The spectacle of Carnival is drawing near, prompting masqueraders to spend thousands of dollars on a two-day costume.
Conservative spending goes out of the window making way for total enjoyment and partying till party-goers literally drop. These days, while playing mas has become an all-inclusive event costing one person upwards of $3,000, two-year-old mas band, Wee International, is trying to keep the cost between $2,000 to $2,800. Bandleader Ricky Davidson, at their mas camp in St James last Tuesday, said they were trying to keep their mas as affordable as possible.
He said they wanted to ensure that people who play mas with them are happy. "I want people to leave with a certain feeling of money well spent," he said. He believes that people shy away from playing in large bands where they may not get personal attention. Personalised service is something "Wee" pays special attention to and tries to check up on all their masqueraders. This year they played with 810 masqueraders but next year they will have a maximum of 1,000. The band's theme for Carnival 2010 is Tesoros del Caribe which means Treasures of the Caribbean.
Each of the ten sections will depict something precious or well-known to certain Caribbean islands. This year "Wee" placed first in the Fantasy category with their Candy Shop presentation.
He said though many people may not be able to afford to play mas, they still do so. "Mas today is very commercialised as opposed to being just for enjoyment," he said. Davidson said many people play with certain bands for the rank or status. "It's just to say they played with a particular band," he added.
Band launch
The media launch for Wee International's 2010 presentation Tesoros del Caribe will be held on October 11 at Crews Inn.
Who is Davidson?
Ricky Davidson is more than just a bandleader. He is also a firefighter. In his school days at Tranquillity Government Secondary, he was known as Mystic Rick, a disc jockey, and he went on to promote many parties and events. Before, "Wee" Davidson was a section leader in the now defunct Poison. He managed Mas Camp Pub for three years and Ambassador Club for two years.