By Stephen Weir

Photos by G Medina

Maybe this big Mas Band should change its name in April from the Revellers to the Revivers. It has been two long shutdown springs since any Mas bands have held costume launches and opened up Mas camps to construct and sell colourful, skimpy, Carnival costumes and now the city is beginning to Jump Up in Toronto.

This April Jamaal Magloire’s Revellers was the first band to launch for 2022 Caribbean Carnival.

“Our costume showroom is ready,” said a Revellers spokesperson. With some 2,000 members, the non-profit Mas camp organization will, along with showing off this year’s parade costumes, be having fetes, fundraising events, and Blockos at their 2450 Victor Park Road headquarters from now until the July 31^st daylong Grand Parade.

“If the early April costume launch was any indication of what is to come the Revellers are going to have one Hot Hot spring,” said reporter Craigg Slowly. “The Edwards Garden Hall, followed the covid regulations, and the place is large enough that it was legally able to accommodate a large audience.”

“And, what a stage performance,” he continued, “Jamaal puts on a class act. The best city’s choreography shown of by ooh la bare-as-you dare models. They were in outfits designed for all shapes and sizes. The models sizzled – one of them – a professional dancer with the Raptors would have gotten a standing ovation except no one was standing during her routine.”

Top line entertainment by Jamaal Magloire has not forgotten his roots. At the launch there was a stage presentation to pay homage to people within the parade community, including Jamaal’s own father, Garth, who have passed since the last parade.

Eleven section leaders brought models on to show the costumes that will be available at the Mas Camps. With names like the Valley of the Kings, Capri and Miami Beach, it was not a shocker that the evening was called “Bon Voyage – Now Boarding for Carnival 2022.”

There are 11 Mas Bands taking part in this year’s Carnival. Four costume launches have been staged and there are seven more to come. The Grand Parade will be held Saturday July 31^st along Lakeshore Blvd beginning on the Exhibition Grounds.

With four launches held and more to come people are once again eating, dancing and partying all things Carnival, this Caribana Revival is now on in full force! The Festival Management Committee, who organize one of the country’s largest public parade, say that if the city is Covid safe and the weather willing a million spectators are expected to jump up once again this year.

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