Trinidad superstar closes the Mas Costume Launch season with the NDP
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Make Way For Montano’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival
Story and Photographs by Stephen Weir
Forget Peeks, the name sponsor of the
Grand Parade. This year the annual festival could well be called Machel
Montano’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival.
The 2018 Mas Camp Costume Launch
season ended last Saturday evening at the Rebel nightclub when Atlantic Mas
held the 11th and final mas fashion show. What a way to go -- the King of Soca, Machel
Montano stood on stage and told Torontonians to go down the road with him this
August 4th. “Get your costume
from Atlantic Mas and join me as we party till 6 am” the Trinidad singer told the
estimated audience of 1,000+ at the high-energy costume launch.
The world’s most recognizable Soca
performer jetted in from New York City on the weekend, to perform at the
costume launch and introduce his own Atlantic Mas section. “I am going to be on
the (Atlantic Mas) truck! And after the parade we party” he said from the
stage.
Before leaving the stage, Montano
brought out two well-known Sikh politicians - Gurratan Singh, the NDP candidate
in the provincial riding of Brampton East and his brother Jagmeet Singh the
federal NDP party leader. They didn’t talk politics and elections. Instead they
got a dance lesson and a hug from Machel Montano.
The appearance by Montano capped off
what was a delayed costume show. The
afternoon start time was pushed back to the early evening, apparently because
of arrival delays by Montano.
The wait didn’t bother the 1,000+
people crowded into the Portland’s nightclub.
They sang. They danced. They called out Machel’s name.
They made waiting a fun event in
itself.
The costume launch is a fashion show
to let revellers know what the Mas band will be wearing in the Toronto
Caribbean Carnival grand parade this August 4th along Toronto’s
waterfront Lakeshore Blvd.
Atlantic Mas, now in its 3rd
year went with a minimalist designs for backline costumes, perky frontline
outfits and, of strip-down outfits for the men.
What made the costume presentations
so well received were the engaging ebullient models. There were seven sections presenting on the
large, well-lit stage. They were
well-rehearsed models – the men were buff and shirtless, the women beautiful.
Many of the models closed the fashion show with flips, splits and amazing dance
moves.
Atlantic Mas expects that Machel
Montano's participation will help them sell a 1,000 costumes and vault them
into the forefront of the competing bands at this year's road Bandleader Akil
Heywood says "we called the launch an 'Invitation to Dance' with a theme
we call Semba," he continued.
" It was the Victoria Day long weekend, the perfect way to spend holiday Saturday in Toronto."
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