Editor's note: This is an editorial recap of YUMA's band launch. Carnival Glam Hub did not provide the makeup or hair for the launch presentation; all looks on the night were created by the band's own production and glam teams. The road photographs in this article are from Trinidad Carnival 2026, YUMA on the road, and are credited to their photographers.
Trinidad Carnival 2027 season is officially awake. On Saturday 27 June 2026, YUMA took over the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain to unveil its 2027 presentation, Ferocious: Fierce by Nature, and it set a scorching pace for the road ahead.
The concept is built on one primal idea: there is no beauty without the beast. Ferocious explores instinct, resilience, passion and the untamed spirit within human nature, inspired by the raw power and beauty of the natural world. In short, it is less about the animal and more about the attitude. The version of you that cannot be tamed. And Carnival Monday and Tuesday, 8 and 9 February 2027, is exactly where she belongs.
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Here is a taste of the energy inside NAPA on launch night:
https://youtube.com/shorts/0bcK5cVohNE
Watch the full presentation on YUMA's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/YUMAvibe
"There is no beauty if there is no beast"
YUMA director Tanya Gomes framed the theme as a mindset, not just a look.
"We live with a fiery passion that cannot be tamed. We travel a road where energy is contagious, where resilience meets every challenge, where drive and determination refuse to be denied and where love is always bold and fierce. We flirt with fantasy and we dance with danger because we accept one simple truth: there is no beauty if there is no beast. These instincts cannot be caged. Every stripe will be earned. This animal cannot be contained."
"Ferocious is a mindset. It represents the strength that emerges when we refuse to be confined by expectations. It is power without apology. It is determination without limits. It is the freedom to be exactly who you are."
That energy started long before launch night. YUMA reimagined its annual casting call as an immersive brand experience, taking auditions into communities in both North and South Trinidad and drawing more than 400 aspiring models. The band has always been an incubator for fresh talent, and 2027 was no different.
More from the launch floor:
https://youtube.com/shorts/TaOAA5PKR8w
The designers and the sections
Section after section brought Ferocious to life with a stellar designer lineup mixing veterans and fresh perspectives:
- Marie Collette opened with Siren, capturing the irresistible pull of the mythical creature, and returned with Mirage, an ethereal play on light and illusion.
- Kwasi McDonald brought the edge with Claw, sharp and structured, then Fury, a fiery storm of design that turned raw emotion into mas.
- Alejandro dominated multiple sections, from the kinetic Electric to the modern Toxic, before delivering the titular section, Ferocious, the unapologetic heartbeat of the theme.
- Lauren Austin presented Prowl, sleek and calculated, mirroring the quiet confidence of a hunter.
- Christian Chow Chung followed with Sting, a sharp display of dangerous beauty.
- Rawle Permanand delivered a trifecta: Seduction, Hypnotiq and Fierce, moving from temptation to a bold, regal finish.
- Jam the Band closed the lethal energy with Venom, all toxic, high-fashion attitude.
True to YUMA's reputation for discovery, the night also spotlighted new faces, with standout performances from models such as Cassandra Merrick.
What YUMA looks like on the road: Trinidad Carnival 2026
A band launch shows you the costume. The road shows you the truth. The photographs below are not from the Ferocious launch; they are from Trinidad Carnival 2026, YUMA on the road, captured by the photographer Lion. This is the standard YUMA sets on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, and the bar Ferocious will have to clear in 2027.
Photo credit: Lion Photography X Caribbean Beauties. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026.
Photo credit: Lion Photography X Caribbean Beauties. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026.
The details are what separate YUMA on the road: the feathered backpacks, the gemwork, the wire bras that somehow survive ten hours of jumping, and makeup that has to fight the Port of Spain sun from foreday until the last lap.
Photo credit: Lion Photography X Caribbean Beauties. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026.
Photo credit: Lion Photography X Caribbean Beauties. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026.
If Ferocious is about the untamed version of you, this is what she looked like in 2026. Now imagine her with claws.
Photo credit: Lion Photography X Caribbean Beauties. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026.
Photo credit: Lion Photography X Caribbean Beauties. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026.
Our resident YUMA baddie: Melax Goddess
Every band has its baddies, and YUMA has one of ours. Our resident YUMA baddie, Melax Goddess, starts her Carnival morning at Glam Hub with makeup by our own Gabby. Sweat-proof, camera-ready and built to survive the road. Watch her come together at Glam Hub:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZGhEpCXYUVk
That is what a Glam Hub Carnival morning looks like: one chair, one schedule, and you leave ready for the stage and the road.
Chloe Joseph: Glam Hub babe on the road with YUMA
Chloe Joseph is a Glam Hub babe through and through, and she plays with YUMA. Her Carnival morning runs through us: makeup and hair by the Glam Hub team, then straight to the band. The photographs below are from Trinidad Carnival 2026, YUMA on the road.
Chloe Joseph. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026. Makeup and hair by Carnival Glam Hub.
Chloe Joseph. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026. Makeup and hair by Carnival Glam Hub.
Here she is in the chair at Glam Hub before hitting the road:
https://youtube.com/shorts/kfUfUM8En4k
Chloe Joseph. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026. Makeup and hair by Carnival Glam Hub.
Chloe Joseph. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026. Makeup and hair by Carnival Glam Hub.
Chloe Joseph. YUMA on the road, Trinidad Carnival 2026. Makeup and hair by Carnival Glam Hub.
Playing YUMA in 2027? Lock in your Carnival morning
A presentation this bold deserves a Carnival morning that matches it. Carnival Glam Hub gives travelling masqueraders one location and one schedule for everything: sweat-proof makeup, hair, a professional photoshoot, getting dressed and the shuttle to your band. Trusted by 15,000+ masqueraders since 2017.
Book your Carnival makeup, hair and photos and lock in your timeslot for just US$50. The early-morning chairs always go first, so secure yours now.
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Image credits and sources
Road photography: Lion Photography X Caribbean Beauties (Trinidad Carnival 2026, YUMA on the road). Chloe Joseph photographs courtesy of Chloe Joseph (Trinidad Carnival 2026, YUMA on the road). Official theme imagery and section details: YUMA, https://www.yumavibe.com/
Written coverage referenced: CNC3, Guardian Media and Carib Voxx.