Although the official launch of Carnival 2013 is yet to take place and no one at the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism or the National Carnival Commission can say when this will happen, the stakeholders are going about their business setting things in place.

This is so especially in the mas fraternity as the bands began launching their respective C2K13 presentations as early as April this year. In fact some bands have already sold out and are now focusing only on assembling costumes and ensuring that the logistics are in order.

There are, however, a couple bands that traditionally wait until this time to launch their presentations keeping their masqueraders and competitors alike in excited anticipation. The Legacy mas band is one of these and it revealed its 2013 offering on October 13 at the Katalyst nightclub in St Clair. Another band that also recently showcased its presentation for next year is Wee International, which hosted its event at Synergy TV, Mucurapo Road, Woodbrook.

Legacy did things a bit differently this time around by having its launch at Katalyst instead of its traditional venue the Anchorage at Chagauramas. Of course this did not seem to affect the fun factor of the launch as the people had a good time. The band's founders, Mike "Big Mike" Antoine and Juliet de LaBastide unveiled the 15 sections being offered in their presentation titled, From Trinidad to Rio.

From Trinbago to Rio was designed by Antoine who came up with the idea based on his belief that Brazilians and Trinbagonians have a lot in common. Antoine has been involved with Carnival for some 30 years from being a masquerader to a bouncer, section leader and now a full-fledged bandleader and designer.

In preparation for From Trinidad to Rio, Antoine decided to visit Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he was inspired to create the designs for the presentation. In doing his research and creating the costumes, it was brought home to him more and more how many similarities there are between Trinbago and Brazil, more so, Rio.

The presentation features sections such as; "True Trini", "Amazonia", "Pink Clover", "Tobago Wedding", Galo da Madruda", "Girl From Ipanema", "Olympia", "Cariocas", "Yawanawah Dancers", "Gypsy", "Sambadrome Spirit", "Carnavale" and "Samba Riddum".

The Legacy Mas Camp is located at Roberts Street, Woodbrook and is now open for the viewing of costumes and registration.

As for the band Wee International, it is in 2013 presenting Magnifique, which offers eight sections representing the most colourful animals, insects and marine life on the planet. The band, led by Ricky Davidson insists that all components of its costumes are made locally and that youth are encouraged to get involved in the creation process.

The sections featured in Magnifique are: Scarlet Macaw, Weedy Sea Dragon, Rainbow Lorikeet, Panther Chameleon, Sea Nettle Jelly Fish, Blue Footed Booty, Dart Frog and Mandarin Fish.