His fans have missed him and, for three years, have clamoured for the return of Brian Mac Farlane to mas since his last presentation—Joy the Finale. Now that many who missed Mac Farlane’s spectacular mas presentations have come of age, the celebrated artist is giving them one more opportunity to have a sip from his well of artistic renderings.
After a three-year hiatus, Mac Farlane is returning to T&T Carnival in 2017 with a presentation he says would focus on art and fashion. This week Mac Farlane said that the production will be “a one-off” presentation being done primarily for the numerous masqueraders who have been clamouring for his return to mas.
Mac Farlane said: “I am not coming back to compete. The masqueraders would rule the band; whatever they wish to do that is what the band will be doing. If it is they wish to cross the (Queen’s Park) Savannah stage we will; that is if the authorities will allow us to do so. Remember, I am not returning to Carnival to compete.
“I am hoping that they will afford me a guest appearance, notwithstanding my contribution to the culture and Carnival, to present the band.”
Mac Farlane added: “Over the years my band has always told a story and next year will be no different. For the past couple years I have been looking at the degradation of our historic sites and buildings, from the Magnificent Seven to those lovely gingerbread houses in Woodbrook. The band that I am designing will be focusing on the past, on those old colonial buildings. We have had some fantastic architectural structures, like the Red House, President’s House, Mille Fleurs etc. So the main purpose of the band is to bring focus to that. It will be about when those structures were in their glamour days
“I have taken fashion which is from the period; art of the period; and, I have also taken the architecture of the period. The colours of the band are very muted; mainly brown cottons, whites, creams and beiges.”
For the production, Mac Farlane has assembled some of the country’s best fashion designers, including Claudia Pegus, Heather Jones, Peter Elias, Dianne Hunt, Sonia Mack, Charu Lochan Dass, Adrian Foster, Tobago’s Dayle Angus and Dhisha Moorjani of House of Jaipur to collaborate on the band’s designs. Also involved are two winners of UTT’s 2015 and 2016 Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design—Karlene Sanois and Harvey Robertson, respectively—two young people Mac Farlane will take under his wings and mentor. They will design two of the band’s sections.
Also aboard in support of the band is Rudlin Roberts and Citizens of Conservation and the Art Society of T&T.
Said Mac Farlane: “I have become a brand in Carnival because of the things I have done in Carnival but it would be great to bring other creative people to the work as this would bring more emphasis to the presentation. The band is designed by all these other top fashion designers, not only myself.”
Mac Farlane convened a breakfast meeting with his crew of designers on Monday at Dianne’s on Long Circular Road, during which they collaborated on designs for the band.
He said: “I had Rudlin Roberts of Citizens of Conservation at the breakfast meeting and she gave a fabulous talk. The designers are coming up with costumes that tell a story of that period. People are interpreting this in different ways.”
Speaking a bit more about the presentation, Mac Farlane said that because he is not competing, the band will not have a king and queen but will have three main characters who tell the story of the band. A prominent motif to be highlighted will be the battimamzelle, an insect Mac Farlane described as “a messenger of change.”
He said: “We need to start changing the way we think; the way we interact with each other, and treat each other. We need to respect each other more. We simply need to change.”
Keeping it traditional, Mac Farlane said that on Carnival day the band will break for lunch at Woodford Square, “around the fountain.”
The launch of the band, inspired by the works internationally renowned 19th Century Trinidad artist Michel-Jean Cazabon, is scheduled for the end of September. Mac Farlane said he has retained most of his traditional road music, including Laventille Rhythm Section, DJs CIN and Online, Tony Prescott and a steelband. He added that on the two days of Carnival, there will be musical “throw backs” to the early period of calypso and Carnival music.
Mac Farlane is optimistic that his band will make an impact in Carnival 2017 and is not placing a ceiling figure on the number of masqueraders he anticipates will play. He said: “I don’t know if I’ll get 200 or if I’ll get 1,200.” But, he said this “one off” presentation are for his loyal masqueraders who have been pleading with him to return, as well as for people who never had the Mac Farlane experience and those who were too young three years ago, but are of age now to play with his band.