Members of the Tobago Performing Arts Company on stage, during the media launch at the Shaw Park Complex, Tobago. —Photo: THA INFORMATION DEPARTMENT All hands are currently on deck to ensure another successful staging of Tobago Carnival says Tobago House of Assembly (THA) councillor Tashia Burris.
Burris, Secretary of the Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation on the sister isle, says all stakeholders inclusive of bandleaders, service providers, competition holders, pan and other cultural practitioners have been engaged with the goal of building on last year’s successful debut. Tobago will host its second full October Carnival celebration, entitled “Ritual, Revelry & Release”, from October 27 to 29. (Source: Sunday Express, September 24, 2023) The renowned veteran Masman, Peter Minshall, is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most influential icons of Carnival!
Minshall was born on July 16th 1941 in Georgetown, Guyana and his family migrated to Trinidad and Tobago in the late-1940s. He grew up in POS where he was exposed to Carnival from a young age, before leaving to study Theatre Design in London. After graduating, he worked in costume design and mas. He became part of the multi-ethnic West Indian Theatre, as well as Notting Hill Carnival, where he was one of the first persons to design costumes. When he returned to T&T in 1974, he brought these experiences with him to create his “From The Land of the Hummingbird” costume for his sister Sherry-Ann Guy (Coelho). It showcased one of his earliest innovations: the articulated bird wing. In 1976, he designed his first full Carnival band “Paradise Lost” which won the 1976 Band of the Year title. In 1978, he produced “Zodiac”, followed by 1979’s “Carnival of the Sea,” which won Band of the Year in all categories. His monochromatic “Danse Macabre” (1980) and “Tan Tan and Saga Boy” (1990) showcased his creativity in movement, with the two towering, 15-foot dancing mobiles of Tan Tan and Saga Boy being moved by just two individual performers. Minshall appreciated the value of mas as a form of creative expression, and his Carnival creations and trademark dancing mobiles garnered international acclaim. He was invited to design and direct segments of the Summer Olympics in Spain in 1992 and in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, followed by the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002. In 1982, Minshall was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Trinity Cross in 1996 for Art and Culture, and Trinidad and Tobago’s first Emmy Award for his segment in the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Photo 1 shows Carol Aqui as "Madame Cocette", designed by Peter Minshall, from his 1981 Band of the Year. This photo is from the 1981 Trinidad Carnival Magazine, Special BWIA Souvenir Edition which is part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Magazine Collection. Photo 2 shows Sherry-Ann Guy winning Individual of the Year in 1974 with her “Humming Bird” costume created by Peter Minshall. This photo is courtesy of the magazine, “Trinidad Carnival 1974: The Greatest Spectacle on Earth” which is part of the Nasser Khan Carnival Magazine Collection at the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago. References: Bastien, Elliot, and Sandra Bernard-Bastien. World Class Trinidad & Tobago: an Area of Abundance: Profiles of Performance. Sekani Publications, 2006. Pacifique-Marshall, Virginia, et al. The Carnival Suite: a Collection of Traditional Carnival Characters of Trinidad and Tobago. StarApple, 2014. (Source: National Archives of Trinidad & Tobago, Feb 18, 2023) The record-holder for most Band of The Year Titles is master designer, Wayne Berkeley! Known as the bandleader responsible for bringing fantasy mas to Carnival, Berkeley’s costumes resonated with masqueraders who had known only historical presentations during the 1950s-1960s. His intricate and creative designs heralded a new form of mas, which brought a degree of imagination and variety to Carnival that continues to live on.
Born in 1940, Berkeley grew up in Belmont, opposite the mas camp of Harold Saldenah. During the 1950s, he attended St. Mary’s College while studying Art under one of Trinidad’s leading artists, M. P. Alladin, and his artistry flourished. Upon graduating, he moved to London for a few years where he continued studying art while working for the BBC as a set designer. He soon returned to Trinidad, bringing with him all that he had learned and became a professional designer, working on movie productions, and art exhibitions. In 1965 he was asked to design his first Carnival band, and also designed his first Carnival Queen costume for Pauline Figueroa, which won the 1965 Jaycees' Carnival Queen contest and catapulted Berkeley to nationwide fame. Berkeley’s designs were professional, meticulous and resourceful, utilising local items like cocoyea sticks, straws, shells and old casks to create his costume pieces. Over his 50-year career he produced eighteen bands, with nine of them winning Band of The Year. In addition to mas, he also designed Carnival Queens, with his presentations winning twelve times. In 1974 he was awarded the Humming Bird Medal (Gold) for his contributions to Carnival, as well as the 2004 Cacique Lifetime Award for his contributions to Theatre, as he was constantly in-demand abroad in Europe and the United States as a theatrical designer for Vegas musicals, and art exhibitions. Photo 1 shows Johnny Boos as “Jewel of Ceylon” in Wayne Berkeley’s “Kaleidoscope,” the 1974 Band of the Year, courtesy of the Trinidad Carnival Magazine, Special BWIA Souvenir Edition, 1974. These magazines are part of the The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Magazine Collection. References: Lindo, Paula. “Berkeley Mas Re-Enters Carnival with Tradition Reimagined.” Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, 5 Feb. 2023. Jacob, Debbie. “Wayne Berkeley: Trinidad’s King Carnival.” Caribbean Beat, 1992. (Source: National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, Feb 17, 2023) |
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