HARTS FIRSTS Harts was the FIRST Carnival Band to be labeled “ The Fun Band” in the 1960’s by the print, television, and radio media. We were the FIRST band to forgo our chances of winning a Carnival title or prize in order to ensure that our Masqueraders are provided with a non-stop party experience for the entire two days of Carnival. And we remain to date, the “only” large Carnival band that consistently puts you, before, us. Harts was the FIRST to introduce amplified Steelband music on the road, Carnival Monday and Tuesday, bringing an entirely “new” experience to the people that played in our band. The FIRST Carnival Band to have a female designer of Mas Costumes had to be Harts! Competing with the likes of legends of Carnival such as George Bailey, Harold Saldenha, Wayne Berkeley and Carlysle Chan, the first woman of Carnival, Lil Hart, made an impressive statement of costume design and mixtures of colors in Carnival that was never before attempted. The reviews were astounding. One radio commentator of the day described one of Lil’s fledgling Carnival designs this way “ absolutely stunning, when Harts is on stage, the whole Savannah lights up”. Lil Hart, the original designer and co-owner of Harts was the FIRST designer to take the then described “bold step” of producing a Carnival Band with costumes in fluorescent (neon) colours. “ So brilliant were the colours of Lil’s designs that press photographers complained that their photographs were coming out blurred”. Thank God for colour film, because you just could not stop Lil Hart in producing yet another FIRST. Drink Carts? The original drinks cart was the brainchild of three Harts Masqueraders: Ransford Thomas, Wayne Dalla Costa and Desmond Caracciolo. These innovative drinkers used a grocery cart as the original version of what is now a standard feature of Carnival. The cart, which was packed with what these young men referred to as their “vital supplies”: rum, whiskey, beer, and “chasers”, and which was pushed by hired hands, was FIRST seen in Harts Carnival Band. By the following year, several variations of the “ Drinks Cart” were out...long handle carts, broad handle carts, and yes, even a few more “grocery carts” suddenly appeared with additions like Roti, Pelau, Chinese food and other goodies. A far cry from the current carts with showers, cell phones and Johnny Walker Blue! As you know, Carnival bands and music go hand in hand. The younger generation of Harts, Luis and Gerald, nagged their parents to let them mount Purple Haze, the boy’s Disk Jockey title, on the trucks. Purple Haze put together a concoction of amplifiers, mixers, microphones, cassette players and, according to Edmond Hart, “ boxes the size of a short man” on top of the trucks to play for two whole days of Carnival. While “no other band would dare to do this”, as Edmond said at the time, the boys put DJ music as “par for the course” into Trinidad Carnival. Beads and under-wire two piece bathing suits for women? Yes…again Harts was the FIRST to take such a daring risk. We tried it with just one section at first and the result? … Well, look around at all the bands today and what do you see? By the end of the 1980s, security of the Masquerader became an issue. The Harts responded by being the FIRST to introduce organized security in a Carnival Band. It was a bold step and many thought they were mad to do it but the response from the Masqueraders was astounding. Nowadays, is there any large band without a security force? Well, after all this, what else? What about the fact that Harts was the FIRST Carnival Band to see the need for and develop an internet Website with online registration, HARTSCARNIVAL.COM. ? Never satisfied to be second best, Harts led the way again. Wouldn’t it be really nice for Masqueraders to be able to move through a Carnival Band hearing the same song in each Section without having to change rhythm of dance because you’re hearing two tunes at the same time? We thought so… and introduced the FIRST linked up music truck system so that our Masqueraders don’t have to miss a beat… drunk or sober, is only one sound throughout the band, so yuh still stepping good! Follow Us: