount of designers and contributors that make up the band. However because T.R. is a band that has in the past kept up the tradition of “true mas” in carnival it has been able to hold on to the Band of the year title year after year.
These to me was their best sections for the year.

Cleopatra Gladiator

I loved this section it had a modern Roman Mas finish to it it also looked good on the road.

Toute la monde

Another new band for 2k6 that truly impressed me with their presentation "Trini Chinee". I did not see this band on the road last year but the designs of the contemporary mas and the pictures of the band launch impressed me enough to make my list as one of the best bands of 2006

The Lisu Community.

Mongol Ethnic Community.

Any mas man or designer worth his or her weight in plumes should be able to come up with a concept put that design on paper and construct it if they have too, it is so easy to see what band has mearly designed costumes and added themes to them and names later on,these tumes make no sense to the eye
The design and production team for this band did a great job from one dimension to the next

i hope to see them again in the future

Tribe 2006
What lies beneath

Tribe the band I refer to the leaders of the new school had great presentation with “what lies beneath” they really impressed me with their work.
As the leaders of the new school Tribe has all the marketing gloss and glitter of the new school, but unlike I.P., their presentation was intellectually solid and their concepts focused on the theme, making them the superior new school band.

My favourite sections.

Angelfish.

South sea pearls.

The section angelfish in my opinion was the most original in 2k6 to replace the old formula with a new and updated one put a challenge to other designers of the "Glam Generation" to put some more of their own talent into their efforts but the Angelfish section was my choice for best section in 2006!

We people international. 2006
A south Trinidad band We people international presented Egypt.
In my opinion the theme was tight and the designs were truly hot, the band also had success in P.O.S. with their unusual King. Wonderful work from south Trinidad

In the recent past Mas from South Trinidad has raised its standard and profile in the T&T Carnival and with more major competitions to held in the south land this year i feel bands such as We People can truly become an influential force in World Carnival.

Mac Farlane.2006

Threads of joy, this presentation was McFarlane’s best to date, the pretender to the Minshall throne, brought "treads of joy", a presentation that could have been band of the year if it was bigger . While many critics might consider him a Minshall wannabe I personally thanked god for his contribution that was one of the last artistic mas band that stood out against an ocean of glam happy fun bands of no cultural significance when Minshall seemed to turn his back on Carnival.

song's of praise.

MacFarlane is another designer who can put pen or paint to paper and stun us with his designs alone once again it is designers like these that produce bands of substance because from paper to reality they understand what they want to say with the mas and how they are going to say it.

Sacred Heart.

Personally I think that Minshall only came back because MacFarlane was set re write the standards of mas after Minshall left the game to the vultures that are in it for the love of money and not for the progression of the culture.
With one of the latest launches in the history of mas, Minshall managed to bring a medium band that won in its category in the shortest space of time.
When you’re a boss you’re a boss!
Sacred hart for me was not Minshalls greatest work; as usual he addressed the social problems we face in society today. And as usual he brought a band mas art that could not be equalled.
The Samurai headpieces were beautiful works of art, that I regret not getting one for myself because I had an opportunity to play mas with Minshall but did not.

The heart that sings

MAS IN YUH MAS

Mas/art
mas is drama and theatre too.

In the U.S. there are many Carnivals and many bands that have a high standard of mas within them, but one band that did impress from what I saw online was the band United Colours .
From what I gather this is a new band out of the labour day Carnival, but the theme designs and actual costumes on the net impressed me enough to make my best of 2k6 list.

Gems if the Caribbean.

Ruby

Emerald.

This designer andf production got the costumes as close to the designs right i did not any pics of them on the road and understand they might have some hic ups but for me the theme the designs and the finished product was spot on!

i wish them great success this carnival.

So here are some of the bands and designs that put the "M" in mas for 2006

I know there are many others that i have not mentiond but ther is always this years Carnivals .

happy new year people!