Bazodee Connection 2006: On Stage and Beyond

Taking the stage where the judges preside is an exhilarating experience. Each section of the Mas Band performs for roughly sixty seconds then withdraws. But this is not the end to Caribana; it is its inauguration, a time when the true essence of Carnival and Playing Mas can be most fully appreciated. Each band stays together along the 3.6 km parade route, but loosely, allowing masqueraders to mingle with other participants and the public. The introduction of thousands certainly slows the procession, particularly for the mammoth Kings and Queens, but it has the advantage of blurring the division between performer and spectator, a line which tends to sterilize the rich experience of street theatre.