Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Cupid.
Hi Sabrina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Oakland, CA. I fell in love with carnival I after I got married and had my daughter. I made it my goal to teach my daughter about Caribbean Carnival and Trinidad & Tobago’s food, culture and history. When my daughter was younger her grandmother sent me recipes from Trinidad. This was before Facebook and Youtube had Caribbean influencers and chefs. My love for carnival all started when I began playing Mas with my daughter in 2014 with a small Trinidadian Bay Area-based band. I danced with them and worked in their Masquerade camp doing costume production every year. My daughter and I began modeling costumes for San Francisco Carnival & Hollywood Carnival. I started traveling to carnivals all over, domestically as well as internationally. I noticed there was no information online about carnivals. How do we know where to stay, or what days to travel, what to pack? So I created my platform for the traveler who wants to visit any carnival for the first time. My most visited Carnivals are San Francisco, Oakland, Hollywood, New York, Miami, Jamaica, Trinidad and now I am off to Toronto and Notting Hill. I became the Brand Ambassador for Mirage Mas Band in 2020 here in Hollywood, CA. I am a brand ambassador for Fete Dolls and I was just announced one of the Ambassadors for Miami Carnival 2022. I currently reside in Las Angeles, CA with my Trinidadian American daughter raising her to understand and appreciate her Caribbean culture. I have a swimwear line coming soon.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Carnival was canceled in 2020 for two years. For most people in this industry Carnival paid the bills and put food on the table. There isn’t a facet of carnival that hasn’t been severely set back by covid19. Here we are in 2022 and Carnivals are now back in full swing and we are now able to fully assess the damages.
The biggest obstacle facing carnival right now, aside from covid19, is the tension between expansion and cultural preservation. Caribbean families have planted roots throughout the globe. With them, they bring Caribbean culture which of course includes carnival. Today carnival participants are increasingly non-Caribbean. On one hand, the growing consumer base increases awareness of Caribbean culture and in a best-case scenario leads to increased revenue for Caribbean people. On the other hand with the expansion comes the realities of cultural appropriation and even financial benefits that don’t reach Caribbean people. Stopping the growth of carnival isn’t an option. But finding ways to grow responsibly is our greatest challenge.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As women, we work hard and we play Mas even harder. Carnival is our opportunity to be free and we want things to be flawless. As an influencer, I have a responsibility to help us have the best time possible. Carnival can be a steep learning curve so I share travel and carnival tips and tricks. I promote fitness and create circuit workout videos. I share and promote useful innovative products for the traveler and carnival goer. I make sure to highlight the local food hot spots as well as other great destinations. Since I am culinary trained I often cook Caribbean favorites in a step-by-step process while making it fun and entertaining.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Carnival is an expression of freedom and a celebration. It’s creative, spiritual and sexy. As carnival costume suppliers, committees, bands, designers, promoters and DJs begin to rebuild the carnival industry masqueraders are also calling for change. This has been the blessing and the curse of covid19. While our cultural expression came to a grinding halt we are also seeing opportunities to make carnival stronger and more sustainable.
Pricing:
- 500 per Video
- 60 per post
- 35 per story share
- 35 for live
- 75 per picture with product
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.
carnivalsabrina.com/ - Instagram: https://instagram.
com/carnivalsabrina?utm_ medium=copy_link - Facebook: https://twitter.com/
carnivalsabrina?s=21 - Youtube: https://youtube.com/
c/CarnivalSabrina
