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By Stephen Weir, photographs by Dan Moreland Wave after wave of junior masqueraders showed off their moves and their wildly colourful mas costumes to an audience of parents, friends and members of the press.   The Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s Junior Parade media launch was held indoors at the Malvern Town Centre mall over the lunch hour on Tuesday. Ahead the July 21 st Junior Carnival, a preview of costumes and performances was put on display for the cameras. The hour and half launch was a mixture of entertainment by young costumed revelers and speeches by adult politicians, sponsors and organizers giving the media information about four coming events for children taking part in the 2018 carnival. “ This year we really want to bring it back to the kids and to the families,” said Kevin Carrington, the MC for the media launch. “We have the Junior Carnival King and Queen Showcase taking place on stage at the Woodbine Centre in Etobicoke on July 15th (2:

Book on its way for the summer of 2018 Moreland (l) and Louis Saldenah - Mas-K-Camp By Stephen Weir Caribbean Camera readers know the carnival pictures of Don Moreland.   All this spring the paper has been featuring his pictures of   both children and adult Mas Band Camp costume launches for this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Right now the longtime Carnival photographer is making the rounds visiting the Mas Camps to get support for his new project – publishing a photography book of revelers “on the road” playing Mas in the Grand Parade on Lakeshore Blvd along Toronto’s waterfront. He and his team of photographers will be working with the 11 mas camps taking part in the parade. He wants to make sure that bands’ presentations are beautifully captured by his cameras as they perform to the throng of spectators who will be taking in the festival. With some of the large bands expecting thousands of costumed players to take part, Moreland has his work cut out for

Fantazia Junior Launch Was Fantaztic By Stephen Weir, photographs by Don Moreland For the kiddies who play Mas with Fantazia Carnival, the elements aren’t hurricanes and volcanoes; they are gentle breezes, friendly sunsets and warm blue water.   On the weekend the Fantazia Carnival held a launch party for junior revelers – the children that will be taking part in the July 21 Junior Carnival Parade. Will Morton, driving force behind Fantazia, has long been known for the uniqueness and beauty of the costumes.   This year he has chosen the Elements, as the inspiration for the costumes that will be worn on the road, be it the Kiddies Parade or Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade for adults on August 4 th . When it comes to the adults, the costumes based on ice, fire, wind and water, are sexy, basically being more feathers than fabric.   With the kids it is different. The costumes for the children are both modest and comfortable.   What made this

It Was A Three for Three Junior Carnival Weekend By Stephen Weir  Photographs by Don Moreland It started Friday night and ended early Sunday evening. Three days. Three Junior Carnival costume launches. It all played out this past weekend in Scarborough. D’ New Regulars & Foreva Carnival, Venom Carnival and Epic Carnival held parties and costume shows for youngsters interested in taking part in the Junior Carnival Parade later this summer. About 50 parents and their children came to the Nugget Avenue Twilight Restaurant early Friday evening to see the junior costumes designed by D’New Regulars & Foreva Carnival. It was a free event – complete with food and face painting - to show children what costumes they could wear in the coming July 21 st Junior Carnival Parade in Malvern as part of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. The launch fashion show got off to a late start with about 20 children taking to the stage at 8pm just when the fete was suppose to end.   The kids

Photography's Godfather of Costume Launches Don Moreland lives to take Mas pictures By Stephen Weir Caribbean Carnival There are two written-in-stone constants at  all  Toronto Mas Band costume launches.    Law number 1? The costume designs will always radically change from one season to the next. Law number 2? Photographer Don Moreland will be at every launch photographing the models in their costumes and recording the elaborate fashion shows.  “ WOW the people who put on these shows are amazing!” Moreland told the Caribbean Camera. “ My first carnival was in 1987 and I started taking pictures of the launches back in 1997. Since then I have taken over 60,000 photos and have over 300 hour of video tape in my studio warehouse (In Toronto’s Junction District)”. “I am the owner of  Ontario Portable Display Systems,” he continued. “We set up displays at trade shows, galleries and private functions in Canada and the United States.    I am 58 and I have had a camera in

Creators Cultural Arts  and  De New Regulars and  Foreva Carnival 2018  hold their launches in Toronto By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera Photographs by Don Moreland (Belasco at lunch) and Anthony Berot (model in blue) photo by Anthony Berot Toronto Doubles.    Two Mas Camps hold costume launches on the same Saturday night the second weekend in a row!    This past weekend it was a pair of long established Mas Camps - the  Costume Creators Cultural Arts  and  De New Regulars and Foreva Carnival 2018  holding their launches on the same night. Both events were successful, probably because each launch appealed to different sections of the city. Costume Creators Cultural Arts with Freedom Carnival  is the oldest mas band in the festival and the only that can lay claim to being part of the first parade in 1967.   Founders  Wilfred  and  Calvin Belasco  have turned over the camp (formerly known as Costume Concept )  to Melissa Ramlochan, a model and cuttin