Carnival in Sweet T & T

Welcome again friends,

Have you ever heard about Trinidad Carnival? I am sure you did but until you experience it in Trinidad then you are missing one of the greatest shows on earth.  T&T carnival is celebrated on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday each year.  Though it is celebrated in many countries and all over the Caribbean, the Trini Carnival is much more than a simple street party.  Bands consisting of thousands of participants performs on the streets on both days, many colorful costumes, music, dancing and all have an overall good time.

Parade of the Bands on Carnival Tuesday at the Queens Park Savannah Grand Stage. Source LoopTT

A sea of color as far as one’s eye can see covers, not only the cities but also the boroughs and every town.  The parade of the bands as it’s called is where the bands makes their way through the city/town, and cross the stage and various judging points vying for the title of band of the year.  Music trucks accompany the bands with artist performing their Soca songs live; other trucks ensures food and drinks are readily available to the participants.

The other activities, such as J’ouvert begins on  Monday morning at 3 am, here participants performs “mud mass”, dressed in rags or as a devil, demon or “jab jab”, covered in mud and paint mainly; bands performs on the street before the sun comes up.   Prior to the Monday and Tuesday Carnival, there are band launches from as early as 27^th December (the day after Boxing day) and all sort of fetes.  The fetes (French for party, but much more) are based on various themes such as “breakfast party” which starts at 3 am, to “water fete”, which includes the participants are wet during the party with water, pool party, celebrity party and much more – and not forgetting the variety of food and drinks being served.

Blue Devils during the J'ouvert celebrations on Monday morning. Source T&T Media

Other activities are Kiddies Carnival (this is celebrated on the Saturday and Sunday before which showcase the kids in their full costumes, as must see if you are a parent), International Soca monarch, Chutney Soca monarch, Chutney monarch, Calypso monarch, Panorama and are some of the major competitions - both professionals and amateurs compete equally.   The diversity of our culture is in full display; Chutney and Tassa, which have East Indian roots, accompany Soca, which has African and French roots; similarly, the food is a broad mixture of these cultures with the added local touch.

During this celebration perfect strangers not only countrymen but foreign visitors are treated like family; imagine being invited to have a drink or something to eat or have a “wine on someone” who does not even bother to introduce themselves.  The relationship takes place midway where a normal relationship would have gotten to - it is a unique and wonderful experience.

Band head piece, Skull Head. Source: T&T Media

I recall as a child, I would accompany my family to the “savannah”, (which is the Queens Park Savannah); my aunt and sister would have prepared my favorite dish and we would picnic while watching the parade of the bands.  Frolicking is the street with the performers and hoping to be captured by the cameramen so you can appear on television.  Watching detailed costumed which looked like a sky scrapper (band head costume average 30 feet in height and is very colorful) pass you by as you stand in amazement of the artist work and curiosity of how someone can move such a large piece by themselves…