With less than two weeks to Carnival Monday, bandleaders in south Trinidad say costumes are going like hot bread. Mas men from several of San Fernando's traditional, J'Ouvert and children's bands say most of their sections have been 'sold out'. Andrew Kallicharan, committee member of the Ivan Kallicharan outfit, said their costumes were moving faster than they did last year.
Already, he said, the band's presentation for 2012, We Going Carnival, has seen five of the eight available sections being sold out with fewer than 100 costumes left. Kalicharan said: "Sales of costumes are going much better than last year. Sections such as Italy, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Germany and England are already finished. We have a lot of people who live along the East/West corridor coming down in San Fernando to play with us. "Is not just Sando people playing and people are also coming from other bands as well. Compared to last year, this Carnival should be bigger."
Another band, Owen C Hinds Foundation, reported that sales were moving nicely despite the late start of their Carnival 2012 campaign. Swedaka Matthews, a consultant to the band, said a marketing strategy offered discounts to families and groups. He said the prices of costumes were competitive because they ranged from $1,200 to $1,400 before 20 and 30 percent discounts were applied. Matthews added that this year's presentation-Hats off to Owen Hinds-had attracted mas lovers as it gave them a mixture of traditional and modern day mas.
Popular J'Ouvert band, Dev's Barbershop, said it had already sold 60 percent of the costumes on offer.New and exciting J'Ouvert band Chocolate Heaven's band leader Jacqui Koon How said she had room for only 50 more masqueraders. Koon How said the band attracted females for the most part. On the other hand, she said, costumes for her children's band were almost sold out in preparation for the several Kiddies Carnival competitions around the country.
