Ronnie and Caro - The Aftermath

Date: Saturday 28th August 2010

Place: St. John's Hall

Cost: $100

Ronnie and Caro held their band launch last night at St. John's Hall in Port of Spain. The media launch was scheduled to begin at 11:00pm. I got there with my brother just after 10:00pm and we made our way inside to the media/VIP area. (note to self: always walk with your invite to avoid any delays at the gate).

The media/VIP had access to drinks and snacks which included meatballs, puffs, accra, celery sticks, baby carrots and cucumber.

At about 11:00pm I noticed one of the Ronnie and Caro 'regulars' carrying Peter Ray Blood to a blocked off area backstage. I realised that this must be the media launch area and followed.

I received a booklet at the door and was immediately blown away by the green costume on the cover modeled by Caro herself. As most of you know I am not a fan of green costumes for the most part, but this one was wow.

The individual costumes were displayed and I was already liking Tsunami and Go Green.

After the media launch I made my way back to the media/VIP area where I met up with Carnival Jumbie and Trinidad Events. They missed the media viewing of the costumes so we again made our way backstage to take some pics.

Shortly after we made our way stage side and awaited the start of the show.

At 12:15am the launch began with an introduction by Ronnie, as well as a dance routine.

Then the costumes came out. Each section displayed a blackline, frontline, individual and male costume with the exception of Survival of the Mexican Aztec Dancers.

First up was Guardian Angels

This white and gold section is very cute, and I think might appeal more to a younger masquerader. I really like the beading on the bras and belt. The male costume is one of the better ones and the male model had a time on stage wining dong low lo much to the delight of the crowd.

Fire on th Hills

This orange and gold section has a simple backline and a great frontline. not liking the upper arm pieces on the backline that much though. The individual model didn't seem to know what to so with herself...one minute she jumping hyper, then posing for 5 seconds and then jumping again. LOL.

Huge backpack on this individual but it looked like it was easy to maneuver.

Go Green

Imagine. A green costume. That I actually like!

I really like this costume and this is one of my top picks. The men costume is simple enough. The backline, I like the belt shape and bra beading. The frontline is lovely though a little old school with that style of beads used on the arms, but I like the overall effect.

The frontline is fabulous and again another huge backpack that moved well. That model posed all on the ground for the media launch...I think she watches ANTM ;)

Survival of the Mexican Aztec Dancers

Yellow and orange with some pheasants thrown in, this is a guest section out of Toronto.

I like the unusual shape of the headpiece on the frontline and backline costume, people might get some feathers in their face if they in you way but small ting. The backpack for the frontline is cute as well and I like the movement of it. Not a fan of the appliqué and braid used on this costume too much though.

This male costume is one of the better ones and the headpiece ain't bad either. (Anyone know why the backline chick was looking like she was running away from the male model?)

Global Warming

This peachy section was introduced by its male model who came on and gave the audience a performance like no other! Very entertaining, down the the Bolt-esque poses. LOL. (Next time dude please wear a plain black boxers)

Not liking this colour too much, nor the coral shaped headpiece and cape, but again bead work especially on the monokini is really nice. I think the individual in this section might need a bit more something.

Tsunami

Blue blue my world is blueeeee!!

What can I say? It blue. I like blue. The backline sports a cape that I'm not feeling, but I like the frontline and LOVE the individual. This is also one of my top picks. I like the shape of the headpiece which give way to that wave feeling.

Earthquake

This is my least favorite section. I am not a fan of the red, white and blue, and when I look at it I'm thinking 4th of July and not Earthquake. The striped material is just not working for me. I really liked the shoes on the frontline model though. They were fierce!

Smoke Pollution

In my top four, this black, grey and silver costume is really lovely. I dunno what was going on with the backline model who stumbled down the stage and kept holding on to her headpiece, though it was not very big at all. She even took it off and had it in her hand! I like the backpacks and headpieces on the frontline and individual. This male is just meh.

Bird Flu

Fushia and purple and I like it. Not so much the backline with the feathered bra and belt, but I do like the frontline and the unusual shaped backpack. This is another backpack with a lot of movement and boy did the lil model move! She palance all over that stage like it was the big stage up in the Savannah! The individual backpack is similar in shape as well and the bra and belt is blinged out. The shape of the frontline headpiece look like it could be tweaked a bit as it was falling into the model's face.

