Franchised sections in the larger Carnival Bands are now the rule rather than the exception.
One such franchise started three years ago when a Committee spearheaded by Richard Abraham, produced the special section "Dakota" in Barbarossa's "1998 presentation "Botay". Keeping the name Dakota Committee, the group enjoyed another successful season in 1999, with "Alexandria" in Barbarossa's "Jewel of the Nile" . The Dakotas are now into their third Carnival production and are accepting registrations for the special section called "Temptation" in "Xtassy", Barbarossa's 'mas in 2000.
Barbarossa's leaders, Penny and Richard Affong, who have successfully produced their own band starting with "Savage" in 1988, admit to having started off in the 'mas arena through a franchise from Edmund and Lil Hart's band, many moons ago.
The Dakota Committee. which is led by Abraham, manager of Jack Warner's Joe Public Football Team, comprises his wife, Madeline, Dexter Day, Natalie Black - the designer, Sally Hospedales, Wendell Newallo and Cathy Ann Boucaud. Registration takes place at 2 San Diego Park, Diego Martin (637-4262), and the assembly side of the camp is in Blue Range.
"It started when we all ended up in the back of Barbarossa the year before our first effort and Richard said why don't we bring out our own section. None of us took him seriously, but by October he said if we wanted to do it he was serious about it" explains Day, the Financial Controller of the section which is to be increased this year from 150 to 200 persons.
Black has designed red bikini bath suits, or whole piece suits for those who so desire. The bra tops are beaded in silver, and the skirts are made of silver tassels. Neat, coronet type headpieces complete the beautiful costumes. For the men who will wear red shorts, the head piece is a plain silver band around the forehead. No standards for the Temptations, because says Day "we never liked them for ourselves."
Every piece of beading, decoration, wire-bending and general costume making, is done at the Blue Range camp where the Dakotas and friends make all the costumes, which cost $850 for women and $750 for men, because "we have used a lot more expensive material this year and also give free drinks on the road on Carnival Tuesday. It's a lot of work but at the end of the day we make a small profit and you take pride when you see the section together. I do not think we would have lasted three years if we did not enjoy it" says Day.
If it all goes according to plan, as in past years, this extremely well- organised group will be finished with costume-making and distribution by the last weekend before Carnival so they get a week off themselves to enjoy the pre-Carnival festivities.