Yes, he is Back!

It was confirmed recently that living mas legend, Peter Minshall will be returning to the Trinidad Carnival scene in 2020 as a mas-band designer. The Guyanese-born Award-winning renowned artist, designer, artistic director and creative genius, well known for his influential displays, have been missing at the forefront of carnival for some time now.

No stranger to controversial art, his new collection ‘Mas Pieta’ was inspired by Michelangelo’s renaissance sculpture, ‘The Pieta’. Using only photographs to depict each of the costumes at his recent launch, patrons compared the non-traditional approach to that of an art exhibit.

According to the Trinidad Guardian newspaper, ‘Mas Pieta’ will consist of four acts- ‘Armageddon’, ‘Ashes to Ashes’, ‘Over the Rainbow’ and ‘Le Paradis Retrouve’. Here are some of the designs that will be parading in grandeur through the streets of Port of Spain on Carnival Tuesday 2020.

 

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ACT I, Armageddon – Horror – POWERLUST

 

ACT II, Ashes to Ashes – Pity – ASHES TO ASHES

 

ACT III, Over the Rainbow – Love – PEACE AND LOVE

 

ACT IV, Le Paradis Retrouvé – Light – SKIES OF RADIANT LIGHT

 

Minshall will be teaming up with Kinetic Mass Limited, a new entity but by no means new to carnival or the production of mas for this 2020 production. As seen in the sketches, the costumes will consist of a black blou­son top, with a full skirt or pants. Additionally, there is a head wrap that changes in colour de­pend­ing on the masquerader’s move­ment. ​The va­ri­ation is in the wings for each sec­tion and is de­signed as two halves of the whole which tells the sto­ry of each move­ment.

Many have celebrated the return of Minshall to the carnival landscape. As a known advocate for preserving the magic and tradition that is our mas art form, he has successfully delivered many classic powerful, poetic and passionate displays of art over the years. Minshall has always been vocal about his philosophy, stating that mas is living art that we make fresh every year, and that we should continue to appreciate the value and potency of this artistic and creative expression of Trinidad.

Peter Minshall’s 2018 production ‘Exodus’

 

Considered one of the greatest icon of the arts of our era, with masterpieces such as ‘Jungle Fever’, ‘The Sacred Heart’, ‘The Sacred and the Profane’, ‘Dance Macabre’ and many more over the decades , his hard work and contributions hasn’t gone un-noticed. He has been the recipient of countless awards for his array of innovations that continues to have a substantial impact in Trinidad carnival and  many other global stages. This list includes his numerous ‘Band of the Year’ Carnival titles:

• 1976- Paradise Lost
• 1979- Carnival of the Sea
• 1981- Jungle Fever
• 1987- Carnival is Colour
• 1995- Hallelujah
• 1996- Song of the Earth
• 1997- Tapestry
• 2006- The Sacred Heart (medium-size bands category)

Not to mention  his many King and Queen of Carnival titles including his most recent:

• 2016- The Dying Swan
• 2018- Death and the Maiden

Minshall’s designs- ‘The Dying Swan’ and ‘Death and the Maiden’

 

Additionally, with his impeccable carnival success record gaining him worldwide recognition, his list of national awards, and international achievements also includes:

• 1982- Guggenheim Fellowship Award
• 1987- Trinidad and Tobago Chaconia Silver Medal (for Culture)
• 1987- Opening Ceremonies of the Pan-American Games, USA
• 1991- Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of the West Indies
• 1992- Opening Ceremonies of the XXV Summer Olympics, Spain
• 1994- Soccer World Cup Finals, Chicago
• 1996- Trinidad and Tobago Trinity Cross (for Art & Culture)
• 1996- Opening Ceremonies of the XXVI Summer Olympics, Atlanta
• 2001- Prince Claus of the Netherlands Award (for outstanding contributions to Carnival)
• 2002- A 12-minutes segment (Fire Within) at the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Utah and so much more.
• 2002- (2001- 2002) Emmy Award of Television Arts and Sciences 54^th Annual Emmy Awards, ‘Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program’/ Opening Ceremony of 2002 Olympic Winter Games (shared award with 4 other costume designers)
• 2005- Trinidad and Tobago Republic Day Award

Peter Minshall with his Emmy Award

 

Yes Carnival is colour, but more importantly Carnival is mas. We at Caribbean Entertainment Hub will like to celebrate the return of this living legend and veteran mas man, Peter Minshall for all that he has contributed and continues to contribute to our culture. Are you excited to see his ‘Mas Pieta’ display in its full splendor for Carnival 2020? For more information or registration details, visit- https://www.facebook.com/minshallmas/  or https://www.facebook.com/kineticmastt.

 

 Related Articles:

Carnival 2020 Officially Launches In Trinidad And Tobago

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Trinidad and Tobago Country Night: A Patriotic Celebration At Carifesta 2019 

Trinidad and Tobago Country night showcased the variety of its richly diverse culture and ethnic heritage through music, dance and many other artistic displays from some of the country’s young stars and veterans gracing the stage.

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Sources includes: http://www.guardian.co.tt, https://newsday.co.tt, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Minshall, http://icons.niherst.gov.tt, https://www.caribbean-beat.com, http://www.bestoftrinidad.com, and his Social Media sites.

 Featured photo courtesy Ayanna Kinsale

Hashtags: #PeterMinshall #Masman #MasPieta #Kineticmasltd #Carnival2020 #TrinidadandTobago