Male costume, *shrug*

Carnival

Initially when I saw this costume I thought "WHOA! Colour much?" as it is a LOT of colour on one costume...but as the night continued it definitely grew on me. Not a fan of the backline, but the frontline and individual headpieces and backpacks are nice. I do not like the body wear on the costumes, but I definitely get the whole "Carnival is colour vibe".

Once the launch was over, Blackie gave us a performance of his new song for 2011 "Pong Meh", then we heard from a DJ out of New York which wasn't bad at all. The music for the night was cool, soca mixed in with a little dancehall and zero techno.

Overall I would give Ronnie and Caro 4 coque feathers out of 5, for a great launch and some pretty decent costumes, plus from personal experience I know for sure they deliver a GREAT vibe on the road! While there were no "out of the box" designs, the designs for the most part definitely have appeal, with my favorite sections being Go Green, Tsunami, Bird Flu and Smoke Pollution.

For more pics from the launch you can check HERE, and pics from the media launch can be found HERE.

Ronnie and Caro - The Aftermath: Pics...

Just came in from a great launch by Ronnie and Caro.

Pics uploading I type, check them out HERE.

Carnival Individual

Ronnie and Caro - The Aftermath...

So sometime between costume collection on Carnival Friday and going for additional boy shorts on Carnival Saturday night, I decided to upgrade my costume from backline to frontline.

It cost was some extra dollars, but I decided to treat myself after working so hard on designing and decorating carnival footwear for people.

Collected my BEAUTIFUL backpack on Carnival Sunday night/early Monday morning around 12:30ish a.m. no problem at all.

We had to meet the band on Alexandra Street on Monday for 11:00am. They had a late start and only started moving just after 12 and I was surprised to see the number of people in the band. I was expecting the band to be small but they had a great turnout.

The only problem I had on the road on Monday was that we got stuck behind PCS Starlift which was HUGE and this kept us back all day.

My peeps and I left the band on Park Street and walked up to the Savannah to wait. But when we saw the number of bands in front of us, we decided to go home and save our energy for Tuesday. Good thing too, because when we got home just after 7:00 pm, we saw the band NOW crossing the Savannah stage!

A big meggie for the announcers whose names I did not catch, but kept referring to the presentation as "Ronnie and Caro - The Mas Band". I guess they didn't see the huge ass "De Gulf" written on the banner.

My boots on Monday started off FAB! and ended up drab, with the left side looking as if it had mange or something, and I was actually seeing the colour of one of the prototypes I had done before. (Note to self: Don't rush and use primer spray paint next time).

TUESDAY

Tuesday morning had me up at about 3:30am. We had to meet the band for 7:00am behind Sacred Heart.

Staying at Carnival Central in St. James has its benefits, we do have the drawback of only one bathroom for the many masqueraders who stay there. Plus I also had my makeup 'appointment' at 4:00am with my aunt.

While waiting for said appointment, I took the time to fix my headpiece (which was too tight for my big head), as well as finishing up my Tuesday boots by adding some braid and mucho rhinestones. (I had no time to decorate my own boots with all the work I had to do).

Got my makeup done and everyone was out of the house and on the bus by 7:00 or thereabouts.

The bus dropped us off and went on to drop the parents, who were playing in ImageNation, downtown.

PROMPTLY at 7:05am while munching on breakfast, Ronnie told his staff we were moving out and whoever was not there would find us. We headed to our first judging point which was downtown where we had to wait behind Legacy. While waiting I made a small detour to Frederick Street to purchase some socks (I left mine home in my haste) to wear with my boots as the toes on my right foot were sore form the day before.

I probably poked enough people with my backpack heading to the stage downtown. For all those who may have been injured while basking in my frontline glory...hard luck. If yuh see a woman decked out looking FAB! with she backpack, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! Doh tell meh "Miss yuh poke meh in meh eye/nose/ears/face" cause meen business.

I was surprised by how small our section was though, I thought it was actually one of the nicer sections in the band. There were only 3 frontline ladies and the section was the smallest in the band.

The flow was much better on Tuesday, we even went Piccadilly, which did slow us down a bit I think but then we moved swiftly up to the Savannah, where I got the opportunity to see TRIBE's costumes as they were right behind us.

I spent most of my time looking at people's feet to see if I saw any of my creations on the road and actually did end up seeing a couple of them! I saw the Saucy one looking FAB! of course and took a picture of the two of us.

