When the history of Children's Carnival is written, bandleader Rosalind Gabriel's name will definitely be indelibly printed in these annals. As she celebrates her silver anniversary in Children's Mas, Rosalind is about to add another first to her many innovations which have brought much enjoyment to the young band members and their parents - a Carnival Tuesday band with the youngsters and adults.
A band leader for the past 14 years, it was in 1993 that Gabriel started entering her band of youngsters in the Carnival Monday competition, where they were judged Band of the Day in the small band category every year until 1998, after which the NCC made a new ruling that from 1999 to compete, there must be two adults in costume to everyone costumed child: "That is where I couldn't enter anymore" says this diehard bandleader "although I still continued to put in my entry form and cross the stage, but we are not judged, as I cannot possibly meet the criteria which would mean that if I come out with 300 children, there must be 600 adults in costume."
Realising that there were other adults, in addition to the parents, who are fed up of the bathing suit costumes, Rosalind sent out a flyer inviting parents and children to last Saturday's launch of her 2002 presentation "Long Time, we used tuh....." which took place at the band's mas camp, 26 O'Connor Street , Woodbrook, explaining that "I wanted to bring the band out on Carnival Tuesday too, with adults wearing full costumes. The feedback was tremendous, they were all excited over it and came in large numbers to the launch."
"For this first time, we will either be in the mini category up to 50 masqueraders or small bands from 51 to 250, I am not sure which as yet" explained Gabriel "the children will be part of the band but when we go for competition only adults will be judged." Chris Santos and Gregory Medina are the designers for both bands.
The 14 beautiful sections of the 475 strong children's band, ranging in prices from $650 to $995 include all the things that we have done as children, such as, "Play baby dolls" (girls 4-5), "Eat Hale" (a sticky pink sweet pronounced hah-lay) for girls 5-6, "Pitch marbles" the game which is in vogue once again, for boys 4 - 6, "Take Sunday evening walks" (girls 6-7), "Blow windmills" (boys 7-9), "Swizzle we callaloo" (girls 8-9), "Fly chickeee chong kites" (girls 7-9), "Tief fish in de hollows" (unisex 9-11), "Take bush bath" (teens), "Tell Anancy Story" (boys 10 plus), two special sections "Play pretty Mas and "Burokeets", and two sections which are a must for the children of the St Mary's Home at Tacarigua "Play La Reine Rive" and "Roll bicycle wheel."
Says Gabriel: "I could never do this band without the children from St Mary's. They have been with us from the first band in 1990 and these children so look forward to this. Sponsorship for their sections was very hard in the beginning but I think that having proved myself and kept coming out every year and they saw the quality of the costumes, sponsorship became a little easier. We have had help from Dairy Dairy, CL Financial through Colfire and Tru Valu, and last year Blue Waters and Vemco."
The one thing which Gabriel misses is the competition from archrivals Richard Bartholomew and Alyson Brown, who are not in it anymore so that it is only at the Carnival Saturday Sunshine Snacks competition that some contest comes from other large bands. For five consecutive years (1997-2001), Gabriel has been the National Carnival Bandleaders' Association Band of the Year, and from 1998-2001 the Red Cross Band of the Year. "The years of competition were exciting" says this grandmother of nine who started in children's Carnival producing individual character costumes for her own son and daughter, both of whom won the King and Queen titles of nearly all competitions during the period 1977 to 1989, and has no plans to retire in the near future as she says "something inside does not allow me to stop."
Among Rosalind's many 'firsts' were production of a Carnival trilogy - "Tempo" in 1998 (portrayals of calypsoes), "Carnival Time Again" 1999 (bandleaders) and "Panorama" in 2000 speaks for itself. Her own music truck on the road on Carnival Saturday morning since 1993, so that she could control the quality of tunes being played for her young band members "I was agitated for many years with some of the calypsoes which were too crass for the children to listen and dance to." And a jump up out of the savannah after crossing the stage on Carnival Saturday along St Clair Avenue through Woodbrook: "This allows the children a little freedom, as for the whole route they are being marshalled and coralled, so coming out of the savannah gives them a chance to relax and enjoy themselves. There are people who look for us every year and want to be part of the celebration, at that time there is no more competition, it's just fun."
Rosalind Gabriel takes her mantra "we must teach our children how to play, as well as how to work" into the regional and international Carnival arena as with her dedicated team she has produced children's , as well as adult costumes, for Grenada, St Maarten, St Thomas, Cuaraco, St Kitts, Miami and Texas, and the bands have repeatedly won national titles.