Junior and senior bands prepare for carnival
Preparations for this year’s Carnival Parade are well underway and junior and senior bands throughout the city are energized for the road march set for September nineteenth. Pre-judging for the competition started on Wednesday night for junior bands with the annual mas camp. In this preliminary stage of the judging, each band must have thirty-five members including five fully costumed revelers who are required to perform for a maximum of ten minutes. The event was off to a great start as two of the five junior bands showed off their mettle. News Five’s Duane Moody was there to witness the excitement.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The Black Pearl Carnival Band has been competing for over the past two decades. We found the group ready for class A performances this year. Last year the band settled for second place so this time, it has its eye on the top spot.
Spokesperson, Kendra Buller, says that despite financial challenges the band is anxiously waiting for the road march.
Kendra Buller, Spokesperson, Black Pearl Carnival Band
“Black Pearl Junior band is right now at the corner of Dean Street and West Street mashing it up—mas camp night ready for carnival day.”
Duane Moody
“What do you feel are your chances this time around to go and take the title this year?”
Kendra Buller
“I mean, hey, look at it, its beautiful—beautiful costumes will be out there this year by Black Pearl. Every year, we have so many kids that want to join our band. We have about eighty kids out here and as you can see, look at them and this is not even everybody, but we have try and do everything on our own. This year black pearl’s theme, we chose to do ‘fire eena di city’ and where there is fire, there must be water. And so basically that’s our basic two themes that we are doing, fire and water this year.”
From there we moved to Magazine Road where Sunshine Masqueraders, put their best foot forward. Organizer, Marilyn Young, says that for the past nine years she has been participating for the fun of the sport.
Marilyn Young, Organizer, Sunshine Masqueraders
“We usually started from April, but this year I started pretty late. But I still amazed my self because I am far enough with the costumes. And it’s a lot of hard work, every night I go to bed after two.”
Duane Moody
“What do you feel are your chances this time around to win the title?”
Marilyn Young
“Well it’s win, lose or draw. Whatever happens, we’re in it for the fun. Our group is doing Belizean Heritage. So we are all Belizeans this year.”
Duane Moody
“How much is it costing to put something like this together?”
Marilyn Young
“Huh, well we get help from NICH and we try to ask for sponsors. I must say we get a little money from Benny’s and totally we could say it is something like twenty-five thousand dollars including the King and Queen costumes itself.”
On the first day of the mas camps, the judges were critiquing the creativity of the costumes and the stamina of the band. President of the Carnival Committee, Patrick Thompson, says that this year the committee has brought in two international judges to even out the playing field.
Patrick Thompson, Chairman, Belize Carnival Association
“We are doing the prejudging for the road march as well as what we introduced last year in selecting the best mass camp.”
Duane Moody
“Who are the judges and how were they chosen to judge this competition.”
Patrick Thompson
“Well we have two international judges out of Jamaica and one of our locals. Why we chose international judges is just to show that we are trying to be transparent as possible as we can. The judges are looking for the organization of the band, the originality in their costumes and most of all the hype-ness.”
Duane Moody, Reporting for News Five.
Duane Moody will hit the streets once again tonight for the mas camp of the remaining three junior bands—Pickstock Carnival Band, Mahogany Masqueraders and Jump Street Posse.
