"Licking dong" a good corn soup....Donna and the Skinners. Bad timing Dons!

A more recent addition to the big band's armoury is the Rhythm Section, or more commonly known as the "Engine Room"....difficult to describe but it is a fitting name for this exciting part of the band. Many of the the engine rooms also have the all chromed or "front line" pans such as the tenors and double tenors mounted in them.....what ever happened to the old "ping pong". Not visible in the pic but the break drums used to "beat iron" are all on a rack on the back of the structure.....this is a major part of the sound of these big carnival bands.

They are starting young these days....this serious youth man and his proud parents were right in the middle of the joy that is the Tracks.

Lens limitations prevented me from really capturing the absolute and ultimate party that is the North Stand. Taunted and provoked by a continuing rage of good pan music, this "wall-to-wall" crowd responds by having the greatest party of all. As they prance and dance, stimulated by the powerful output of the bands on stage, we in the tracks get more quietly in to the heart of the music, the arrangements, the understanding that these are not just only bands....they represent powerful community bonds. Thank goodness due to change in attitudes on all sides the communities are widening...even if just for Carnival.......a good place to start.

What would Carnival be without our Police, the world leaders in restraint, understanding, and the aloof attitude needed to keep from losing focus and being sucked in to the merriment. Cops from London and other parts of the world come here to learn how to handle such a wide and potentially explosive force such as Carnival. Most recently we had officers from the Atlanta PD.

Standing tall are the members of the Mounted Branch. Much more than just a ceremonial force, the combination of horse and man is one of the most successful open crowd control methods applied. These officers were very friendly yet professional, and the horses well trained, healthy looking, and seemed quite happy to be there. Their natural curiosity was peaked when I pushed the camera forward to show the officers what the digital picture preview looked like.....all three reached forward, approved the pic and then wondered if after all it might have been some thing to eat.