Once we crossed the Savannah stage we headed to our rest stop which was opposite QRC and it was there that things went bleh for me.

The rest stop that was supposed to only be 45 minutes ended up being an hour and a half, as we had to wait for TRIBE and their million and one trucks to pass us. (Not blaming TRIBE here eh. so doh bring no hate).

Instead of moving off one time, the trucks took a while to move off and then headed up to Wildflower Park and then down Alexandra Street. This long wait made us pick up stragglers and lose masqueraders, because by the time the band came to 'order' there were definitely fewer masqueraders. Also missing after the lunch break was the band's security.

One thing that pisses me off as a masquerader is when a band realises they lagging or they trying to gain ground and will have the trucks speed up and have us, the masqueraders jogging behind the blasted truck like is a damn 5K. Meen pay fuh dat!

And truck horn only blowing yuh out of the way so they could accelerate. I doh think any truck should be going faster than 5km per hour on the road Carnival Monday and Tuesday, both for safety purposes and just general winery. ANYHOO...rant over.

All that said, overall I had a GREAT time on the road with Ronnie and Caro, from the vodka soaked salt prunes...to the lollies...to the FAB! backpack (hadda big up meh girl Arlene here who make backpack for me last minute!) and I would most definitely play with them again in 2009.

And we came FIRST in medium bands!!! Congrats to Ronnie and Caro and the crew! We have a celebratory lime tonight.

I must add here that after playing frontline, I would be hard pressed to ever play backline again.

Benefits of playing frontline:

You get to go on the stage before your section and play yuhself.

The band/section designers who fix your backpack for you so it fits comfortably on your back.

The entourage who holds everything for you including your camera and you can just instruct them to take pics! LOL. (Much thanks to the hubby MUAH!)

The paparazzi who take lots and lots and lots of pics! So make sure yuh looking tops!

Ronnie and Caro Band Launch: The Aftermath...

Date: Wednesday 1st August 2008

Place: Club Ambassador

Cost: $50 with invites and $100 without

Having played with Ronnie and Caro's section "Chutney" in Legacy this year, and having a fantastic time, I was glad to hear that they were coming with there own band for Carnival 2008.

So I made my way to Ambassador to take in the their presentation for C2K8 "De Gulf"

“De Gulf”The Gulf of Paria is a body of water located east of Venezuela and west of Trinidad. It is here that we find the “Five Islands,” known affectionately as “Down de Islands,” – Carera, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar Grande and Chacachacare. To visit one of these islands, you must pass through “De Bocas” ferociously turbulent water that has been known to turn the burliest seaman into a whimpering landlubber.

It is here that you will see “Wildfish” Manta Rays that can seat four men as comfortably as a couch, sharks galore, grouper, and of course “Jellyfish.” Along “De Gulf” the “De Mang” (Mangrove) protects the coastline with its gnarly roots and dense marshland. A little inward you will also find the Caroni Swamp, one of our wildlife sanctuaries where you’re sure to see “Scarlet Ibis in flight,” one of our national birds whose resplendent plumes get their fiery colour from the shrimp on which they feast. The dragonfly or “Battimamzelle” of local parlance abounds here too.It was in the calm waters of “De Gulf,” legend tells us, that daring “Pirates”
of old have their anchors laden with seaweed sought refuge for their ships and a
convenient place to bury their “Treasures.”

Today “De Gulf” gives us treasure of a different kind: black gold – oil. Join Ronnie and Caro in celebrating “De Gulf.”

Getting to Club Ambassador at about 8:15pm, I found that the turnout for the launch was pretty good. The actual showing of the costumes began just after 9:00pm and we were treated to views of the nine sections (7 of Ronnie & Caro's and 2 outside sections).

My favorite section was De Mang.

I LOVE a blue costume, and the combination of the bronze/brown colour and the blue, as well as the detail on the costumes, had me very interested.

Other sections that I liked/caught my attention were:

Down De Islands: Turquoise blue and silver! Hot! I like the bra and belt for this costume.

Moonlight in de Bocas: Blue, green, purple and gold. I don't like how they executed the headpiece...it seems a bit slapped together, but it is a nice costume.

Treasures: Gold and yellow. Never played in that colour combo before, not sure how good it would look on me.

Jellyfish: Pink and silver. I like the shade of pink, the backpack of the frontline go humbug yuh from tiefing a lil wine.

