Turning lemons into big jugs of lemonade; Fordes pull it off with ‘Ol Time Costume Launch

BY STEPHEN WEIR

The costume launch season officially ended early last Sunday just before tip-off of the Raptor’s championship series game. Longtime Mas producers and designers Jacky and Clarence Forde, brought along Blue Devils, Dame Lorraine and many other traditional Carnival characters to their ‘Ol Time Mas Launch at Scarborough’s Queen Victoria Pub.

The Forde’s Toronto Mas Arts is keeping characters like the: Fancy Sailors, Robbers, Dame Lorraines, Moko Jumbies, Pierrot Grenades, Stick Fighters and Blue Devils in the parks and streets of Toronto this summer.  These traditional carnival characters are being used in their outdoor theatrical presentations and in this summer’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival events.

The Fordes are adept at turning lemons into big jugs of lemonade. When they found out that their Sunday afternoon long-ago booked costume launch was going up against the Raptor finals – they started a tongue in cheek meme telling carnival followers that their afternoon fete would be over before the opening whistle at the downtown Scotiabank Arena.

Whether it was through Facebook, Instagram, emails or text, if you knew Jacky Forde you would have received a message from her saying, “After church… Before the Game, Come Dingolay!”

“When we booked the pub, we didn’t think we would be up against an important Raptor game, but, it was too late to switch,” Clarence Forde told me. Their message to the city worked; over 100 people crammed into the pub to watch the costume show and many stayed for the game.”

“We might have dragged our launch out (like most other Mas Camps) but we couldn’t do that with the Raptor’s game happening at 8pm,” continued Mr. Forde. “We had over 100 people in the pub along with the locals, and we started the show pretty well on time and got everyone out before tipoff.”

With a change in the rules of the road for this year’s Carnival parade, costumed guest bands and non-competing costumed bands can take to the street on August 3^rd alongside the big bands like Tribal, Revellers, Mas, and Carnival Nationz. Toronto Arts Mas’ Ol’ Time Carnival will be at the front of the Grand Parade this summer.  Their 100-strong costumed Mas band will be the last non-competitor group to head out on the road, right before the first big band leaves the gate.

“We are in the process of setting up our Mas camp,” Jacky Forde told me. “We should know later this week if we have secured a spot.  People should check out our website for the address and to register!  I do know that we plan to have it open daily from 4pm to 9pm.

In addition to their Mas Band taking part in a number of carnival events (July 20^th Gala and the July 26^th Police Launch), the Fordes are once again staging their annual Toronto Arts sponsored Ol’ Time Carnival Outdoor Show on July 20^th in Meadowvale Park. “This summer we have NEW characters and a NEW storyline. We are taking traditional Mas back where it began!” Toronto Mas Arts promises to add more events in the near future to their already full Carnival calendar.