The Berkeley name will be re-entering the Carnival arena with the launch of Berkeley Carnival Revolution, headed by Cherisse Berkeley, niece of renowned masman the late Wayne Berkeley. She said the theme of the band will be Tradition Reimagined.
Wayne Berkeley died in 2011 at the age of 70. He holds the records for the most Band of the Year titles, having won ten, and for Carnival Queen, having been awarded 12. In 1974 he received a Humming Bird Medal Gold for Carnival Development.
Berkeley said the inspiration behind the band was paying homage to her ancestors, as since she was a child she had been fascinated by the works of art produced by her uncle, along with his meticulous attention to detail.
“Being from a family that has lived and continues to live in Belmont for over 150 years, with an uncle who still holds the most Band of the Year and Carnival Queen titles, I found it a fitting tribute to the legacy that has come before me. I originally thought of the name in 2009 before my uncle's death, after his retirement from Carnival design and production. At the time of the initial idea I thought it would have been a wonderful experience to introduce a new generation of the Berkeley genes into the local Carnival scene.
“I anticipated having my uncle as a mentor, but unfortunately as his health began to further decline, I realised that was not going to be a reality. In 2011 when he died, I promised myself and my family to preserve his legacy and make use of the talents both innate and acquired.”
Berkeley described her upbringing in Carnival production as thorough, as she began participating in the festival at the age of one. Her first costume was an individual costume entitled Inchworm designed by Wayne Berkeley, and she placed first in her category.
[caption id="attachment_999386" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Cherisse Berkeley at work on costumes for her 2023 presentation. - ROGER JACOB[/caption]
“In 1999, my father, Cletus Berkeley, along with my other uncle, Gary Tagallie (my maternal aunt's husband), and a family friend Roland Hosein decided to produce a kiddies band out of Chaguanas called Tagallie and Associates. At that time it was the only kiddies band in Chaguanas. After school I would accompany my father to the mas camp where I would do my homework and help to produce costumes for the band. I also played in the band from its start until 2005. In 2004 when the band produced individual king and queen costumes, I was the queen and Stefan Hosein was the King. The band's final year was 2007.”
She said while at school her vacations were mostly spent with her uncle Wayne at the family’s generational home in Belmont, especially after his second stroke.
“He was almost always in production mode and I was eager to learn and help. Despite having a series of strokes he was determined to continue his art. He lost functionality of his right hand after his first stroke in 2000 and trained himself to design using his left hand. His determination fascinated and inspired me. Eventually when I started p
