First Toronto costume launch attracts 1,000
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Carnival
season in Toronto begins with Venom
“
Last year we held our first launch at a club that had a capacity of 750, which
we maxed out by the time the show started,” said Aneil Persad, Managing
Director at Venom
Carnival INC
“
This year we moved to a bigger hall (Chandni Grand in Scarborough), and by the
time the music started we had over 1,000 people inside.”
Venom
is a new band – this is year number two – and the colourful section costumes
(the theme this year is Inked) and youthful design has attracted first time
carnival goers to their launch in huge numbers.
“
Yes, a lot of the people that bought tickets for the launch were there for the
night out. The food, the liming and of course the show, but since Saturday we
continue to get text messages and phone calls wanting to know how to buy
costumes. We won over a new generation of carnival fans,” Persad told the
Camera. “We had a group of 15 people in Louisiana call us tonight, wanting to
pay in advance for their costumes, so that they could go on the road with
Venom.”
The
show on Saturday night started after midnight when Trinidad DJ Nic Peña
took to the stage. It took almost 90
minutes for the 80 models to appear on
the long well lit catwalk. Indigo. Henna
and all the colours of the rainbow were the names and themes of the 14 sections that presented on
Saturday. The show was gap free with well-rehearsed
models who kept the sold out crowd dancing and screaming their approval.
“
A lot of the credit for this increased interest in Venom goes to
Gerard Weekes -- the Parade Operations Manager. We were the last band on
the road in 2017 but he ran it so well we actually were able to complete the
parade and cross the line – something that hasn’t happened for the last Caribana
band in years! People know we are going
to finish!
“
The vibe was unreal. We are not your typical mas camp, ” said Persad. “ We are
a year round experience. You get a
costume and you’re part of the party
long after the parade has ended.”
A
basic Venom costume for women starts at $250 ($220 for men). Expect to pay about $800 for a frontline
outfit. Once the mas camp opens next
week and their website is fully populated, people can start placing their
orders.
A
basic Venom costume for women starts at $250 ($220 for men). Expect to pay about $800 for a frontline
outfit. Once the mas camp opens next
week and their website is fully populated, people can start placing their
orders.
“Being
the first launch of the season has helped us – but now the real work
begins”. Venom wouldn’t have it any other way!
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By Stephen Weir and Craigg Slowly for the Caribbean Camera Photographs by Craigg Slowly
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