Hollywood Carnival 2015: EPIC Mas Brings “Concrete Jungle” to Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard traded movie premieres for feathers, Soca and mas on Saturday, June 27, 2015, as Hollywood Carnival brought Caribbean culture into the heart of Los Angeles.
Masqueraders filled the boulevard with color and music as the parade moved through Hollywood toward the Carnival Culture Village. Among the bands on the road was EPIC Mas, presenting its 2015 theme, “Concrete Jungle.”
The day also brought some familiar Soca faces into the celebration, including Machel Montano, Alison Hinds, Angela Hunte, Lead Pipe & Saddis and Lyrikal, with music from Dr Jay and Back To Basics helping keep the road moving.
Welcome to the “Concrete Jungle”
For Hollywood Carnival 2015, EPIC Mas presented “Concrete Jungle,” bringing the theme to Hollywood Boulevard on June 27.
The original promotional artwork introduced the presentation months before Carnival, with registration opening in March as EPIC Mas prepared for the road.
The band divided Concrete Jungle into five sections:
BULL — EPIC x cANYAval, designed by Anya Ayoung-Chee
DOVE — Caesar’s Army, designed by Jangelique
LION — islandME & KDK, designed by Humzee Mohammed
PHOENIX — STOOSH, designed by Sandra Hordatt
BUTTERFLY — Fantasy Carnival, designed by Marie Collette
Once the costumes reached Hollywood Boulevard, the concept became a moving mix of Carnival fashion, feathers, music and mas against one of Los Angeles’ most recognizable backdrops.
Soca Takes Over Hollywood Boulevard
The costumes were only part of the experience.
Machel Montano joined the celebration alongside Alison Hinds, Angela Hunte, Lead Pipe & Saddis and Lyrikal, while DJs and music trucks kept masqueraders moving along the route.
Flags were waving, masqueraders were chipping and jumping, and for a few hours Hollywood Boulevard looked a lot less like Hollywood and a lot more like Carnival.
The Party Moves Into the Carnival Culture Village
After the road, the celebration continued at the Carnival Culture Village, where the Saturday festivities carried on with food, music, culture and live performances.
The stage brought another side of the weekend, with performers including Machel Montano, Nadia Batson, Lyrikal and others appearing before the Hollywood Carnival crowd.
Vivaa Goes Backstage
Away from the stage, Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson caught up with artists and personalities moving through Hollywood Carnival weekend.
The surviving backstage footage features interviews with Nadia Batson, Lyrikal, David Millien of Millbeatz Entertainment, Lova Boy, Cloud 9 Sound of Belize and Moe, giving viewers a chance to hear directly from some of the people involved in the music and festivities. The live archive also confirms Vivaa as host/interviewer, with Julian C. Hackett handling the filming and editing.
One More Day in Hollywood
Carnival weekend was not finished when Saturday ended.
On Sunday, June 28, the celebrations moved indoors for Shine Hollywood, giving masqueraders, artists and Carnival lovers one more night to party before the weekend wrapped.
Saturday had been feathers, sunshine and mas on Hollywood Boulevard.
Sunday was for the after-party.
OHM sat right in the Hollywood & Highland complex, putting the party in the middle of the same Hollywood district the Carnival had taken over the previous day.
Shine gave the weekend a completely different setting. Saturday had been costumes, sunshine, trucks and thousands of people moving along Hollywood Boulevard.
Sunday brought the energy indoors for one more fete before everyone had to admit the weekend was actually ending.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Hollywood Carnival 2015 marked Julianspromos’ second consecutive year covering Carnival in Los Angeles, following the company’s first Hollywood Carnival coverage in 2014.
Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson hosted the 2015 coverage, including interviews throughout the weekend, while Julian C. Hackett filmed and edited the footage.
The June 27 assignment produced road coverage with EPIC Mas, photography from Hollywood Boulevard, Carnival Culture Village footage and backstage interviews before the weekend continued with Shine Hollywood on June 28.
The main Hollywood Carnival highlights video was uploaded to the Julianspromos YouTube channel on July 2, 2015, preserving EPIC Mas’ “Concrete Jungle” presentation and another chapter in Julianspromos’ growing Carnival coverage across North America.
