Wendy Matthews, a costume-maker originally from Trinidad, wears a Bacchanal angel costume that she created for the Caribbean American Carnival parade.
(Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)
G FORCE | WENDY MATTHEWS
Caribbean costume party
Wendy Matthews, a costume-maker originally from Trinidad, wears a Bacchanal angel costume that she created for the Caribbean American Carnival parade.
(Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)
One of Boston’s most colorful events - the 36th annual Caribbean American Carnival parade - takes place tomorrow. It features 14 bands representing all the Caribbean islands (plus Nigeria, for good measure).
Fashioned after the Carnivals of Trinidad and Tobago, it includes paraders in elaborate costumes who will dance their way from Martin Luther King Boulevard in Roxbury to the Franklin Park Zoo. We spoke to Wendy Matthews, a diehard parader and costume-maker originally from Trinidad; she will lead the crew of Mas Players in the parade, which starts at 1 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m. www.bostoncarnivalvillage.com
Q. How did you learn to make costumes?
A. I used to go to Elma Lewis [School of Fine Arts] when I was a kid. I took a costuming class. By the way, I hate sewing but I love designing.
Q. What’s your costume theme this year?
A. Angels in the mist. I don’t want to get real spiritual about this, but it’s about things that remind us that something is guiding us. Things you see that make you feel good and hopeful.
Q. Where do you get your ideas?
A. When I think of these things, it’s usually four years in advance. I have themes for the next five years. Next year’s presentation will be called “We Bacchanale.’’ It means, “our party.’’ It’s fun, it’s just a state of being. Being a Trinidadian, we started Carnival and it’s my version of paying tribute to that.
Q. How do you conceptualize the costumes?
A. I start thinking about what I’m doing for next year. Say I’m doing flowers. My thing will be: What type of flower am I doing? What is it about the flower I want to represent? Maybe I just want to emphasize the leaves of the flower. One year the theme was “Hats Off’’ and we did different types of hats - matador hats, top hats, hats you’d see in your dreams.
Q. What do you like about Carnival?
A. It’s really big in Trinidad; you have people come from all over the world for it. It’s the one place you can go and see different races of people getting along and enjoying the day. We’ve come to expect racism and other cultural shocks but at Carnival you can literally go and be a body of one. And it’s a way to let loose and enjoy yourself.
Q. What do you do when you’re not doing Carnival?
A. I’m the assistant business office manager for Dedham Medical Associates.
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