Former Bartender, current Animal Advocate and Humane Educator with the San Francisco SPCA. I love baking & cooking, dancing & singing. The beach is my favorite place. I am a proud Pisces, and 25 years young!
How and when did you first start playing mas? *
I have participated in San Francisco Carnaval since I could walk with an Afro-Brazillian ensemble, but started playing a mas with a Caribbean group about 3 years ago.
What carnival experience has been your favourite (and most proud) to date? *
I think last year's Hollywood was one of my favorites! However, I am always aiming for bigger and better!
What are some of your must-have carnival essentials?
Fanny Pack, liquor, and lot and lots of bling.
Describe your perfect mas experience:
Bomb costume, bomb mas, free spirits, no drama. I just look for good energy and everyone looking and feeling their best!
What would you like to tell people about mas, that they may not know?
If you think you love festivals, playing mas and getting involved in a Caribbean Carnival is a whole different story! These are the most welcoming and encouraging people. You find love, family, new adventure and learn about the culture! These events are on a whole other level of incredible! Do not expect to sleep!
Would you change anything about playing mas in your city?
I wish our Carnival was more Caribbean based. I don't like how we are just performers or that the process to be involved is so strict. Everyone should be invited to join us. Everyone should be able to have fun. I don't always want to be just a performer out here. I want to be a reveler.
If you could play mas with one soca artist, who would it be, and why?
Oooooh... Lets go with Destra or Nailah. Their music is always fire and they seems to be a lot of fun every time I see them
Do you think there is currently an unspoken age or size limit on playing mas?
I think that a lot of the better costumes are made to fit the size of someone who have smaller stomachs. When I see costumes for someone who is bigger, I feel like the goal is to always cover up. Costumes should be accustomed to shape a person and accent all the right features!
Do you have a message of encouragement for the #everyBODYplayahmas network? *
WORK IT. No matter what, just work it! There is nothing sexier than confidence and self-love. Show them that we are here and deserve to be just as appreciated!
Tell us about your journey to becoming a confident woman:
I have always been self-conscious. As I was growing up, I feel that I was always the bigger one in my family. Everyone else had this naturally thinner body, and I was always the one who had a problem losing weight and firming certain parts of my body. I felt like I didn't fit in. And the older I got, the more I struggled with my weight, especially in the cultures I grew up around. I feel like they were always so contradicting with the foods we ate vs. what we were suppose to look like, and my body just wasn't built like that.
A few years ago I came into the Caribbean culture and I seen women of all sizes in the mas I played with. And everyone was always so encouraging and never made me feel any different. I feel like that is what really opened me up to love my own skin and everything within.
Do you have any mentors/role models who have inspired you along the way?
I don't necessarily feel like I do. I just feel like its been a long journey to finally feel like myself, and become the role model that I can see younger girls like myself following.
How do you think movements like #everyBODYplayahmas assist masqueraders?
I think it helps us tremendously by showing us that there are other people who look like us, who have the same thoughts and issues. But it also shows people like me that I CAN. I can play mas. I can wear this costume. I can move like those other girls. I can be equally as sexy and beautiful.
Please list any contact details you would like added to the post (ex. Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat, Pinterest, etc) *
IG: @_reina.mac facebook.com/carina.colada
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