October month of calypso and mas

A model displays the eye-catching Bamboo Patch
 costume from Pulse 8’s C2K11 presentation
 of Out of the Woods.

If you are looking for me, don’t look too far as I will be right in Woodbrook, on “d Avenue.” In what I consider to be some kind of history in mas, mother and daughter Meg and Danah Cheekes, with Pulse 8, are launching their Carnival 2011 presentation—Out of the Woods—in a most unique way. With a stage on wheels, the mas will be launched along the entire Ariapita Avenue strip, from 8.30 pm. Danah said the presentation would make stops at Coco Lounge, CroBar, Sweet Lime, More Vino and a couple other bars on the route. Speaking of mas band launching, Trini Revellers’ C2K11 presentation will be launched on Sunday evening, from 5 pm, at Club Zen, Keate Street, Port-of-Spain. This former Band of the Year title-holder is playing Tales of Merrie Olde England next year.

The much eagerly awaited launch of Brian Mac Farlane’s Humanity: The Circle of Life takes place on October 8, at Mobs 2, Western Main Road, Chaguaramas. The event coincides with the Eventology Conference & Expo, and its entertainment will come from Roy Cape All Stars, featuring Blaxx, Rita Jones and Olatunji, Tony Prescott, DJs CIN, Hocus Pocus and Censored Inc, plus Laventille Rhythm Section. Not to be left out, the following evening, legendary designer/bandleader Ivan Kalicharan will launch his Colours of Light, on San Fernando Hill, San Fernando, from 6 pm. In other mas news, back home from the US is popular Woodbrook bandleader Glenn Carvalho, raring to re-enter the Carnival fray with a presentation titled Valley of the Nile.

Traditionally a late starter, after returning from participating in Miami Carnival, Legacy has red-circled October 23 to unveil its presentation of South Pacific, at The Anchorage in Chaguaramas. The official opening of Showtime Trinidad C2K11 mas camp on French Street, Woodbrook, takes place at six o’clock this evening. For C2K11 Showtime Trinidad, led by Godfrey Enile, is presenting 007 Colours of Green...Our Mission, Save the Environment, specially designed to raise awareness of man’s continuing abuse of the environment. Island People Mas continues its weekly Friday-evening, after-work lime at its band camp, located at 50 O’Connor Street, Woodbrook. Next year, IPM is presenting Shades of the Universe. The band’s innovative special no-alcohol, high-security young people section is a major talking point among masqueraders. Aside from being Calypso Month, October promises to be also quite hectic with the amount of C2K11 activity planned as well.

PETER RAY BLOOD