2014 Toronto Caribbean Carnival Parade Highlights | Caribana

Toronto came alive with color, music and mas on Saturday, August 2, 2014, as the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade brought thousands of masqueraders and spectators together for one of the biggest Caribbean celebrations in North America.

For Julianspromos, the weekend was extra special. Toronto 2014 was the team’s first trip to the city and first coverage in Canada, opening a new chapter after years of documenting Carnival culture across New York, Miami and other U.S. cities.

On Carnival Saturday, Julianspromos hit the road with Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club and Tribal Carnival, capturing two major bands from inside the action.

Julian C. Hackett shot and edited the footage, while Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs joined the Tribal Carnival experience on camera.

Saldenah Brings “River of Mirrors” to the Road

One of the first stops was Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club, one of Toronto Carnival’s best-known mas organizations.

For 2014, Saldenah presented “River of Mirrors,” filling the road with elaborate costumes, feathers, color and movement.

The presentation featured numerous sections, each adding its own look to the larger theme as masqueraders made their way through the Grand Parade.

From close-up costume details to the energy of the band moving together, the Julianspromos footage captures what it felt like to be inside Saldenah on Carnival day.

Watch Saldenah at Toronto Carnival 2014

Event Date: August 2, 2014
Video Upload Date: August 6, 2014
Mas Band: Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club
Presentation: River of Mirrors
Shot & Edited By: Julian C. Hackett

Saldenah – River of Mirrors Photo Gallery

The Saldenah photos give an even closer look at River of Mirrors, from individual costumes to the excitement surrounding the band on the road.

Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club presents River of Mirrors during Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2014.

Tribal Carnival Takes Flight

The Carnival experience continued with Tribal Carnival, which brought its 2014 presentation “Secret of the Wingz” to the road.

The theme transformed the band into a world of feathers, fantasy and winged characters, creating a completely different visual experience from Saldenah.

Tribal’s masqueraders filled the route with bright costumes and nonstop Soca as the band moved through the heart of the Grand Parade.

Chandy Jumps With Tribal

This is where Chandy joined the fun.

Instead of watching Carnival from the sidelines, she got right into the band with Tribal, surrounded by masqueraders, costumes and music.

With Julian behind the camera, Chandy brought viewers along for the experience as the band made its way through Toronto Carnival.

It gave fans a chance to see the parade the way a masquerader experiences it — inside the music, inside the crowd and right in the middle of the road.

Watch Tribal Carnival – Secret of the Wingz

Tribal Carnival Photo Gallery

The Tribal gallery captures the color and excitement of Secret of the Wingz, including Chandy enjoying the road alongside the masqueraders.

Tribal Carnival presents Secret of the Wingz during Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2014.

Toronto Carnival From Inside the Mas

Part of what makes Toronto Caribbean Carnival special is the scale of the Grand Parade.

Mas bands fill the road with thousands of costumes while Soca pours from music trucks and spectators line the route to watch the action unfold.

But Carnival always feels different from inside a band.

With Julianspromos moving through both Saldenah and Tribal, viewers got more than a distant look at the parade. The cameras went directly into the mas, capturing the movement, costumes and personalities that make Carnival day come alive.

Two Bands, Two Carnival Experiences

Saldenah and Tribal gave the day two completely different looks.

River of Mirrors delivered the scale and spectacle of Saldenah’s presentation, while Secret of the Wingz brought a colorful fantasy theme to Tribal’s section of the road.

Together, the two videos offer a great snapshot of Toronto Carnival in 2014 — not simply the parade passing by, but what it felt like to move through it.

From the Julianspromos Archives

Toronto Carnival 2014 marked a major moment in the Julianspromos story.

After years of building coverage through New York, Miami and other U.S. Caribbean events, the team traveled to Toronto for the first time.

It was also Julianspromos’ first coverage trip to Canada.

The weekend began with Jab Jab J’Ouvert on Friday, August 1, followed by the Grand Parade on Saturday.

By the time Carnival Saturday arrived, Julian was on the road filming two of Toronto’s established mas bands, while Chandy joined Tribal and brought viewers directly into the celebration.

Toronto represented a new destination and a new Caribbean community for Julianspromos to document.

What had begun with coverage rooted in New York was continuing to grow — first through Miami and other U.S. cities, and now into Canada.

That makes Toronto 2014 an important milestone in the Julianspromos journey, but more importantly, the photos and videos still let viewers experience a little piece of that Carnival weekend more than a decade later.

Event Details

Event: Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade
Date: Saturday, August 2, 2014
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club
Presentation: River of Mirrors
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMvwHhzocMY
Video Upload Date: August 6, 2014

Tribal Carnival
Presentation: Secret of the Wingz
Julianspromos Host: Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrkWY8nqsSo
Video Upload Date: August 7, 2014

Shot & Edited By: Julian C. Hackett