More costume bands from NYC to Bim

Week by week, Barbados' Crop-Over festival is heating up with more bands launching.

Small and mid-size bands such as Wednesday 2000, Jump and Ooutraje have all launched recently.

Our initial reaction to Wednesday 2000 was ... mehhhh. A lot of the costumes just were not cutting it, like these two selections below.

What's going on here? Did they spend all the money on the (admittedly nice) headpiece and just decide to forget about getting a waistpiece or decent leg bands or some appliques or someting to take de shame off the gold lame sports bra?

This costume also did not really do it for us. We get that it's supposed to be a colour splash hence all the different colours in the headpiece and in the appliques on the bra but it looks like federation. I actually prefer the guy's outfit. At least they bothered to get a waistband for this one though.

Some of the other costumes however were less mehhh. They did not make us swoon with excitement but they were wearable.

Now lest you think that we here at islandista are just philistines who adhere strictly to the 'bikini and beads' philosophy, that is not entirely true... not entirely! For instance, we are fans of the work done by small band Ooutraje which manages to span the gap between artistry and sexiness.

Their 2009 presentation, In the Beginning, is no different. The costumes are for the most part sexy and wearable yet they also actually (shock!) depict a theme - the beginnings of Barbados.

[caption id="attachment_1075" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="Africans"][/caption]

While there are some elements that would give us pause in our quest for ultra-sexiness on the road, such as the jar/water vessel as the headpiece and the chains, we can see and appreciate where they are going with this and why. At least they are committed to the theme. I wonder if the face painting will be included too? That would make for a great stage presentation!

 



[caption id="attachment_1076" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="Arawaks"][/caption]

 



We also really liked their Arawaks costume and this is actually less out there than the Africans costume. I also really, really like the costumes they have for the fellas. Too often a lot of the bands just give them a boxer shorts and some leg and arm bands and leave it at that. For the amount they have to pay, they deserve the full works too!

 



[caption id="attachment_1077" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Jump Promotions 2009 presentation 'Sweet for Days'."][/caption]

 



Jump has also launched (costumes above) and their prices are some of the best out for Crop-Over, especially considering that a lot of their costumes are quite decent and you still get the same perks as other bands - food, drinks, wee-wee truck etc.

Further afield, Ramajay mas launched their presentation for the 2009 Labour Day carnival in New York City.  The interesting thing I found about a lot of their costumes was that while they were not strong on some of the things we expect on our costumes like intricate and fully beaded waistbands in some instances or dramatic feathered headpieces in others, they had all these fascinating other details like spectacular backpacks (Rain and Green Jasper) or billowing wing-like arm pieces/capes (D'Amazons, directly below).  Check it.

 



[caption id="attachment_1078" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="D'Amazons by Carnival Divaz"][/caption]

 



[caption id="attachment_1080" align="aligncenter" width="315" caption="Rain by Team BG"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1079" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="Green Jasper by Fatal Angels"][/caption]