Did you know

The record-holder for most Band of The Year Titles is master designer, Wayne Berkeley! Known as the bandleader responsible for bringing fantasy mas to Carnival, Berkeley’s costumes resonated with masqueraders who had known only historical presentations during the 1950s-1960s. His intricate and creative designs heralded a new form of mas, which brought a degree of imagination and variety to Carnival that continues to live on.
Born in 1940, Berkeley grew up in Belmont, opposite the mas camp of Harold Saldenah. During the 1950s, he attended St. Mary’s College while studying Art under one of Trinidad’s leading artists, M. P. Alladin, and his artistry flourished. Upon graduating, he moved to London for a few years where he continued studying art while working for the BBC as a set designer.
He soon returned to Trinidad, bringing with him all that he had learned and became a professional designer, working on movie productions, and art exhibitions. In 1965 he was asked to design his first Carnival band, and also designed his first Carnival Queen costume for Pauline Figueroa, which won the 1965 Jaycees' Carnival Queen contest and catapulted Berkeley to nationwide fame.
Berkeley’s designs were professional, meticulous and resourceful, utilising local items like cocoyea sticks, straws, shells and old casks to create his costume pieces. Over his 50-year career he produced eighteen bands, with nine of them winning Band of The Year. In addition to mas, he also designed Carnival Queens, with his presentations winning twelve times.
In 1974 he was awarded the Humming Bird Medal (Gold) for his contributions to Carnival, as well as the 2004 Cacique Lifetime Award for his contributions to Theatre, as he was constantly in-demand abroad in Europe and the United States as a theatrical designer for Vegas musicals, and art exhibitions.
Photo 1 shows Johnny Boos as “Jewel of Ceylon” in Wayne Berkeley’s “Kaleidoscope,” the 1974 Band of the Year, courtesy of the Trinidad Carnival Magazine, Special BWIA Souvenir Edition, 1974.
These magazines are part of the The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Magazine Collection.
References: Lindo, Paula. “Berkeley Mas Re-Enters Carnival with Tradition Reimagined.” Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, 5 Feb. 2023.
Jacob, Debbie. “Wayne Berkeley: Trinidad’s King Carnival.” Caribbean Beat, 1992.
(Source: National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, Feb 17, 2023)