Carnival Bands promise to “bring it” on Carnival Day
It’s carnival season and there is no shortage of preparations for the much anticipated road march on September sixth, which will take participating bands from Central American Boulevard to B.T.L. Park since work on the Marion Jones Stadium was interrupted months ago and the Stadium is not ready for this major event. Saffiyah Mohammed has a sneak peak of this year’s senior bands.
Saffiyah Mohammed, Reporting
September Celebrations just wouldn’t be the same without carnival and the senior Mas Bands are definitely ready for the big day. We visited the Mas Camp of three of the seven Senior bands participating this year. Our first stop was the Jam Jam Mas Camp.
KING, Jam Jam
“We just want to tell the public that Jam Jam is going to come out bigger and better this year. We came in third last year but this year we’re coming bigger and better.”
QUEEN Beatrice
“Well, I’m representing Beatrice, Queen of Wild Things and basically I am telling the ladies is just get crazy, put on unnu make-up and unnu shoes and come out and mek wi party and bash. I just want mek all di ladies dehn know all ah wi need something inna life. Wi cook, wi clean, wi wash, so bout time wi do something fi wiself yoh know?”
QUEEN Pink
“All weh I have to seh to my competitors out there is bring it on carnival day.”
Our second stop was Mayflower Street at the Mas Camp of Southside Masqueraders, whose theme this year is Old Belize.
Pauline Bradley, Leader Southside Masqueraders
“The reason why we choose Old Belize is because there’s a lot of things I think our youths are forgetting so we’re trying to bring back the old Belize, the past. We have two sections, our first section is Queen Mehetibel; that’s the market lady where she go to a market shop for fruits, vegetables, whatever the market have. The back section, which is King Wallace, that’s the Belize group. That’s where the red, whit and blue come in. we find a way to keep up the energy and it’s natural.”
QUEEN Mehetibel
“Well, I have a lot of energy and you will see for yourself carnival day.”
Member, Southside Masqueraders
“Well, this year I decided to join because I’ve never really done any of the adult groups before or really officially joined. I just get really hype up every time carnival comes around so I decided this year I’d build up the courage and actually join a group. Southside Masqueraders di come hard. We wah tek it dis year guaranteed.”
Our final stop for the night was at the camp of new comers Belizeans Leacy. We asked twenty year old Jessel Laurino why she decided to start her own carnival band.
Jessel Laurino, Leader, Belizean Legacy
“This year we are portraying legends of Belize because from time to time you have heard people doing Greek Gods and other gods from different places. This year we have decided to bring back the culture in carnival and to do Belizean mythical creatures and seductresses of Belize. I have realised that carnival today isn’t the same as carnival eight years ago and as a little girl it was nice to see those big humongous beautiful costumes. So this year I am trying to bring it back to let other young people see what I have seen.”
Saffiyah Mohammed
“What made you want to participate in carnival this year?”
Member, Belizean Legacy
“Well, first of all it’s like fun and my friends and my family and everybody will just be out there and just supporting us, having fun and so it will be fun.”
Member, Belizean Legacy
“I think it’s a pleasure for us to have fun it’s like di dah once a year, no better dan dis yoh can’t get.”
Member, Belizean Legacy
“Just come out ready fi challenge cause we di come out wid everything weh we got.”
The fun continues tonight with the four remaining senior bands hosting their camp night.
