Carnival revellers ready for road march
With little money but plenty of spirit for the big day, Carnival groups are once again racing against the clock to get ready. William Neal visited some of the Mas Camps last night to see what is different this year.
William Neal, Reporting
Mas camp rounds by the media are designed to boost the morale of the participating groups, give the public a peek into the hotbed of activity for each band, and create the type of hype that brings thousands out to line the route as the carnival winds, gyrates, and dances through the streets of Belize City.
Barring the controversy about the carnival being on the tenth and diminishing sponsorship, things are definitely getting in gear. Saturday?s carnival will feature seven groups, four seniors and three juniors, the first time more seniors will participate than juniors. Carnival might have reached its pinnacle in 2001 but 2005 will be hailed as the first time that thegroups are more about the movement than the competition.
David Matus, Erotic Mas Band
“Erotic Mas Band will be out there just for fun. Also, we are going to be out there in full support from everybody who has even a member or so within the band. So we’re just looking for clean fun, no problem, just come and have fun with Erotic.”<
David Matus is one of the designers of the senior Carnival consortium baptised Erotic Mas Band last year. The costume designs are a collaborative effort with Raul Villanueva.
David Matus
“This year we are coming out different. We are coming out much more colourful and this year our theme is Seasons of Belize, which depicts the rainy season and the sunny season.”
William Neal
“While most other camps are busy using glue, scissors, cardboard, etcetera, here at Mother Nature’s Creation, the approach is completely different.”
Carla Flowers, Mother Nature’s Creation
“It’s something different. You never see it di happen inna Belize and I think people out there noh think people have this kind of potential to do these kinds of things in Belize and I want everybody to know that we have people who do it.”
Carla Flowers is one of the driving forces behind Mother Nature’s Creation, a newly formed group that is preparing for sixty members.
Carla Flowers
“One day I sit and I watch Jamaica’s carnival and I see they display their flag in crochet and I say, you know what, I could show Belize that we have people that have potential the same way that Jamaica has potential and show that we can just pick up a needle and a thread and start to make a piece of clothes. The costume, displays a garden of roses because it’s colourful.”
Flowers said that it takes approximately a half-day to make a costume, but for her and her team made up of her sisters, daughters, and friends, it is a labour of love.
Carla Flowers
“I just want people to come out and see the different, the unique things that people in Belize can do just like any other else body in the outer world.”
Keisha Alvarez of Fantezhia says that their camp is actually located in Belama and while most of their members were not at their satellite location on Baymen Avenue, they will be in the road march on Saturday.
Keisha Alvarez, Fantezhia
“We are depicting State of the Community. We have three sections. We had at the king and queen the king John-crow and the queen John-crow. The king in black red and gold because he destroy everything, he bruk up everything, anything weh you could think bout, he find a way to destroy it. And eventually we di hope and pray that when the queen come the queen wah bring back things the way it used to be… We started, you can say basically the ending of July and I have seventy-five people this year.”
Meanwhile, for the Southside Masqueraders the reigning champions for the last two years, it?s all about glitter, glue, paint and spirit.
Marsha Smith, Southside Masqueraders
“We are not getting greedy now, because you got to share it… congrats to the winner on Saturday and on carnival day we coming with all of our energy because we are trying for three-peat.”
Marsha Smith, one of the designers and organisers for Southside Masqueraders senior band, says that sponsorship was slow initially, but things worked out in the end.
Marsha Smith
“We say Belize gone wild because ah weh they di come tek wi xate leaf and thing, so we di come from outta the rainforest, the jungle kinda way, you know. So we di do Belize gone wild. We di do our Belize flag to represent, along with a little bit of dancing in it. Not everything from off the flag, we doing a man and a woman dancing.”
William Neal reporting for News Five.
Saturday’s Carnival Road March will be aired live on Channel 5 with coverage beginning at two p.m.
