Mas band, Miss T&T World team up for charity

With The Greatest Show on Earth mere weeks away, Miss T&T World and Dream Team Carnival have teamed up for 2K11 to present Ritmo Del Rio. Dream Team, an off-shoot of the once hugely popular band Poison, is known for being an innovator in addition to being a stalwart of the art form. So it was no surprise when bandleader, Paul Singh, approached franchise holder for Miss World, Michael Raghunanan, with the proposal to create a section in Dream Team’s 2011 presentation, The Art of Dance.

As part of his commitment to raising funds for the underprivileged (in keeping with his obligations as national director for Miss World), Raghunanan agreed to do this on the condition that some of the proceeds from the sale of costumes would be given to various charitable organisations, including Habitat for Humanity, and The Children’s Life Fund. Singh and Raghunanan are hopeful that this arrangement would inspire other band and section leaders to give back in a similar fashion.

The section Ritmo Del Rio is a tribute to the Brazilian Samba. It is done primarily in red and gold with elaborate feathered headpieces, jewelled bras, arm and foot bands for the female masqueraders and a daring new look for the men. The section will feature contestants competing for the title of Miss T&T World 2011. Only 65 costumes for this special section will be made and sold, 45 female backline, five female frontline, and 15 male. Dream Team has been presenting bands on the road for Carnival for several years, and this year’s presentation will include several choreographed segments.

The band is fully inclusive and special attention is being paid to the security of the masqueraders. The band’s mas camp is located on Picton Street, Port-of-Spain, and can be reached at 623-0009, Monday to Sunday, between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm.

• Interested people can call
623-0009, 683-6207 or 733-0779