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Mas in Focus
Written by : Stephen Spark
Location : London
Posted : Jul 10, 2006 : 11:21:00 PM |
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Thousands of cameramen from all over the world flock to Notting Hill every year to train their lenses on the glittering mas, but few have explored the processes and personalities that bring this great spectacle to life. The launch on 11th July of Stephen Rudder’s new 50-minute documentary for the Arts Council, Sequins, soca & sweat, is worth celebrating therefore, because he has focused on the mas camps, mas-makers and masqueraders to reveal the commitment, creativity and tensions that underlie the two days of carnival.
Rudder lets those involved in mas speak for themselves, from band-leaders to young masqueraders and people working in the camps. His camera catches youngsters practising their dance moves and enthusing about why carnival is so important to them; others tell of the sacrifices band-leaders have to make to ensure everyone has a costume on carnival day, or explain how working in the mas camp has helped their personal development. Older mas people reminisce about past successes and conflicts, and express concerns about the loss of traditional carnival craft skills.
As this is not intended to be a record of every mas band on the road, the film largely concentrates on Trinbago (Lawrence Noel), Mahogany (Clary Salandy), Flamingo (Martha Fevrier) and Inspiration Arts (Roland Noel). These four alone are enough to demonstrate the fierce independence of bands and their leaders, who often are at odds artistically but are united by a determination, drive and sense of purpose that surely could have made them kings and queens of industry, if mas had not claimed them first.
The most arresting sequences are those where Rudder intercuts speakers to create a thought-provoking debate on the direction mas in Britain ought to be taking. For example, Lawrence Noel regrets that his son seems unlikely to acquire his mastery of wire-bending, which he believes is a technique that the younger generation should be carrying forward. Clary Salandy, on the other hand, feels that foam and glass-fibre give her the freedom to create structures that would be impossible (or impossibly heavy and fragile) to make in wire or bamboo. Rudder also skilfully creates a “dialogue” between bands such as Flamingo and Mahogany that are strongly rooted in their communities and produce hand-crafted costumes to a high artistic standard, and the overtly commercial approach of Poison UK and other popular “bikini and beads” bands that rely on imported mass-produced costumes. This debate is one that is likely to generate increasing heat over the next few years.
Sequins, soca & sweat finishes where most carnival films begin – the start of Carnival Day – but the screenings will carry on into Black History Month (October) and beyond. Full details can be found on the film’s dedicated website,www.sequinsocasweat.co.uk. The film deserves the widest exposure, particularly in schools, colleges and arts centres, so that it can bring to people outside the mas community an understanding of how carnival is being created in Britain today – often against the odds, but always with passion. |
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