Batimamzelle: Bronze, gold and brown. I LOVE the colours. The wings on the frontline...not so much. That will be difficult to manoeuvre through town with dem wings. But it will look nice on the road.

The remaining sections: Wildfish, Pirates and Scarlet Ibis were okay, they just didn't appeal to me. I like the colours of Wildfish (orange, yellow and green) but I don't like how they are put together on the costume.

For more costume pics, you can check out Ronnie and Caro's website. (which was up and running the night of the launch!) and of course, Saucy's blog.

Right now I'm about 90% sure that I'm playing with Ronnie and Caro, if only because I played with them this year and know they provide good service and great costumes.

But I'm still leaving that 10% for anything else that may catch my eye and suit my pocket.

My Carnival Letters

Letter #1

Dear Ronnie and Caro,
I had a FANTASTIC time in your section, “Chutney” this year. Costume collection was effortless. My costume looked like it was supposed to and I didn’t need to alter even one thing on it. Food was as promised. Drinks flowed steady. I was really impressed to see Ronnie on the truck handling things in the bar as well on Monday.

The ONE problem I had was on Tuesday when one of your “security” was telling…sorry YELLING at me to get into my section (my pet peeve) when I was a mere foot away from the section. I watched him like he was mad and eventually one of the other security guys told him to leave me alone, cause like he realize what time it was with me.

The second problem I had (I know I said one before, but I just remembered something else) was the barmen. On Tuesday when my extra tall brother wasn’t around I had to stand up by the bar and got ignored but not by one, not by two but THREE of your barmen. I had cause to cuss way one who play he telling me he eh see me even doh he watch meh STRAIGHT in meh damn face!
Anyhoo, Ronnie got that complaint from me on the road Tuesday and handle dat one time!

Despite that, my brother, sister I law and I look forward to seeing what you’ll be bringing out next year. Thanks for a great first time with Legacy!

Yours in Carnival,
Afro Chic.

Letter #2

Dear Shurwayne,
I was to write you since before Carnival yuh know, but in between all de run around for stockings, accessories, boots etc, I just didn’t have the time.
I just have one thing to tell you.
You killed my section's vibes on Carnival Tuesday at our last competition point with yuh Open De Gate.
After signing up with Legacy, I had begun to mentally prepare myself to be brainwashed by Open de Gate on the road.
However, on Monday you were not around and our section became a smoothly choreographed machine to the tune of Jumbie.
Even at all the other competition points on Tuesday we did not cross with your truck. Our choice was Jumbie right through.
So is how you go come now and jumbie de scene with yuh Open de Gate nonsense? What is de point of dat? Yuh did done lose de Road March race…is like beating a dead horse.
Otherwise, on the road yuh wasn’t too bad eh. But yuh kill it fuh we dey man.

Ohnonono,
Afro Chic


Letter#3

Dear Carnival,
I enjoyed you this year.
Stage or no stage I had a time yes.
See you next year, God spear life.

Lovingly yours,
Afro Chic

Who yuh playing with?

After many months of indecision...which was mainly based on the high cost to play mas...I have finally registered to play mas a mere 13 days before Carnival.

I am playing with *drumroll*...

I have penned this letter to Mr. Big Mike to let him know my concerns with playing mas with Legacy.

Dear Big Mike,

After much hesistation I have signed up with one of your outside sections "Chutney" which is being done by none other than Ronnie "Mac the Knife" Mc Intosh and his lovely wife Caroline.

Please note however, that I am one of those masqueraders that is quite adverse to being in their section unless it is absolutely neccessary (i.e. when we are actually preparing to cross the stage/judging point).

So please do not expect me to be in my section until the ABSOLUTE LAST MINUTE.

I will NOT comply.

I understand the importance of your presentation, but you need to understand my need to be dreevaying all over the band.
On a last note, please, a begging yuh, doh have yuh security roughing me up to get in no section...yuh go make a papers. And it eh go be nice.

Hope this letter clears up your expectations of having this masquerader in your band on the road.

We shall discuss the dread I feel at having to listen to Shurwayne *shudder* all day long in a subsequent letter. Ohnonono!!!

Yours sincerly,

Afro Chic

This is my costume btw...I absolutely LOVE the colours (the orange matches my hair...LOL) and what really sold me on the costume was the headpiece.

I am going to organise my boots and sundry accessories this week.

Costume collection is next Wednesday...Valentine's Day.