Swanky International first came on the scene during the 2007 Batabano. It was the inception of a “Carnival Baby”, yours truly, Craig Frederick aka Festa. I was a regular at Miami Carnival when I was at school in Tampa and even after my graduation. I fell in love with this thing call Carnival and knew that I was destined to make a difference in my own Carnival, and that destiny is Swanky. The word Swanky is very Caymanian, I grew up on Swanky, a local drink made from Cayman limes and brown sugar. I have to thank Christen Suckoo for actually naming the group in 2006, and Swanky has become a staple ever since in bringing a Carnival atmosphere to Cayman. Swanky International has goals greater than just having a good time on the road one Saturday afternoon in May every year; we look to achieve something greater. Our goals are to take Cayman Carnival Batabano to the world and invite all to experience Carnival… Cayman style.

The flavor of Swanky is much the same that you’ll find with Carnival Tribe Mas Band in Trinidad, or Tribal Knights of Toronto. A flavor of quality, a flavor of color, a flavor of true Carnival spirit… that’s what Swanky International is about. Every year our goal is to increase our quality and raise the level our masqueraders have come to expect. I am a person that believes, everything that I do, I have to reach for the stars. We have changed the perception of Batabano as a parade that is not up to par with the rest of the Caribbean and other Carnivals. In 2008 the greatest compliment was paid to Swanky, when a Trinidadian lady came to me after the parade and thanked me for making her feel like she was home watching “The Greatest Show on Earth”, Trinidad Carnival.

After making history in 2008 by having the most masqueraders for a private band, 138, history has been rewritten year after year on the road with Swanky! Never before has a Batabano Mas Band had a noticeable number of overseas participants for the masquerade parade, and that’s our goal every year, to increase our visiting masquerade numbers.
Ok now, enough about history and I think you now know a little more about Swanky International; come with me a take a trip through your soca imagination and you’ll see why Swanky International and Cayman Carnival Batabano is a winning combination for Carnival hungry travellers.