Carmen riding through the streets of Sydney on her scooter (picture by Jenny Templin and courtesy City of Sydney) Carmen’s iconic scooter will be towed by four Maori warriors in a float at tomorrow’s Sydney Mardi Gras parade celebrating her life. ‘Carmen: Sea of Love’ will be a ten-metre float and will involve 85 people. “We have Carmen’s family leading the float with banners next to Carmen’s scooter, which will be towed by four Maori Warriors,” says Producer Koko D’Vyne. “We have Cook Island dance group Spirit of the Island, Lavashe Couture, Kapa Haka Groups, Tropical Island Hula and all her friend and loved ones.” Aucklander Miss Ribena will be the float’s MC, while it will also include Australian divas Christy McNicol, Del Williams and D’Vyne herself. D’Vyne says the float will use images of Carmen through the years, including her scooter and “her signature accessories of roses and flowers to portray her love for colour and fabulosity, also tying in … New Zealand and Australia with the use of the Maori tiki and the cultural diversity of people she meet in Australia”. “It is crucial to represent such an iconic figure within the community,” D’Vyne says. Carmen Rupe died in Sydney in December, aged 75. You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 2nd March 2012 - 1:04pm