DREAM TEAM promotes Carnival to new international markets

With an a passion to seriously contribute to the continued development and recognition of our magnificent Trinbago Carnival and it’s related culture via new markets around the world, the Dream Team Carnival Committee held it’s USA Carnival 2008 mas band launch in New York last Saturday at the popular Rum Jungle Night Club in Queens, to a packed and appreciative audience.

With little standing room left, the patrons were mesmerized by the beautiful display of the twelve sections of Dream Team’s “Bejeweled” presentation for 2008. From sections depicting the creativity of our people to our rich cultural heritage, the beauty of our flora and fauna to our wealth of industrial realism, and much more, the T&T Carnival Dream Team undoubtedly made a positively memorable impression in favour of Carnival 2008, not just for their Bejeweled presentation, but also for Carnival as a whole, as immediately after the launch many patrons anxiously expressed interest in visiting our shores to partake of Carnival 2k8.

Communications executive for Dream Team, Pat Garcia, who did the choreography and commentary for the New York presentation, proudly detailed that the show was so well received that costume bookings are already coming in from those who attended.

Pat said: “Dream Team has a very large following from the US, so this launch was done to afford masqueraders an up close and personal view at the actual costumes of their choice”.

Garcia also said that every Saturday in December 2007, Dream Team costumes will be on display at the same USA venue to cater for those who missed the actual launch. This will not only attract interest in Dream Team’s Carnival activities, but additionally, in our Trinidad and Tobago Carnival and culture, on a general basis.

But the official USA launch was not the Dream Team’s sole purpose in the USA during the past two weeks, as their first presentation which excellently promoted and highlighted T&T Carnival, was the sole Caribbean representation in full Soca force at the Annual American Halloween Parade held in Manhattan on 31st October, to such great appreciation that they have already been enlisted as an integral part of the 2008 USA Halloween Parade.

“With an attending audience of close to two million live viewers, this 2007 world renowned Halloween Parade was a perfect forum to expose the beauty and excitement of our main cultural expression” said Dream Team bandleader Paul Singh.

“Needless to say, our Soca Truck attracted more than it’s share of costumed revelers who danced and pranced the night away oblivious to the cold winter climate now creeping into NY city”.

Singh also said the Dream Team will continue to market our Carnival and Culture to non West Indian audiences internationally, which is one of the main purposes of forming the Carnival Dream Team of Trinidad and Tobago. “We look at these worldwide parades and events as new markets just waiting to be explored, and as an ultimate channel for selling many of the proactive aspects of our still somewhat undiscovered paradise twin island.

The Dream Team also represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 50th Anniversary of the Puerto Rican Day Parade held in Manhattan in June of this year, where the impact they created for our Carnival and culture, ensured that an invitation was again extended for their participation in this grand event for 2008. The Puerto Rican Day Parade attracts a mostly non West Indian audience of approximately four million live viewers, and over one hundred million television viewers.

Paul Singh stated that although it’s a reality that most of the very many carnivals around the world reflect strong Trinbago influences, the actual spectator participation in these events is quite insignificant, compared to what is really out there. It is with this in mind that the Carnival Dream Team firmly insists that our Carnival culture, with all it’s various expressions, could be our biggest future income earner outside of oil and industry.

With this thrust, the Dream Team Carnival crew is forging ahead with their plans to definitely attract new interests and accentuate the areas necessary to expose the “gospel of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival and culture to the world”, Paul concluded.

These international events will also provide great benefits for all Dream Team masqueraders, who will enjoy the privilege to partake in not just our Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, but at several of these spectacular parades and similar events around the world, with the opportunity to use their Dream Team costumes far beyond Trinidad Carnival

Next week on November 22, Dream Team will reach yet another historic milestone, as their next Carnival presentation will be at the annual grand Macy’s Parade through the streets of in Manhattan, New York.

The Dream Team Band House is situated at #40 Alberto Street, Woodbrook, with opening hours Mondays to Fridays: 4.30p.m. to 8.30 p.m., and Saturdays: 1.00p.m. to 6.00p.m.

For further details, their website is: http://dreamteamtnt.com