Inside “Savage Paradise”: Chandy Visits the Mas Camp Ahead of New York Carnival 2013

Before “Savage Paradise” reached Eastern Parkway for New York Carnival 2013, Julianspromos went behind the scenes to the Brooklyn mas camp where the presentation was being prepared.

Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs hosted the interview for Julianspromos, speaking with the team behind the presentation as costumes, concepts and plans for Labor Day were taking shape. The original video was published as “BoomStation, Phoenix Int & Kaios Int Presents: ‘SAVAGE PARADISE’ 2013 Labor Day Mas.”

Contemporary Carnival records confirm an unusual part of the story: both Phoenix International and Kaios International Mas Band were registered for the 2013 West Indian American Day Carnival with the same portrayal, “Savage Paradise.” Phoenix was led by Hayden John with Gussy as co-leader, while Kaios was led by Mark McClean with Heather Greenidge as co-leader.

Inside the Mas Camp with Chandy

Rather than waiting until Labor Day to capture the finished band on Eastern Parkway, Julianspromos visited the mas camp while Savage Paradise was still being prepared.

Chandy took viewers inside that process through an on-camera interview with the people involved in the presentation.

That makes the footage different from a typical Carnival highlight reel.

The costumes hadn't yet spent hours on the road.

The masqueraders hadn't assembled into a complete band.

And the results of Carnival Monday were still unknown.

This was the stage where ideas were being turned into mas.

What Was “Savage Paradise”?

For Kaios International, the theme had a direct connection to the energy of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2013.

Kaios co-leader Heather Greenidge explained in contemporary coverage that Savage Paradise was inspired by the uninhibited way people had celebrated Carnival in Trinidad that year. She described the idea as people celebrating like “savages,” but in a positive sense, letting themselves go and enjoying Carnival freely.

The costumes reflected that concept through an earthy, jungle-inspired aesthetic, while still incorporating a broad range of Carnival colors.

The result was a theme that combined two contrasting ideas:

Savage represented the wild energy of Carnival.

Paradise represented the colorful world in which that energy could exist.

Phoenix International and Kaios Share “Savage Paradise”

One of the most interesting details preserved in the 2013 Carnival records is that Savage Paradise appears under two different registered mas bands.

The official pre-Carnival directory lists:

Phoenix International
Band Leader: Hayden John
Co-Band Leader: Gussy
Portrayal: Savage Paradise

and:

Kaios International Mas Band
Band Leader: Mark McClean
Co-Band Leader: Heather Greenidge
Portrayal: Savage Paradise.

The Julianspromos video title adds BoomStation to that relationship, crediting BoomStation, Phoenix International and Kaios International together.

Rather than simplifying that history and treating them as one organization, the archive should preserve the way the collaboration was presented at the time.

Kaios Was Getting Much Bigger

The interview also came during an important growth year for Kaios.

In 2012, Kaios had approximately 150 masqueraders and competed as a small band.

For 2013, organizers expected approximately 300 masqueraders, moving Kaios into the Large Band category.

That was essentially a doubling of the band in one Carnival season.

Kaios had grown from a group of friends who wanted to make mas more affordable while remaining connected to Carnival culture. Several members of the original group were designers, and costumes were being created directly within the organization rather than simply outsourced.

That background makes a mas-camp interview particularly appropriate.

The camp wasn't just somewhere costumes were stored.

It was where much of the band was actually being built.

Keeping Carnival Accessible

Kaios' organizers also spoke openly at the time about keeping participation affordable.

Contemporary reporting described adult costumes starting around $180, with children's costumes beginning around $60. Organizers emphasized that winning mattered, but creating an enjoyable cultural experience for masqueraders was more important.

The mas camp also served a broader purpose.

The team talked about involving children throughout the year through family events and Junior Carnival activities, helping pass the culture to another generation.

That gives the Chandy interview more context.

Behind the feathers and presentation names was a community operation preparing hundreds of people to participate in Carnival.

From the Mas Camp to Eastern Parkway

Eventually, Savage Paradise left the camp.

The 2013 West Indian American Day Carnival took place on September 2, 2013, bringing the adult bands onto Eastern Parkway for Labor Day.

Contemporary road coverage confirms Kaios International on the Parkway with Savage Paradise, including masquerader Chinisa Nash portraying “Lady Bird.”

For Kaios, the season ended with an especially significant result.

After competing as a small band the previous year, Kaios moved into the large-band field for 2013 and ultimately finished third among the Adult Large Bands, behind Ramajay Mas and Sesame Flyers.

That made Savage Paradise an important step in the band's growth.

Chandy Captures the Story Before the Road

That's what makes this Julianspromos footage valuable today.

It doesn't begin with the final parade.

It begins inside the mas camp.

Chandy is there talking with the people involved while Savage Paradise is still being prepared.

The costumes are close enough to examine.

The team can explain the concept in its own environment.

And Eastern Parkway is still ahead.

Later, the presentation would become a full Labor Day band and Kaios would earn a third-place Large Band finish.

But the Julianspromos interview captures the moment before all of that happened.

Before Savage Paradise hit the road, Chandy went inside the camp where it was coming to life.