So You're coming for Caribana

You've heard about Caribana, and you've always wanted to come. But where do you start? Here's a Caribana visitors guide to the events, accommodation options and other must-see's in Toronto.

Visitors often ask what hotel to stay at, and even which hotels are close to the parade. Really, it doesn't matter where you stay. Many of the events are not in one neighbourhood. Staying downtown is your best bet though, for convenience and location to attractions. To find your hotel, go to: http://www.hotels.ca/

If you like a more personal touch, bed and breakfasts are the unique way to go. I've stayed at the Homewood Inn a few times and would recommend it. Check out the Toronto B&B site for many options.
As far as transportation goes, I would suggest taking the TTC rather than taxis, as cab rides in the city have gone up. A day pass for $9 is a smart idea, and it's good for 2 adults and 4 kids.

The festival starts with the official Launch on July 14, Junior Carnival on the 18th, the Gala on the 24th, Pan Alive on the 31st, and the Parade on August 1st. The complete list of Caribana events is on the Caribana festival site.

There are some musts for me. Junior Carnival is a wonderful chance for kids to start playing mas. It's also the parade you'll want to bring your kids to, as it's catered to children and has small crowds.

King and Queen is the opportunity for the bands to showcase their amazing colourful and shining creations. Seeing them dance on stage in the evening gives me goosebumps. King & Queen and Pan Alive are both held at Lamport Stadium, King St. West.
The parade itself begins outside of Exhibition Place (Princes Blvd.) & goes for 4 kilometres along Lakeshore Blvd. West. With over a million spectators, you can imagine what traffic is like, so take a streetcar to the CNE. Prime spots along the parade route are nabbed in the morning. Do be prepared for the sun, even rain, and to wait. There's often a long gap between bands, which isn't pleasant for spectators, so be ready to lime with drinks and food you've brought with you. Vendors along the route sell Caribbean cuisine, and there are several ice cream trucks.

What's better: watching others have fun, or having fun yourself? Instead of looking at the masqueraders behind the fence, be one yourself! Your Caribana experience will be so much more fulfilling if you play mas. There are 15 bands, many not sold out yet.

Check out the costumes the bands are designing (go to Toronto Mas Bands list), register, and get ready to jump, wine and wave!

When it comes to fetes - outdoor fetes, foam fetes, dj fetes, boat cruises, blockos, and Soca nights at clubs, you're going to want to refer to Toronto Lime. There's something for every taste and age group. Most of the clubs are in the entertainment district (King St. West area), and the bigger fetes like Fire Fete and Glow are at venues in the Harbourfront neighbourhood. Carnival in Yuh Backyard is in the north end of the city at Wild Water Kingdom, my personal fave fete spot.

De Caribana Lime - Island Festival! held on Toronto Centre Island (Olympic Island) is a fun family vibe where you can lime the day after the parade with music, entertainment and food. With the current City of Toronto strike, there's no ferry service, so this event is pending.

There are not only Caribana festival events happening in the city that you'll want to check out. The Harbourfront Centre (Queens Quay West) features free visual arts exhibitions, concerts, dance performances, cooking demos and films. Roy Cape and the Kaiso All Stars and The Mighty Shadow will perform on the Sirius Stage on July 31. Did you read free? Yes, you did! I'll never forget seeing Machel Montano in 2007. With the water behind me, and everyone doing the Jumbie dance, it was one of my favourite Soca performances in 10 years.

For information on more free things to do, and concerts, the many festivals, summerlicious, shopping, and events like the Honda Indy Toronto, go to Toronto.com.

Take in as much as you can of North America's largest Caribbean festival, and I'll bet it won't be your last visit.

DJ lemme see yuh work!

A HUGE part of Caribana for me is the Soca. We await the new tunes every year when they come out in Trinidad in Nov./Dec. We're lucky in Toronto to have a Soca season of 7+ months.
My first exposure to Soca was 10 years ago with Square One. I was hooked with Togetherness and Jack Up the World. Then for the 2001 season it was Machel Montano's Stalker & Destra's Tremble It. I would inline skate along Cherry St. area blasting these tunes, getting ready to play mas.
Of course Machel, Destra & lately KES always come out with some hits, but every year, I do wish djs would spin the hot tunes from other artists, because there are so many. Just check out Torontolime, the tunes are endless!
Here are, in no particular order, some (certainly not all) of the not-played-enough tunes I like this season.

Kryptonite - 2Ntrigue

Baby - 3 Suns

You are the One - Jungle ft Keil

Tonight - Alaine ft. Machel Montano

Umi Marcano - Some More

Put it on Me - Cha'randi

Push Yuh Body Gyul - Marvin Bostic

Soca Circus - B-Unnique ft Macka Diamond

Wuk Up Yuh Bumper - KeKeRe & KK

Jungle G & Scar - Swanky Gyal

So what are your favourites this Caribana?

Mas makeup

So you've selected your costume, it's sensational, & you can't wait to play mas. Time to consider the other elements to making your mas pop on the road. For the last several years Caribana has seen more influence from Trinidad Carnival with masqueraders wearing more elaborate makeup, including face jewels. I made contact last year with someone saying she was a makeup artist and would do faces on Caribana, but unfortunately I never heard back from her. Why was it that no one else was advertising for this service? It seems to me to be an excellent opportunity for talented makeup artists, as I know many masqueraders would love to have their makeup done for Caribana.

