Massive Vincy Mas 2025 launch in Brooklyn

Vincentians in New York on Sunday got a sample what is expected to be in store for them for Vincy Mas 2025, as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Carnival Development Committee (CDC), partnering with the Brooklyn-based St. Vincent and the Grenadines Diaspora Committee of New York, launched the national festival in Brooklyn amid much fanfare.

The 2025 Vincy Mas will begin on Friday, June 27, culminating on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

In picture-perfect weather, hundreds of nationals were captivated on Sunday by the sights, sounds, and pageantry of Vincentian culture at the vast parking lot of Nazareth Regional High School, 475 East 57th St., Brooklyn.

The near five-hour show, under the auspices of the Consulate General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the United States, encompassed, among other things, masquerade, spoken word by Toni Johnson, DJ and steelpan music, and calypso, ragga soca, and soca music.

Problem Child brought the house down with spell-binding performances, while other artistes contributed immensely to putting the effervescent crowd in a party frenzy.

They included Dennis Bowman, Lively, Oscar James, Smurf, and Rankin. They also added Jay R the Artiste, Zoelah, Fimba, Skarpyon, Super K, Ram, Zeek, and Kemmy.

Siboney Tannis Hector and Travis Roberts beat out Vincy and Caribbean rhythms on pan; Mas Productions Unlimited previewed “Changes” for West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) Parade on Labor Day Monday in Brooklyn; Nowadazz’s Promotions, Inc., produced by calypsonian Delahanty Isles, showcased “Waybaccwen”; and Thick Madam Productions highlighted mas to be featured by Mirage Productions in Vincy Mas 2025.

Isles told Caribbean Life that the idea for ‘Waybaccwen’ for J’Ouvert, under the theme, “De Rebirth of Culture”, emerged two years ago but only “manifested” last July.

She said that was because of the loss of her mom, Maxine Phillips, at 60.

“It’s a bittersweet moment because she was a woman of culture,” said Isles, who offered the ceremony’s opening prayer. “I still have the strength to go forward.

“Culture is where it starts for me,” added the calypsonian, who has opted not to participate this year in the preliminary judging, on Jun.7, for Vincy Mas 2025, of the Brooklyn-based Dynamite Calypso Tent, at Nazareth Regional High School Auditorium.

Ricardo “Ricky” Adams, CDC president, who was on hand Sunday, along with CEO Rodney Small, said: “I think we have a new energy for Vincy Mas this year.

“It’s important to have a successful launch in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (two weeks ago) and to engage the Vincy Community (in the Diaspora),” he told Caribbean Life backstage.  “We hope to bring back the energy that’s Vincy Mas 2025 – both at home and in the Diaspora.

“I just want people to come home and experience the resurgence of Vincy Mas,” he added.

Small, a renowned pannist, who was recently appointed CDC CEO, also told Caribbean Life: “It’s really a great feeling when we can bring the Vincentian product to different parts of the world

“It’s really a nice family affair,” he added about Sunday’s launch. “I see people from different Caribbean countries.”

Small disclosed that the CDC will promote this year’s Vincy Mas during the Caribbean Carnival (Caribana) in Toronto, Canada, and at the Notting Hill Carnival in London, UK. 

Sherrill-Ann Mason Haywood, chairperson of the SVG Diaspora Committee of New York, said her group was “pleased to partner with the CDC in a deeper way this year. ” She stated that the relationship “goes back almost a decade, when Ainsley Primus was planning to return to SVG and wanted an entity to take over the Vincy Mas launch in New York, which, at the time, was anchored by a calypso new song competition.

“Since then, it has evolved into a family-friendly event that highlights the main components of carnival: pan, calypso, and mas,” she told Caribbean Life. “It was always an event to give Diasporans a taste of Vincy Mas with some support from the CDC.

“But, this year, with Rodney Small coming on board as CEO of the CDC, he quickly established that he wanted a stronger partnership and closer working relationship to bring the NY Vincy Mas Launch to reality,” Mason Haywood added. “The goal was to replicate in New York the event dubbed ‘START’ that launched the carnival in SVG.

“So, we set about with a planning group that included reps from the Diaspora Committee, CDC, and event promoters,” she continued. “We leveraged connections and got all DJs and the cast to agree to donate their time and talent to perform, a statement of their dedication to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the creative sector, and our national festival, Vincy Mas.”

Mason Haywood said sponsors also came on board, chiefly among them ECGC, Eprine Community Services, Standard Caribbean Shippers, Square Deal Shippers, Standard Shippers, eXp Realty, Yung Hova Marketing, SVG Tourism Office in NY, and National Properties Ltd.

“It was a really collaborative and immersive collaboration to bring the vision alive,” she said. “And I think we did a good job putting on a good production and showing the power of Vincentians working together.

“I would say the event was a success,” Mason Haywood added. “Patrons expressed satisfaction, and the experience really gave the audience a taste of the vibrancy and high energy of Vincy Mas, really showing why it is called the hottest carnival in the Caribbean.”

Consul General Rondy “Luta” McIntosh, also a soca artiste, said, “Vincy Mas START was off to another good START at the NYC Vincy Mas launch in Brooklyn.

“It must be mentioned that all artistes, DJs, promoters, and creatives who participated in the launch are all US-based Vincy talents and donated their talents free of cost,” he said. “This is a true representation of patriotism and love for SVG.

“Thanks to the SVG Diaspora Committee USA, Inc., the Consulate General of SVG, CDC, sponsors, the planning committee, and all who came out to support us,” the hardworking Consul General added. “#VincyStrong!”

 WIADCA President Roger Archibald, a Trinidadian-born attorney, told Sunday’s launch that his association will be “on the ground” for Vincy Mas 2025 and “partnering with every Caribbean Carnival.”