The Joy of Mas, or Raptor Madness.



The Fordes pull it off with last Sunday’s ‘Ol Time Costume Launch

By Stephen Weir

If no more Mas bands come out of the woodwork and sign up for this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the costume launch season officially ended early last Sunday just before tip-off of the Raptor’s championship series game. Long time Mas producers and designers Jacky and Clarence Forde brought along Blue Devils, Dame Lorraine and many other traditional Carnival characters to their ‘Ol Time Mas! Launch at Scarborough’s Queen Victoria Pub.
Blue Devil Costume
The Forde’s Toronto Mas Arts is keeping characters like the Fancy Sailors, Robbers, Dame Lorraines, Moko Jumbies, Pierrot Grenades, Stick Fighters and Blue Devils in the parks and streets of Toronto this summer.  These traditional carnival characters are being used in their outdoor theatrical presentations and in this summer’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival events.
The Fordes are adept at turning lemons into big jugs of Lemonade. When they found out that their Sunday afternoon long-ago booked costume launch was going up against the Raptor finals – they started a tongue in cheek meme telling carnival followers that their afternoon fete would be over before the opening whistle at the downtown Scotiabank Arena.
Facebook, Instagram, Emails and Text – who in the city didn’t receive a note from Jacky Forde saying “After church... Before the Game, Come Dingolay!”
“ When we booked the pub, we didn’t think we would be up against an important Raptor game, but, it was too late to switch,” Clarence Forde told me. Their message to the city worked, over 100 people crammed into the pub to watch the costume show and many stayed for the Game!”
Moko Jumbie
“We might have dragged our launch out (like most other Mas Camps) but we couldn’t do that with the Raptor’s came happening at 8 o’clock. continued Mr. Forde. “ We had over a 100 people in the pub along with the locals and we started the show pretty well on time and got everyone out before tipoff.” 
With a change in the rules of the road for this year’s Carnival parade, costumed guest bands and non-competing costumed bands can take to the street on August 3rd alongside the big bands including Tribal Carnival, Toronto Revellers, Mas K Camp and the
Carnival Nationz.
Toronto Arts Mas’ Ol’ Time Carnival will be at the front of the Grand Parade this summer.  Their 100-strong costumed mas band will be the last non-competitor group to head out on the road, right before the first big band leaves the gate.
“ We are in the process of setting up our mas camp,” Jacky Forde told me. “ We should know later this week if we have secured a spot.  People should check out our website for the address and to register!  I do know that we plan to have it open daily from 4pm to 9pm.
In addition to their Mas Band taking part in a number of carnival events (July 20th Gala and the July 26th Police Launch) The Fordes are once again staging their annual Toronto Arts sponsored Ol’ Time Carnival outdoor show on July 20th in the Meadowvale Park.   “This summer we have NEW characters and a NEW storyline. We are taking Traditional Mas back where it began!”
Toronto Mas Arts promise to add more events in the near future to their already full Carnival calendar.


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