Mas Camps 2024 Ends With a Splash  

Mas Camps 2024 wrapped up with a splash on Thursday night after a downpour of rain fell upon the final three participating bands. As we’ve reported, this year’s carnival bands brought a flurry of colors and energy to the streets of Belize City, as they prepare for the road march on Saturday. Despite the torrential rains, eleven bands were still able to bring the energy and excitement Belizeans have come to expect during the September Celebrations. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with a recap of the four-day camp.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

It’s been four days of music, movement, and madness at the Mas Camps 2024. This year will see five junior and six senior bands in the carnival road march. Night one started off with the Sunshine Masqueraders Junior band bringing the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory to Regent Street.

 

Lisa Sutherland, Operational Manger, Sunshine Masqueraders

“Our theme for this year is Wonka Land and we’re giving the three sections of Wonka Land. So section one is the cotton candy and gum drops, locally known as juju. Section two is the chocolate and the golden ticket, and they will be wearing purple and gold. Section is the peppermint and lollipop and they are going to be dressed with a backpack and colors of the rainbow.”

 

Fort Revelers were the next stop of the night where band leader, Leroy Smith explained that he is proud of himself and his team for what they accomplished as first-time entries. He told us that the Fort Reveler’s theme hails from the depths of the sea.

 

Leroy Smith, Band Leader, Fort Revelers

“My theme for this year is god and goddess of our sea, which is queen Galatea and the back section is King Poseidon.”

 

Britney Gordon

“How many sections do you have?”

 

Leroy Smith

“We have two sections. The first section is pink and purple and the second section is all shades of blue.”

 

Britney Gordon

“It looks like a lot of work went into them, we see that the energy is all the way up to here. How are you feeling coming out of judging? Are you confident?”

Leroy Smith

“I’m confident because for my first year, I think I’m doing so wedel so far.”

 

On the second day, the Trench Town Masqueraders kept their spirits high, despite the heavy shower later in the evening. Before the rain began, junior bands Jump Street Posse and Collet Royal Revelers were able to bring their A-game for the judges.

 

Voice of: Marina Welcome, Band Leader, Jump Street Posse

“Let me start with the dynasty first. Dynasty go along with the queen that go along with the queen that won first place for the king and queen. It’s all about the revelers and the time clock. And then we have to go a little farther where we stamp harder with our culture. We have the Garifuna, we have two different set of Maya and we even have the Creole.”

 

Paul Lopez

“So culture is at the center of this theme.”

 

Marina Welcome

“Definitely. This is Belize. You cannot do nothing without involving your culture.”

 

Band leader, Samantha Soberanis explained how she decided to think outside of the box for her group’s theme.

 

Voice of: Samantha Soberanis, Band Leader, Collet Royal Revelers

“This year’s theme for Collet is summertime: a glimpse of children at play. When school closes in June, the parents trying o wonder what will my child be doing during the summer? And I said majority of the time students don’t want to go to summer classes and that’s because thy already stuck in a classroom for eight, to ten months. So I said okay, instead of focusing on going to summer school, let me think of the things that they love and they enjoy.”

 

Day three, the party was back on as junior bands Black Pearl, Soca Massive and senior group, Belizean Jewels took to the streets to liven up the night. Both Belizean Jewels and Soca Massive’s kings had taken home the crown at the Carnival King and Queen competition in the senior and junior categories, respectively. Belizean Jewel, band leader says that the win was a great achievement for the group, as supplies were hard to come by this year.

 

Kadejah Tunn-Retreage, Band Leader, Belizean Jewels

“Challenges, I would say definitely supplies this year Belizean Jewels went extremely loud with feathers. like I said one of our costumes holds over forty feathers. to get that capacity of feathers in Belize is a little bit hard so the shipment and all that is a lot of logistics behind it but we’re grateful for our logistics manager who kind of coordinated all of that together for us”

 

As band leader, Pauline Bradley says costumes must be able to withstand the September showers.

 

Pauline Bradley, Band Leader, Soca Massive

“Whenever I come back with my ideas I tried to think about stuff that will stand against the weather because everybody knows that come carnival day that we will have rain, So I always try to make sure that I have durable costumes that would stand against our weather.”

 

The energy never subsides, as the three senior bands Soca Moca, Mother Nature Creations and Titans wrapped up the Mas Camp. Mother Nature Creation’s spokesperson told us that 2024 makes twenty years since the band began participating in carnival.

 

Spokesperson, Mother Nature Creations

“Tonight is a very influential year for us, very big year. We get to celebrate twenty years at carnival. Twenty years and not just twenty years, but twenty years of being the only senior mas band that carries the name Mother Nature’s Creation. We no change name to this one then then five years after to that one. Mother Nature’s Creation for twenty years.”

Soca Moca’s queen costume took home the Carnival crown this year. Their spokesperson told us how they aim to make their group welcoming for all Belizeans to enjoy through their music, costumes, theme, and attitude.

 

Spokesperson, Soca Moca

“Its 2024. We are a family. Despite what anybody says Soca Moca is a camp of love, we welcome anybody we don’t cause any problem and even so we’ve been trying to be our best regular self because we want to put on a good product. we want beautiful costumes with vibrant revelers and a team so that people can identify.”

 

Titans band leader, David Matus told us that his band is the largest of the bunch and although they are not competing, they are excited to join the celebrations with everyone else on Saturday.

 

David Matus, Band Leader, Titans

“It’s a great feeling you know this is what we want we want to see the end product on stage we want to see the end product on the day. We’re seeing two hundred members on the streets but these elaborate costumes it’s an awesome feeling because you know you know the time putting is well appreciated.  We’ve been solo from February we decided in January. If one person falls all we add another because we have a waiting list.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.