Toronto Carnival’s Mas Bands Are Getting The Jump On 2019

Many have themes and some plan to travel

Tribal 2018 Costume Launch

Caribbean Camera By Stephen Weir: Used to be that when carnival ends in Toronto and the wrap-up band parties have been laid to rest, people move on to think about Parangs, Christmas and Hockey. Not so this year!

Even though the 2019 parade is still nine months away, many of the Mas bands in the city have already announced their themes for next year’s parade and are holding events to showcase what’s in store for revelers!

Judging by social media postings and one-on-one interviews, the first two bands to announce their themes for 2019 appear to have been Epic Carnival and Fantazia. Three other bands have revealed next year’s themes and the rest of the bands should be following suit soon.

 “This year, EPIC Carnival is portraying the theme Persona. We want a unique theme that captures the energy, passion, imagination and culture of our masquerader,” Nadia Jethoo, the Epic Carnival Volunteer Coordinator, told the Caribbean Carnival. ”The 2019’s theme focal point is image and self expression. We hope that through our sections our masqueraders make a connection and see their true expression.”

Will and Lisa Morton’s Fantazia is turning ten in 2019 and have revealed the theme for their milestone year is Rebirth. Although the band has yet to give out many details, their popular Facebook site has a dynamic video show a flying phoenix that bursts into flame before showing the word Rebirth!

Tribal 2018 Costume Launch

The band has been very active this fall. On Friday night they held a combination appreciation night for carnival revelers and a costume launch party for their coming carnival trip to the Bahamas.

In 2019 Fantazia will take to the streets of Nassau for the 5th annual Road March Parade on May 4th, 2019 the showcase event in the Bahamas Carnival 2019. The Toronto masqueraders will be jumping up with the Euphoria Madness Junkanoo Carnival Band.

Abracadabra - The Seusahai family’s Tribal Carnival is known for its costumes (this year Celena Seusahai won the King and Queen competition and was crowned the Queen of the Parade) both here in Canada and in the Cayman Islands.

Celena Seusahai texted a note to the Caribbean Camera announcing that there their 2019 theme is Magic and that they will indeed be back on Grand Cayman Island supplying costumes and taking to the road in the Batabano Carnival.

This year for the first time Toronto’s Carnival Nationz Cayman will also be taking part in the Cayman parade in the first week of May 2019.

Sunlime Canada is a family oriented group, with over twenty years of experience in presenting masquerade at Carnival events.  “Our theme was launched on Labour Day as is our practice,” said Sunlime band manager Dwayne Gunness  Next year we will be "Mesmerize"!”

In 2018 Atlantic Mas make a big splash in the parade world by bringing in Trinidadian singer Machel Montano to perform on the trucks and to sponsor a section.

Atlantic Mas keeps information close to its collective chest and has yet not revealed its 2019 theme.  However the band is very active, and is hosting a ski weekend December 14 to 16 at Blue Mountain.

Atlantic has also posted that it will be teaming with Trinidad’s Yuma Mas Band to participate in the March 4^th and 5^th carnival in Port of Spain.

No one is apologizing for getting a jump on 2019.  In fact, bands are saying they are energized talking about the summer as winter approaches!

“Yes it is early! But we were excited to have the theme ready to reveal at our Appreciation Party back in September,” said Epic Carnival’s Nadia Jethoo. “We are really excited about our 2019 theme. We cannot wait to see the theme expressed not only at Toronto Carnival, but also in programming throughout the carnival season. Although the word "Persona" sounds broad and general -- we have an entire host of ideas to bring with it.”