Carnival mass bands preparing for September
It is one of the biggest events in the September calendar. It’s carnival…and thousands line up the streets in the old capital to view the road march of revelers. Delahnie Bain has a preview of this year’s mass bands.
Delahnie Bain, Reporting
The songs are on the radio, the bands are preparing and the dancing fever is going around. That’s right… carnival 2009 is drawing near. The Belize Carnival Association has released its calendar of events leading up to the road march and we got a full rundown from its Chairman, Patrick Thompson.
Patrick Thompson, Chairman, Belize Carnival Association
“We have on the second and third of September, we have the junior mass camps. This is where we go around the junior groups and seeing how the energy is going on in the different camps. On the eighth, we have the mass camp for one of our senior bands, which is coming out of Ladyville and on the ninth we have a concert inside the City Center with Allison Hines and Supa G. This is to help the association start raising funds for next year carnival. On the twelfth, we have the king and queen competition which comes up inside the Rogers Stadium at seven and on the fifteenth and sixteenth we have the mass camp for the other senior bands. On the nineteenth, we have the carnival road march but we start the morning with the j’ouvert which starts at four.”
While the plans are in place, the bands have been having difficulty getting sponsorship this year. But the energy is high and the preparations press on to make carnival 2009 as big as any other. We checked in on practice sessions with a couple of bands in the city.
Marina Welcome, Leader, Jump Street Posse Carnival Band
“It’s very rough but last night I got a little lucky. I had an anonymous phone call and they are sponsoring ten children costumes, but the kids cannot be from Jump Street. It has to be ten strange kids. So they can give me a call at 627-1346 but they have to be people that are serious and ready to come out and practice and dance. Sponsorship has been very, very rough this year but I’m not going to give up right. We will come out.”
Earl Gentle, Black Pearl Carnival Band
“We have beautiful colors coming in this year. We work hard, I would say almost twenty-four hours. We try to get sponsorship—we’re still asking for sponsorship to support us cause it’s a lot of costumes. We have senior coming out again this year and that’s about a hundred of them and seventy-five juniors.”
Joining the festivities for the first time is the Freedom Masqueraders Band from Ladyville. The band leader, Selvyn Encalada, says they’re looking for support and members.
Selvyn Encalada, Leader, Freedom Masqueraders Carnival Band
“Our group is basically—we don’t charge for costumes, it’s absolutely free. We are teamwork, we work together and we’re gonna have fun for that day. So what we’re doing is asking the people of Ladyville to support us and everything wah be okay.”
Delahnie Bain
“Okay and I understand you’re looking for members.”
Sylvan Encalada
“Yes, we are looking for members. It’s only forty girls so the forty that comes get their costumes free.”
Thompson says that the prizes for this year have been secured, but they are hoping to up the giveaways by carnival day. Delahnie Bain for News Five.
This year’s carnival will feature five junior and six senior bands.
