Jeremiah’s passion for percussion
February 26, 2025
Open the door to your heart
February 26, 2025
By Klysha Best
A new kiddies Carnival band made its exciting debut at the Red Cross Children’s Carnival event last weekend. Named ‘Bel Timoun Kiddies’, which translates to ‘Beautiful Children’ in patois, the Barataria-based band is led by mas veteran Geraldo Vieira Jnr.
Vieira Jnr grew up immersed in the world of mas, with his father being the legendary Geraldo Vieira Snr—an extraordinary costume designer, costume technologist, innovator, and masquerader.
In 2006, Vieira Snr was crowned Trinidad and Tobago’s oldest King of Carnival. Although he passed away in 2012, his legacy endures; his designs earned the King of Carnival title on nine occasions, including three consecutive years starting in 1981. Geraldo Vieira Jnr credits his father’s artistic influence for his own journey into children’s mas.
“My father was my mentor and a tremendous influence on my work,” he remarked. “He was a pattern maker who collaborated with many designers, allowing me to witness the legends like Wayne Berkeley, Raoul Garib, Chris Santos, and Gregory Medina in action. I absorbed various artistic styles.”
Despite competing against several of these same designers, Vieira Snr often collaborated with them during competitions.
“I’ve adopted that same mentality; I work for various Carnival designers, even though they are also my competition. It’s part of the job,” said Vieira Jnr.
No stranger to winning himself, Vieira Jnr, has won the King of Carnival title on three occasions. He won his first crown in 1996, when he was a 19-year-old Sixth Form student at Fatima College. That made him, to this date, the youngest to ever win the title. He won again in 1999 and then again in 2001.
Vieira Jnr, who was first and foremost a fine art artist, said becoming a costume designer was not an easy feat.
“Being a fine art artist means you’re working with canvas and you’re painting all the time. Most artists paint from their experiences. For me, I love animal life, I love nature, so most of my themes were natural themes, birds especially.”
“So, the transition to costume design happened when I had just finished school and turned 20. The band Stephen Lee Heung had just called it quits and the guys that worked with him wondered what they were going to do now. While planning for the formation of this new band one of the guys turned and said, ‘Well Gerry (Vieira Jnr) will draw.’ And that was one of the most eye-opening experiences I ever had, because I was one of the worst designers it had that year, as the transition from a fine art artist to the costume design artist is two sides of the spectrum.”
He continued, “I knew nothing about the human anatomy and had to work hard at the skill to learn. So from there I worked out my style and I was successful with the adults bands. The band we formed was called Trini Revellers and I had four band of the year titles designing for them – two medium, two large.”
Segue now to 2025, Vieira Jnr said Bel Timoun Kiddies is one of his dreams come true. “I’ve been a king of the band, I’ve been a band of the year title-holder, but I’ve never been a kiddies band designer or bandleader.”
Although the idea for a children’s band had been on his mind for some time, he hesitated until making the leap and beginning the production process in late August-September. “This is an opportunity I am eager to embrace wholeheartedly,” he stated. “I strive to grow with my art, continuously exploring new avenues.”
Vieira Jnr views children’s mas as more theatrical and imaginative. “You’re allowed to explore more, envision stories, and be creative in your craft.”
He emphasised the importance of selecting suitable materials, stating, “Costumes must be lightweight, wearable, and safe. It’s very different from adult mas, where sex appeal is emphasised. For children, the focus is on colour, patterns, and the fundamentals of design.”
So what is this debut band portraying for Carnival 2025?
“Bel Timoun Kiddies is presenting ‘Party at the Emperor Valley Zoo’,” Vieira revealed. “I’ve always had a love for nature, and visiting the zoo allows us to see animals from around the world. This presentation celebrates our cultures, highlighting that some of these animals have roots in Africa, India, and Latin America—reflecting our own heritage here in T&T.”
Section titles include the ‘Bengal Tiger Cubs’, the ‘Budgerigars’, ‘Giraffe Totem’, ‘Llama Pinata’ and ‘Flamingo Dancers’.
Bel Timoun Kiddies also aims to enhance the Carnival experience by introducing live music on the road, performed by the Providence Girls’ Catholic School/Queen’s Royal College joint junior steel orchestra, a first for a kiddies band.
The band is catering to approximately 40 to 50 children this year between the ages of 3 to 12-plus, but Vieira Jnr envisions growth. “I hope Bel Timoun becomes an inspiration for Carnival and not only motivates Carnival designers but also encourages young artists and our young band members to grow holistically and enjoy the experience.”
He reminisced about Trini Revellers’ humble beginnings as Canboulay Productions with less than 100 members. “In just two years, we surged to about 800 members while maintaining a family feel. I hope to replicate that same experience with Bel Timoun.”
Looking to the future, Vieira Jnr also dreams of creating an adult band, allowing the children from Bel Timoun to transition smoothly into their very own adult mas band as they grow. “That’s the vision I have for Bel Timoun.”
