Hey! Im a Brooklyn girl with Caribbean roots in Trinidad and Barbados. Im a lifelong baker that worked as a pastry chef after college and then transitioned into the public school system. I love gardening and if money wasn't an issue I would spend my whole life talking to my plants and the honeybees. I also love yoga and carnival!
How and when did you first start playing mas? *
I started in 2005 in trinidad.
What carnival experience has been your favourite (and most proud) to date? *
Carnival 2005 for sure! We never planned to play mas that year but we got bitten by the mas bug after hearing KMC's "First Experience ". My family and I headed over to Poisons's mas camp Monday morning and walked out with full costumes! My sister and I also made the newspaper in the front of the lifestyle section, in full color, in two pieces! This is before the whole plus size movement of today so us having a spread in the papers at that time was unheard of.
What are some of your must-have carnival essentials?
Carnival stockings, sunblock, multivitamins, and activated charcoal for when you drink too much or ate something bad.
Describe your perfect mas experience:
Getting a costume that fits perfectly!! I design my own Monday wear, down to picking out my own materials. I'm an amateur and if I know materials that would flatter a plus body I expect the designers that get paid to know as well. We need fuller more supportive bras, better cut bottoms, extra gems, etc. Having a beautiful costume that compliments you makes the experience priceless and we deserve that!
What would you like to tell people about mas, that they may not know?
Some bands will let you make customizations to your costume including sending a bra of your choosing for your costume. It's something that should be asked before registering so the earlier the better.
If you could play mas with one soca artist, who would it be, and why?
Destra! She looks like she comes out to have fun. Her energy is infectious and would definitely keep your power levels up!
Do you think there is currently an unspoken age or size limit on playing mas?
I can't speak on all islands but in Trinidad there's definitely an unspoken size limit. Plus costumes are rarely made as well as costumes for smaller women. It takes a lot of extra leg work to make sure that your costumes is worth the money your spending on it.
Do you have a message of encouragement for the #everyBODYplayahmas network? *
Play yuh mas! You deserve to have just as good a time as anyone else!
Tell us about your journey to becoming a confident woman:
Two words...My Mom! She's no longer here but she always dressed my sister and I in the most beautiful and fashionable clothing. She was a small lady but she never pushed diet culture on us. She just wanted us to be healthy and happy. She told us every day how pretty and smart we were. If your mom is gassin' you everyday from birth...of course you grow up thinking your the Sh*t!! Lol
How do you think movements like #everyBODYplayahmas assist masqueraders?
It's definitely a great thing to see people that look like you playing mas. For so long you would have to comb the web for hours looking for a glimpse of a plus size person playing mas. Now when plus ladies tell me that they could never play mas I refer them to your page.
IG/Twitter: @YvetteBakanal
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