Canadian Carnival designs shine bright in Alabama

By Stephen Weir

Tru Dynasty is the proper name. The band and costume designer has North American carnivals and parades as its true dynasty this year and next. Their motto? “Where Carnival Lasts Forever.” Founder Thea Jackson took the band to Miami this past fall, and now she is back in Toronto thinking warm thoughts about the June 6th Birmingham Carnival in Alabama.

“Last parade I attended, and it was hot, hot, hot,” she told the Caribbean Camera.

“It was June, and we were in 103-degree weather! The president of the parade referred me to design for them!” So this summer, the Alabama 3rd annual carnival will feature a Canadian look on the road.

Jackson’s designs are well known in Toronto. Her Tru Dynasty has not missed taking part in the Toronto Caribbean Festival and Parade for years. The costumes she designed, which revellers wore in Toronto and Miami, were breath taking crowd favourites.

But because of the conservative nature of Birmingham, the organizers — the Central Alabama Caribbean American Organization — are not fans of the traditional costume designs seen at carnivals and street parades from England to New York, Toronto, and now Birmingham.

“What’s interesting is that the Alabama revellers are not allowed to show skin, so no thongs, no bare stomachs, and no skimpy costumes. It’s full coverage, no matter your shape,” Jackson explained.

Birmingham is a busy southern city with over 200,000 people; not the sort of modern city that has a dress code for women in their hot summer months.

“It is very religious,” Jackson said. “So is nearby Bessemer, a suburban city of 27,000, where much of the parade will be taking place under the banner of the Marvel City Caribbean Food and Festival. It is very much like the Belleville Festival or Waterloo — smaller, but loved by everyone.”

The first year it was held in Bessemer after previously taking place in downtown Birmingham for several years; over 5,000 people attended. Planning and costume-making are already underway in both communities for the June repeat.

The Alabama carnival continues to grow and thrive. The upcoming Caribbean Food & Music Festival in June promises a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture, where the joyous rhythm of steelpan, the swirl of a colourful parade (featuring Tru Dynasty costumes), and the irresistible scent of island cuisine all come together.

When the snow comes to Toronto and keeps her indoors, Jackson will be busy designing and building Alabama street costumes. She also makes daytime visits to schools in the Greater Toronto Area, bringing costumes and talking about the meaning of carnival and Black History Month. And teachers reading this? Skimpy is a good watchword for the costumes she brings to the classroom!