Thoughts on Tribe's Wings of Desire

Firstly, I am no fan of Tribe so note that there will be biases in this post.  For instance, I had a smh moment when I saw that their promo video for the band launch featured no soca. Really Tribe? Sometimes I wonder how much are these bands and their cult following concerned with promoting and preserving Trinidad Carnival, but again, that's my bias speaking. They are not.  I also don't like that you have to get past a gatekeeper to register withTribe, but I don't blame the band for that, I blame these soul-less masqueraders.  Now if you think I'm being too harsh here, try observing a Triber or a wannabe Triber around registration time...the devil makes a mint off of them...

Anyways, I am not completely anti-Tribe, but will give them credit where it's due. According to costume guru, Saucy, Tribe does literal interpretations well for the bikini and beads crowd.  If you remember Ole time Something Come back Again (which was my absolute favorite), Birds of a Feather, Butterflies, Beasts, and Bacchanal, and Tribe 10, these were all fabulous overall presentations.  For this reason I thought 2015 's Wings of Desire, which was supposed to be inspired by the Victoria Secrets' angels, would be brilliant.

Overall, Wings of Desire is simply, boring.  I expected more of the Victoria Secrets-esque wings with more vibrant and new color combinations.  I do not agree with the tired arguments that the designs are not original, they look too Brazilian, they are too skimpy...blah blah blah.  These critics need to remember that Tribe's model is not based on being cutting edge or producing Minshall type costumes.  They are satisfying their market, the same way that Poison did several years ago.  And while I'm on the Minshall and MacFarlane type costumes, a lot of them weren't original interpretations.

My main criticism of Wings of Desire, is that overall, the presentation is boring, but if you look closely, there are lots to applaud.  I think it's superficial to say that all the costumes "look the same". If you are of this opinion, I urge you to look closely at Solange Govia's designs. Vice's body wear where the sleeve and the illusion panty are remarkable concepts.  Although I'm not a fan of the color combo on Crave, she got the wings right and the details on the bra and necklace cannot be ignored.

Another costume where the body wear stood out is Raw. Oh em gee, do you see that bikini cut???

My overall favorite costume is Anya Ayoung-Chee's Luxe.  She captures the Victoria Secrets' wings and her signature fabric cape is the ish.

Source: Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Costume Photos

But these specific details on some of the designs do not help with the overall look of the band. More importantly, these are Frontline costumes and they make up a minority on the road.  Furthermore, at this point we have no idea what the backline will look like, but I predict they will all be lackluster and a poor scaled down version of the Frontline.  Over the years, Tribe's basic backlines have deteriorated and look like little or no effort went into them.  And for the males, just accept that board shorts and armbands will forever be your destiny in Tribe....

Finally, I would just like to point out to people, especially those outside of Trinidad and Tobago, that Tribe is not the be all and end all of the Trinidad Carnival experience although it is represented as such.  There are lots of other bands that do not require so much effort to get in and offer more for their backlines. If you are not into the bikini and beads, there are other bands that offer more creative representations.  If you don't want to play mas with 5000-6000 people, there are smaller bands.  If you want a more elaborate male costume, there are bands for you.  If you want to pay less, you can.  The Trinidad Carnival is not as insular as it may seem to be...

Anya's Take me to the Runway

Well Anya Ayoung Chee really took us to therunway with this design for Tribe's 2012 presentation. Boy, what a piece of nekkidness but it sexy for so. The design doesn't really stand out as original, but I like the colours. It also has a pocahontas feel with the materials and design of the headpiece. But my fave part of this costume is the cloth which really gives it the "Anya" touch. The word is that this is a VVIP section in Tribe, which is not surprising. Do not get ahead of yourselves believing that because you like the costume, you may get in the section....I don't think so. And well done to Tribe for getting creating further hierarchies in a band that is at the top of the hierarchy. So all those masqueraders who felt like they crossed a barrier to get into Tribe, you ain't reach yet; if you get into this section...let me know

Tribers...allyuh ready?

Although I am not a big Tribe fan, I am excited to see how their 2012 costume concept comes to life for their launch on July 23, 2011. I am even more excited to see how crazy people will get to secure a Tribe costume. It's clear that Tribe has staying power; no matter how expensive or overcrowded this band gets, it just seems to attract more and more people. And even with the advent of new large bands, it has not lost its appeal. The few people that do decide to migrate to these new bands are quickly replaced by masqueraders who are willing to sell their kidneys, house and mother in a heart beat to secure a costume. Even after people complain about Tribe, they then find themselves 5 months later with a severe case of Tribenesia, fighting to get back in the band they swore never to play with again....

Tribe's "The Way of the Warrior"

Some people may know that I'm not a big Tribe supporter; don't get me wrong I've played mas with them before and it's the best service I've ever experienced as a masquerader. However, what really turned me off was the frenzy to get into the band. I'm not going to rush and fight to get into any band but kudos to the Tribe die hards who will do what it takes (and I mean anything!)to get into this band.

But I have to say that their presentation this year caught my attention...I am glad that some of their costumes even though still within the bikini/beads/feathers genre, do not look like something we've seen before. However, it will definitely be a Frontline or Buss situation because the Frontlines sell off! Also, the males have been finally recognized and there has been a significant improvement in the offerings to our guys; they even have Frontline/Individual options!

My top 3 faves are:

Xi'an Warrior (Sandra Hordatt)- I love love that there are no gems and feathers and it looks so Xena-like.

Iroquois (Rhiannon Pemberton)- The color scheme is wicked and that cage bra is so sexy!

Masai Tribal Warriors (Peter Elias)- I like Peter's use of the Kinte cloth and the color scheme for the males...it's so warrior-ish.

Like always, Tribe's costumes are sexy and skimpy and there would be a serious problem if I wore any of these costumes...but I do hope that there are some sexy cover up options for the sistas who have muffin tops. Most importantly, it's one thing to like the costumes and to hold a desire to play in the band...but how do plan to get into the band???

***pics came from mimi's blog, where you can also see the entire presentation.