Thousands play Mud Mas in Scarborough

Mus mas dominates Tuesday Carnival

Story by Cordell McClure

Photos by Adamson Charles

Tuesday Mas in Scarborough is usually about looking pretty in your costumes and having a good time as you gyrate along the approximately 1 hr trek down Carrington and Wilson streets. This was certainly not the case for everyone in this year’s carnival as thousands opted to play mud mas.

While many local designers were still fitting revelers on Main street uptown around 1pm, hundreds were already gathering at the Bagatelle base of the ‘Mudern Mud’ camp. It was there they would get to register for the now ultra popular band. Public Realtions Officer of the Band, Selassie Trim noted that the Band’s management has taken the organization of the group to a higher level. “Our band has been attracting players from all strata of society and this year we have introducing a VIP section in the band with food and drink,” Trim said.

 For a fee of $30, revelers would be able to access specially treated and prepared mud to be used along the parade.  The anxious revelers-mostly young people-wore very little clothing, and in some cases as old as they could possibly find. “I don’t have time to spend $1,000 just so; this is where the action is,” Darrel James, one of the revelers remarked. This sentiment was reiterated by others in his group as they posed for a photo by our photographer.

Not everyone was happy that they were required to pay for the mud. One irate woman claimed her group was allowed get mud without charge in Roxborough the previous day. “Mud is free, why must we pay for it,” she argued.

By 4 pm, the crowd at the camp had grown significantly. The camp directors tried feverishly to deal with the rapidly growing group. A policeman soon arrived and took control traffic clogged by the huge crowd. Some revelers began to vociferously express their displeasure with the long delay in moving off.

One hour later, it was time to hit the streets. Led by two large music trucks, the marauding hordes of mud revelers began prancing through the streets. As has now become the norm, many spectators joined the band as it made its way through the streets of Scarborough. Security tried as much as they could, but there was no stopping the spectators who joined at will. The mud mas group stretched for several hundred feet-making it the biggest band on the parade.

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But soon the flow of the band was interrupted-something had gone awfully wrong. ‘Kit Promotions,’ one of the leading mas bands, somehow crossed the path of the mud revelers. Over 75 of their costumes were soiled and had to be withdrawn before judging.

Many of the mud mas revelers, paid very little attention to the calamity of the other band. Most of the energized revelers used the opportunity to get a few more drinks from vendors who had lined Carrington street. By the time the group reached downtown Scarborough, there were approximately 3,000 revelers.

Kit promotion went on the win the band of the year title despite the mishap.

Getting Down: Two of the revelers in the Mud Band in Scarborough