VINCY MAS off to a great start

VincyMas 2026 is well on the way with a brand new team at the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) which, however, maintains Ricky Adams as Chairman and Rodney Small as CEO. In the very politicized atmosphere the presence of those two is despite calls to remove anyone associated with the outgoing government from the CDC. However, good sense only wins because efficiency cannot be thrown out just because…

The calypso tents have all launched their respective casts and this includes a brand new setup led by the veteran, Grantley Ipa Constance called the Calypso Cabaret. The Cabaret has sought to inject some difference in their show with displays of carnival costumes and that is commendable.

We must also commend the Youlou Pan Movement for their successful staging of Ivory Soiré. This all-white pan spectacle must have given a great boost to the youthful musicians from the steel orchestras. The quality of the performances was superb; the spirit was high. This bodes well for the fiercely competitive spirit which will be brought to the upcoming panorama competition.

The Soca releases have not shown any evident front runners in terms of popularity just yet, but the numbers have been slowly growing in popularity. However the mas components of the festival have been settled into their various tent spaces even after some initial hiccups which was resolved with the use of the Thomas Saunders Secondary School building which is still awaiting repairs. It is said that most times when a particular building is used as a más tent, it signals its impending abandonment. That thought we dismiss this time, preferring instead to read that it indicates that the repairs will soon be done post-haste.

The successful staging of the Miss SVG show dubbed La Flyer Royale must have given a major boost to the spirit of VincyMas 2026. These contestants had been in preparation for over a year for the big event which had been anticipated for the Independence period in 2025. Truth be told, the placement of that spectacle at the time of year when nationalism is the focus is not a good fit, but seems to be much better suited as part of the VincyMas festivities.

However the preparations which were dropped inexplicably gained momentum again and, with sponsors already secured, the show was on. The Beauty Shows Committee pulled out all the stops it would seem. The CDC has improved its stage set designs tremendously and created a great atmosphere.

The various segments were quite commendable. The outfit designs displayed were of a high standard- all credit to the designers. Standout performances came during the talent segment, only to disappoint somewhat during the interviews. The eventual winner Elreka Gaymes, representing Executive Air, gave her native Barrouallie boasting rights MissSVG 26; indeed La Fluer Royale!

It was a great way to kick off VincyMas ‘26 which sees Kaiso preliminary judging begin in New York with the Dynamites cast coming under scrutiny. The Great Escape is well and truly on.