Latest News

KARMA Carnival Band summons the Spirits of Carnival to take you on a fairytale journey into the carnival past of a people from a little island in the sun who

“Once Upon A Carnival”

were able to get off the plantations, break the binds of slavery and take to the streets in a festival of color, vigor, vibrancy and splendor that has taken shape and grown from its humble beginnings to one that has come to be celebrated the world over.

It is said that you don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been, so out of this story of survival, culture and endurance KARMA ispresenting a modern day interpretation inspired by whence this tradition of carnival came from.

This is our interpretation of mas then, now; traditional mas characters of old in all their modern glory. Arise ye spirits of old and reveal yourselves, let our past now be our present and bring forth the Sailors, the Fancy Indians and the Red Devils.

This is KARMA Carnival Band’s

“Once Upon A Carnival” – a fairytale of a people from a little island in the sun

Sailors

– This traditional character was introduced in the late 1800s when British, French and American naval ships came to this little island in the sun. It became one of the more popular characters to portray and spawned many variations including Free French Sailors, King Sailors and Fancy Sailors.

Fancy Indians

– This mas is based on the indigenous people of North America and is the most popular variety of the traditional Indian mas characters, among which you also have Red Indians (Warahoons), Blue Indians (linked to the indigenous peoples of Venezuela) and Black Indians or African Indians.

Red Devils

– The name of this mas is derived from the French patois for “Diable” and this particular adaptation is an amalgamation of the traditional devil mas characters Jab Jab (which is a pretty devil mas) and Jab Molassie (which incorporates chains and a pitch fork).