Junior mas players on show this Saturday

Tomorrow, June 28, 2024, at Carnival City, Victoria Park, Blondie Bird and Friends will be hoping to retain the Sylvia Wilson Junior Band of the Year title with their presentation “Motherland”, as 13 bands vie for positions at Junior Carnival.

Last year, the mas band won with their portrayal of ‘Birds of a Feather’. They also took the top spots in the Uptown Competition; Junior King of Carnival; Junior Queen of Carnival; and the first and second positions in the Individuals 10 to 15 age group section.

Also competing on Saturday will be SVG Players International who placed second last year, and Nelson Bloc the third place mas band. Imagination Mas Band placed fourth last year and will be looking to up that position in 2024.

Other bands competing tomorrow are Mirage Carnival; Tribes Mas Band; Lynx Mas Camp; Beautex International; High Voltage Mas Productions; Leeward International; Melbourne Artisans; Verlene Ralph and the Professionals; and Xtreme Fanatics SVG.

Chairman of the Carnival Bands Association (CBA), Hugh Ragguette told SEARCHLIGHT on Thursday that the mas band, Energy Mas, will be also in the mix but is a non-competitive group of junior masqueraders from North Leeward.

Also, a group of about 20 to 30 masqueraders from North Leeward, the product of the last workshop conducted by Julian “Pilling” Pollard, will also show what they learnt from the now deceased cultural icon who was laid to rest last Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

“The persons who attended the workshop requested they do something to show what they learnt during the workshop, so they will participate for the first time,” explained Ragguette.

The chairman also noted that in terms of Junior Carnival, because the competition is for children, the emphasis is on masqueraders having fun and not so much about competition.

“The main objective is having fun, that is how it was conceptualized so many decades ago and how it has evolved and I hope it will continue to go this way.

“It is not heavy competition, only 5 to 9, and 10 to 15 age groups, junior queen of carnival, junior king and best junior section, and for the Sylvia Wilson Junior Band of the Year and the uptown competition which takes place on the way to Victoria Park around the Gibson’s Building Supplies on Bay Street,” Ragguette stated.

He added, “we don’t really emphasize the competitive aspect, that is left for the adult competition”.

Oxygen Mas will not be competing in junior carnival, and Ahdrenalin XO is out of competition altogether this year but is expected to return in 2025.