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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

Original launch date postponed by bad weather Photograph by Anthony Berot De New Regulars and Foreva Carnival 2018 had to put the breaks on their planned April costume launch because of bad bad weather. With spring finally arriving in Toronto, one of Carnival’s longest running Mas Camps is confident that the show will go on for sure this weekend. De New Regulars and Foreva Carnival band Launch will be held May 5th at the Nugget Banquet Hall, (55 Nugget  Ave) in Scarborough. Doors open at 10:00 p.m. Admission is $25 per person and includes dinner, a live steel pan performance, D.J. music and, of course, their costume presentation. The theme for the evening is “Straight Out of John John”. John John refers to a housing district in Trinidad. “Janet Lewis aka “flag woman” is a true Caribbean icon,” reads a press release issued by De New Regulars and Foreva Carnival. “In celebrating Janet’s contributions to Carnival in Toronto and the world, we also recognize the importance of the ro

By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera Jamaica is the new kid on the international Carnival block and this year, thanks to big Canadian visitor numbers, the child has suddenly grown up. Although there have been carnivals in Jamaica since 1989 it has only been in the last three or four years that carnival fans from North America and other Caribbean countries have sat up and taken notice of what is going on in the One Love island nation. The annual festival in Jamaica kicked off in January this year and ended last Sunday with a mas parade of 6,000 costumed revellers through the streets of Kingston.   What made Sunday’s parade different from the past parades was the number of Canadians and other international visitors who were on the road in costume, and in the crowds of spectators that lined the streets of Kingston. Celena Seusahai is one of the driving forces behind the Tribal Carnival mas band in Toronto.   She took time off work to join fellow Canadians taking part in

--> DEXTER ON STAGE WITH HIS DAUGHTER CELENA SEUSHAHAI AND MC SHELDON FRANCIS (SKF) Saturday night's main event for fans of Carnival   By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera Sunday morning at the Grand Deluxe Ballroom in North Toronto and sunrise only three hours away. It was very late even for a Mas Band costume launch, when Tribal Carnival founder Dexter Seusahai and daughter Celena Seusahai wearing the show stopping costume lowered the music and told the wildly clapping fans where their family run band is heading. "We have been up. We have been down. Now the sky is the limit!" yelled Dexter Seusahai. He told the 500+ strong audience that Tribal Carnival will compete for the first time in three years in the large band class (1,000+) for this year's August 4 th Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana) Parade, 2018. Established in 2007 Tribal has emerged as one of the festival’s most successful Mas Bands. Tribal has not only competed su

WINNER OF THE BAND COMPETITION AT THE JUNIOR CARNIVAL Results from Saturday's Junior Carnival Parade. Just in case you missed my Tweet from the Junior Carnival Parade on Saturday. Carnival Nationz is the band of the year at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival's Junior Carnival Parade. Jamaal Magloire's Toronto Revellers place second. Third place went to Louis Saldenah's Mas K Camp. JUNIOR CARNIVAL QUEEN Results from Saturday's Junior Carnival Parade. The Junior Carnival Queen this year is Kaia Cassell, for her portrayal of The Carian …. Spirit Of The Bird People. She is with Carnival Nationz. The Nest. Second Place honours go to Caneisha Edwards for her portrayal of The Flamingo Queen. She is with Dexter Seusahai's Tribal Carnival. Paradise. Third Place honours were won by Madison Defreitas-Robinson for her portrayal of The Locust and The Warrior. She is with Louis Saldenah's Mas-K Club. Outta Africa. Fourth Place was taken by Mellissa Perry as Tlalte

RAESHA SIROIS  -- 2015’s FACE OF THE FESTIVAL The Face of the Festival Does one have to be born in the West Indies to have Carnival Fever? It certainly cannot hurt! Raesha Sirois, born in St. James, Trinidad, immigrated to Canada in 1970 and grew up in Scarborough, Ontario. Although she enjoyed a Canadian environment and learned to embrace winter out on the slopes with her snowboard, Trinidadian culture was a great part of her upbringing. This included eating her mother’s Creole cooking, listening to Soca, pan and chutney music, and regular month-long trips down to Trinidad to visit relatives in the summer. Raesha played clarinet in the Toronto parang group, La Petite Musicale in the late 80s and joined Silhouettes Steel orchestra to play steel pan in 1994.  She is the only known 9-bass player in Canada to own her own set of pans and currently plays with Pan Fantasy Steel band, led by 2015 Harry Jerome award winner, Wendy Jones. A full-time dental hygienist for 22

Calvin Taylor - by Stephen Weir New Man At The Head Of Parade Calvin Taylor joins Festival Management Committee (FMC) as the Parade Operations Manager for the Scotia Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2015 season.  He is a Canadian Citizen, born in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.   Calvin attended Sheridan College where he completed a course in Electronics Engineering Technician.  With these credentials and his self motivated drive for success he pursued a very lucrative career in Information Technology Sales, Earning numerous top sales awards along the way. As a former North American Federation of Musicians booking agent, he booked many Caribbean acts into Toronto for the Caribbean season over the years. Calvin is no stranger to planning big events.  In 1986 he and a group of investors held a major event at the Varsity Arena called MULTY MUSIC 86.  It featured very popular bands like FireFlight, Messenger, Pryme Tyme, Dominica Swinging Stars and the most popular artiste