By Melissa Doughty

Copyright newsday

Reigning Panorama champions, Republic Bank Exodus hopes to preserve sailor mas while encouraging a more youthful participation in that style of mas come Carnival 2026.

The band hopes to do this with its 2026 presentation: Sailors in Denim.

Exodus launched the presentation on September 17 at its Eastern Main Road, St Augustine panyard.

Not only has it applied a more contemporary approach to style that is considered to represent youthful rebellion but the band also partnered with young designers to create one of its sections.

The youthful designers will be calling on the public to donate old denim products so that it could be repurposed into costumes.

This is part of the preservation drive, Joki One’s founder Walda George-Waithe told Newsday.

The 2026 presentation is a collaborative effort of the designer, NGO East Yard and the winning band.

Joki One and Exodus have been partnering for years. but this is the second year of partnership for East Yard, Joki One and Exodus.

The band’s six sections take inspiration from denim’s birthplace: Nimes, France.

George-Waithe told the story of how denim was invested to the intimate audience of members of the diplomatic corps, media and other specially invited guests.

East Yard’s founder and principal consultant Kevon Gareth Foderingham guided guests through the morning’s proceedings.

Exodus’ captain Judy Williams said it was always a pleasure for Exodus to support the culture and community. The band said it looked forward to big success with the 2026 presentation.

Williams said further to Newsday that the band has seen structured growth with its mas since collaborating with George-Waithe. It said it was hoping to maintain its large band size going into next year’s Carnival.

She added that the band admired Trinidad All Stars’ band and hoped it could morph into its own version of a large band someday.

It also hoped to change the demographic of steelbands to a more youthful one and hoped that the 2026 presentation could achieve this.

George-Waithe invited people to tell their friends and family about the band. She told the audience, “All of us here share a similar desire: to see our country’s unique heritage and culture survive and I dare say, thrive.”

Whether through preservation, promotion, education, production or participation, it is the band’s hope that the country could hold on to its traditional mas, she said.

She added that naval ships brought the country sailor mas. The band hopes to reimagine and reignite the portrayal of sailor mas in TT.

Its 2026 presentation was built from the naval sector’s Sea Bees which was once known as the United States’ Naval Construction Battalion. Sea Bees is a homophone for Construction Battalion.

The six sections are Stone and Flow, Temple Threads, Fountains of Nimes, Arena Soul, Indigo Waves and Deck and Duty. The designs borrow from the Sea Bees as well as from the geographical uniqueness of Nimes, France.

For further info visit www.ExoMasband.com.