Features
Melissa Doughty
KINETIC MAS has taken an unusual approach to increased alcohol prices – a decrease in the price of its costumes.
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo announced an increase in excise duties on alcohol and tobacco products during the reading of the 2025/26 budget presentation. Excise duties are indirect taxes on specific products or services like alcohol and tobacco.
Although many might have to increase their prices because of the increase in alcohol, Peter Samuel and the band’s board decided to take a nostalgic approach and go back to the days when people walked with their own alcohol.
The band’s 2026 presentation is You…The Masterpiece, designed by artist Sheldon Warner.
Despite the increase in the price of alcohol and rising geopolitical tensions, the band will proceed, Samuel said in an in-person interview on October 29.
It hopes to maintain its size as a medium band, hosting approximately 400 masqueraders.
When Tancoo made the announcement during the budget presentation, Kinetic Mas’ board began immediately discussing.
There were two immediate options: increase the cost of costumes or drop the price of costumes and tell masqueraders to walk with their alcohol.
The latter was the most obvious choice for them.
The band took this decision because its masqueraders are people interested in playing mas with meaning and not as much into the experience and the type of alcohol they get, he said. He referenced his time playing with mas legend Peter Minshall and said during that time there were no drink trucks.
“Yes, times have changed and I understand and agree that we have been providing it over the last couple of years. But we sat down as a committee and we made a conscious decision.
“The majority of our masqueraders are not big, heavy drinkers. They play mas with us because of the costumes, so, they come and we include the price of the alcohol, food etc and they pay it. But most of them are more concerned with playing mas.”
The band still plans to provide water, chasers and even beer, but masqueraders would be required to walk with their hard alcohol.
Kinetic consulted its masqueraders before concretising its decision.
If people play on Monday and Tuesday they will get $300 off and if they play on Monday they’d get a $100 reduction. In the current economic climate, the band felt it was the best decision.
Their prices range from $4,995-$6,850.
While Kinetic has found a workable solution to increased alcohol prices, the band simply has to “wait-and-see” what happens with rising geopolitical tensions.
TT has been involved in harsh, cross-dialogue with neighbouring Venezuela over a US military build-up in the Caribbean Sea. The US said it is going after narco-traffickers.
Asked if this and geopolitical tensions would affect Carnival 2026, Samuel said it was too early to tell.
He added that many people were concerned about it and this might after buy-in for Carnival 2026.
“People are thinking about it but I think the real hardcore masquerader will still play mas.”
The band produces all of its costumes locally and so that gives them some time but also makes their workload harder when a decision is finally arrived at.
“Do we just go into production and produce ten of this or ten of that and hope people come. Or do we wait? How long can we wait?”
He also thinks the tensions will affect international travel or even result in there not being a Carnival 2026.
“I think a lot of people are waiting. While some have committed themselves and have registered etc. You will have a big portion of them waiting over the next month to see what happens.”
Meanwhile, bands were stuck between “a rock and a hard place.”
If Carnival 2026 does not happen, the band would take its creation to another Carnival like Toronto or Miami or wait until 2027.
“We are at a stage where it is a reality you have to face,” he said.
He added that he did not know how alcohol increases would affect some of the bigger bands but he suspected it would.
Cooler fetes might do well this year as well as some all-inclusive fetes reshaping into cooler fetes, he predicted. The increased prices could also result in an increase in the price of all-inclusive fetes, he added.
However, he does not only see doom, he thinks increased alcohol prices could aid the economics of Carnival. This would result in more people buying from vendors.
You…the Masterpiece
Warner wanted people to see life’s multifacetedness through costuming, particularly following the death of co-bandleader Gerard “Gerry” Weekes on August 16.
He said the presentation’s concept is that the individual is the artist and the person’s life is the canvas.
A synopsis on the concept said: “Life is a vast, ever-changing canvas-and you,both artist and art, are the masterpiece in progress.
“Each breath, each decision, each emotion is a brushstroke that tells your unique story. You are not simply painting your life; you are becoming it. So create-bravely, truthfully, and unapologetically.”
There are ten sections, bearing titles like Innocence, Love, Living Life Cautiously, Remembrance and Your Art…Your Life.
Living Life Cautiously uses caution tape in its design. The designs on the fabric were also conceptualised by Warner and printed.
Warner and Samuel called on masqueraders to celebrate Weekes’ life and their own by creating their masterpiece with Kinetic Mas this Carnival.
Kinetic Mas will take to the road and the Savannah stage for Carnival 2026 on February 16-17.
