If you stopped by yesterday, you had a chance to read some Caribana 2018 feedback from masqueraders, good, bad and ugly. Wanna, of Wanna’s World, also had her own story to tell, to shed some light on the headache that was Caribana 2018.

Here’s what I asked Wanna.

COSTUME PICKUP

Was costume pickup day organized? 

My original costume pickup day was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. I was annoyed by this slight inconvenience but brushed it aside once I seen how beautiful my costume was in person. The construction was immaculate and nothing fell apart on the road. However, when it came time for payment, that’s when the mess started. They forgot to add an additional $100 on my receipt for my wire bra and to my surprise, they requested this amount before they handed the costume to me. I quickly rejected the offer and told them that I was going to pay the price that was ADVERTISED. They acknowledged the mistake and honored the price I was promised. After this, they went through my box and checked off all the items but failed to show me how to put it all together (it had several pieces and it was confusing). I paid $850 for a Frontline costume and they didn’t provide any garment/goodie bags.

How long did you wait before you received your costume? 

I waited for about 25 minutes. The mas camp was pretty empty.

Were you offered any amenities while waiting? A drink, a snack etc?

Nothing. Not even a chair or a beverage.

THE ROAD – Food/Music/Staff/Vibes

How was your time on the road?

To be honest, I had HIGH expectations. Carnival Nationz is the second biggest band in Toronto and they arguably have some of the BEST costumes. However, if I learned anything during this experience, always do your research. Hundreds of masqueraders have been complaining about this band for YEARS and I didn’t see the drama until the parade was finished. They told us to meet up for 8:30AM but my friends and I got there around 11:20 AM. The band didn’t move until 11:30 AM.

In the beginning, the vibes was nice but after waiting in the heat for hours without food or water, my mood went from happy to sour. The people on the trucks were drinking alcohol and feasting like Kings whilemasqueraders were passing out and starving. I did not pay hundreds of dollars to watch people enjoy a VIP experience on my dime.

Throughout the day, we were told to get in our sections repeatedly to get ready to cross the stage but that moment never came. At one point, we had more stormers than masqueraders in our band. When 5:30 PM hit, my friends and I decided to leave before they crossed. We just couldn’t take it anymore.

Was the food offered good? Did they serve drinks? 

What food? You mean the dry ass pizza they served with their bare hands? I refused the “lunch” and proceeded to look for some water to cool me down on this scorching hot day. Water was few and far in between and various masqueraders had to push and shove to get a beverage. They promised us breakfast, lunch and dinner and I never had a morsel of food. Supposedly they served roti down the line and various people got sick. I guess it was a blessing that I didn’t eat? Also, I saw a few stormers eating and drinking OUR food/drink supply, why wasn’t the food distribution handled properly? Lastly, the police were called to our truck at one point because a few of the girls passed out on the side of the road. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Was the staff helpful and accommodating? Was the truck bar quick? 

LOL. What staff? Every time I tried to look for a marshal or volunteer, they were wining on gyal. When I was lucky enough to spot a staff member to ask for assistance, they were unclear and didn’t know what was going on. Also, the trucks were a HUGE hazard on the road. They drove dangerously through the crowds, it was terrifying! When I did spot a truck bar I tried to catch up to them but the driver thought he was in the Fast & Furious film franchise.

How was the vibes of the band? Was everyone enjoying themselves? Was it a stush band ? 

The vibes were so/so. At the beginning, everybody was getting on bad due to the excitement of it all but around the half way mark all morale was lost. People were tired, hungry and pissed. I have never been in a band where people weren’t chipping down the road. Masqueraders in my section were walking, no wines, no splits in the middle, just walking like zombies.

How was the music ? Did they play the same songs over and over or was there a good variety? 

When the music wasn’t skipping, we heard the same songs over and over again. I swear I heard ‘Soca Kingdom’ over 14 times. Where was the variety? The mixture of soca? The vibes? My waistline was depressed.

How would you rank your overall experience from 1-10?

Between the unsanitary food practices, the amount of stormers, bad DJ’s and confusion? I’m giving Carnival Nationz a 5 and I’m being generous. I usually get tabanca immediately after I play mas but I’ve been miserable ever since. I want a refund at this point. I’d advise people to stay CLEAR of this band until they fix up.

If you played mas with Carnival Nationz as well, feel free to leave your feedback as well.

Yours in Mas,