Fourteen After Band of the Year Title

Come Mardi Gras, SVG Players International will try their best to retain the Winston ‘Samo’ Samuel Band of Year title but 13 other bands are on their heels.

Competing for the top spot on Tuesday, July 10 during Mardi Gras are Ahdrenalin Carnival Mas Band, Beautex International, BMC Amerijet Magic 103.7 FM Blondie Bird and Friends, Metrocint High Voltage Mas Production, Imagination Mas Band, Xtreme FM 104.3 G&T Enterprise Lynx Mas Band, Melbourne Artisans, Nelson Bloc, Owen Ralph and the Professionals, Tribes Mas Camp and Xtreme Fanatics, Leeward International and Mirage Productions.

Head of the Carnival Bands Association (CBA) Hugh Ragguette said that Party Nation, which made a presentation last year is out of Mardi Gras in 2018 while Oxygen is once again a guest band in Mardi Gras. Heineken Dragons was hoping to make a comeback this year, but was unable to do so.

Mardi Gras will be judged in 16 categories including Band of the Year, Selwyn ‘Fuzzy’ Knights Best use of Colour, Uptown Mas on the Move and Individual of the Year. Mardi Gras also moves back to Victoria Park and Ragguette says that the band leaders are happy about this as they did not like the Little Tokyo venue.“We would try …[to] ensure it would be a good move. It is up to bands to make sure it was the right thing to do,” Ragguette said about the return to Victoria Park.

Mardi Gras begins at 2 p.m.