Callaloo's Indo-Aryans

This year fortunately I discovered Makeup by Natasha thanks to Tru! Natasha is from Trinidad, and of course Loves (with a capital L!) Carnival. She started doing makeup on herself and friends for Carnival a long time ago, and always had a passion for it. She took a makeup course at Centennial College 2 years ago while doing her Advanced Aesthetics and Airbrushing from George Brown College. She also attended Yorkville School of Makeup and Aesthetics where Natasha says she picked up a lot of tricks of the trade from the makeup teachers there, who are some of the best in the business. Natasha uses Nars, Makeup Forever, Gosh and Vasanti. She started using Sasha cosmetics because she loves their vibrant colors and the way it matches skin colours so nicely. She's now a Canadian Rep and sells their makeup in Canada.

Nefertits Dream, Callaloo

Natasha's location for Caribana morning is TBA. If you book now, you will get a FREE Lip-gloss or SINGLE EYE SHADOW from Sacha cosmetics. Also offered is a Caribana Special: Full leg & bikini wax, manicure, pedicure and makeup on Caribana day, $98.
Natasha's Makeup & Aesthetician services for you on facebook.

http://www.natashamakeupforyou.com

Who you playing with?

With all the big band launches behind us, most everyone should be somewhat decided on who they're playing with. So, let us know, what band & section are you in? As well, you can feel free to comment on how you made your decision to play with a certain band, and why you choose a particular section.

Much More than Mas Boots

For custom made leather or vinyl mas boots with matching mas purses and fanny packs, Torontonians know who to go to. Anton Gabriel aka Bootsman, has been designing these quality mas products for many years. However his appreciation for mas has grown with his opening of Mas Camp Central (MCC), a carnival museum; the first of it’s kind in North America.
After a year of designing mas boots, Anton realized he needed a showroom to display his designs, and not just during Caribana season, but year round. He acquired a spot in Scarborough in May of 2008 that is close to many of the mas camps. His wife's many years of playing mas at Trinidad Carnival and Caribana resulted in a huge amount of costumes. So these costumes, along with those of friends and clients who have purchased mas boots, are proudly on display at MCC. Anton is in partnership with all mas people who have encouraged him and contributed to making the showroom such a unique place to visit.

I’ve kept my costumes from the last 9 years, but some have inevitably fallen apart from making their appearance at not only Caribana, but Hamilton Mardi Gras and Barrie’s Caribfest. I display my headpieces in my own colourful Caribana room. So I wondered whether my costumes would be worthy of being put on display. But Anton told me he gladly accepts any and all costumes that he can find, headpiece or not.

Bootsman creations

The over 100 costumes on display date back to 15 years from Trinidad, Toronto & even Grenada. MCC is a registered not for profit organization in Ontario since March 2009.

The museum is a place where visitors can "talk mas," watch Carnival DVD's on a large TV, and look through the many books & magazines on display. Anton says on occasions you can even enjoy some pelau & corn soup as there is seating for 20 people.

Schools in the GTA are invited to make field trips with students in Arts & Culture to experience carnival and MCC will be the location for "show & tell" of everything mas.

Anton at a display at the St. Stephens Secondary School library in Durham during a multicultural celebration in April 2009.

Caribbean Vibrations videotaped two shows at MCC and Callaloo chose MCC as their costumes photo shoot location this year.

To get great taste of carnival before you play mas or watch the Caribana parade, be sure to visit this unique place. There are currently 20 empty mannequins waiting to be adorned with beads, feathers & sequins, so consider making your costume a part of Caribana history by donating it to MCC. I certainly identify with Anton's original aim of starting MCC to get people more involved in Caribana.

Mas Camp Central location is 130 Dynamic Drive, Unit 13, Scarborough. (One block west of Markham Road & McNichol.) Tel: 416-524-1782.
http://www.mascampcentral.com/

Whoa! How low can you go?

An ad featuring this picture caught my eye the other day. I know she's doing the limbo, but you can see why this particular shot selection is rather... compromising.

(Just thought we could have a little chuckle.)

Turns out it's in the newspapers to advertise Art 09 International Art Fair happening this weekend. Held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this fair celebrates world cultures, cuisine and entertainment. The Caribbean folk performers, like the ones pictured above, are promised to dazzle your senses and entertain you. It certainly looks like the weekend will have an interesting variety of great artists from around the world.

If you check it out, be sure to let us know how it was.

Pink Flamingo flew to Callaloo

If you liked the Flamingo section pictured below, you are going to have to go to Callaloo to get it

The section that was formerly called 'Flamingos' has now moved to Callaloo and is now called 'Nector of the Lotus'. More pictures of the costume can be seen on www.callaloo.net. Pricing Information: Regular Women: $140, Frontline Completed:$190, Frontline Headpiece: $40, Frontline Collar: $40, Men's: $130. Contact Information: Narissa Ali Phone: 416-274-8456 Email: carnivalfusion@gmail.com