15 minute read
Festivals
Whetting the Appetite
By Sheldon Waithe
It was just a taste, after all, to maintain a semblance of the creativity and revelry generated annually by Trinidad Carnival. An opportunity for musicians and costume designers to showcase their talents; for the traditions of yesteryear to maintain the link to Carnival’s past.
The ‘Taste of Carnival’ was launched with little time to prepare, yet the grandeur was resplendent in the Carnival Kings and Queens costumes. The winners, Joseph Lewis’ depiction of Kreegorseth - Mystic Guardian of the Amazons and Shynel Camille Brizan’s portrayal (while six months pregnant) of Olugbe-Rere Ko - The Spirit Who Brings Good Things, were welcome harbingers after months of pandemic enforced lockdowns.
Brizan’s towering ice blue Moko Jumbie beauty was representative of costumes that boggle the mind – elaborate constructs created in minimal time – and reminded the world about the undisputed magnificence that is Carnival design.
Soca artists rocked the stage with abandon despite the social distancing restrictions, with concert venues in north and south Trinidad deemed safe zones. Their performances emphasized release, even if there could not be all of the customary abandon. The likes of Voice, Bunji Garlin, Blaxx and Fay-Ann Lyons belted out their hits, with collaboration a major theme of the truncated season. Singers joined one another on stage, to the delight of crowds that were limited to pods of ten. That did not prevent them from wining to the beat, as Farmer Nappy said, encouragingly “We might have no road, but we can still party”.
The Kaiso Karavan at Queen’s Hall provided two years’ worth of social commentary that emanates from calypso, with a beautiful outdoor setting amongst the gigantic trees, that could set a new precedent for calypso tents in forthcoming seasons.
The re-enactment of the Canboulay Riots (which caused the first ever cancellation of Carnival in 1881), maintained its 5am Carnival Friday slot but moved from its traditional Piccadilly Greens location to the NAPA stage. The importance of its production in 2022 and evolvement into a play ‘Kambule’, was summed up by its writer Eintou Springer. “It is an ancestral tribute, so we will always do it. We intend to keep ritual in the Mas’, to remind ourselves of those from whose belly the Mas’ came and give them reverence, recognition, and visibility”.
Top marks for this unusual Carnival season were reserved for Musical Showdown in De Big Yard. In the absence of Panorama, this new steelpan event may have been scaled down, but the sound was big…and varied. Steel bands chose to perform gospel, R&B and classical music, with outstanding results. It was promoted as a show, rather than a competition, with the fans the true winners.
It was just a taste of Carnival, albeit a vital one; we cannot wait for the full serving.
FROM TOP Queen of Carnival - Olugbe-Rere Ko, The Spirit Who Brings Good Things HADCO Phase II Pan Groove Ole’ time Carnival
Photos: Maria Nunes
One of the quintessential depictions of Trinidad’s carnival, with their piercing screams and beaten biscuit pans, are the fire-breathing Blue Devils. All versions of this masquerade are pale in comparison to those from the hills of Paramin.
Photos: Jason C. Audain
The Blue Diables of
By Harmony Farrell
In this world of its own, the absence of an official carnival parade is but minor. The jabs/diables are the artisans of their costumes, the chemists of their paint, and, according to Steffy Marcano (leader of the Next Level Devils), the literal pavers of their roads, whenever the potholes grow too large. The jab sustains itself so much so that if carnival as we know it were to disintegrate for some reason, the Blue Devil would adapt to play mas’ in its rubble.
The Blue Devil’s origin, much like many or all folk artforms, demonstrates the human creativity that produces beauty out of next-to-nothing. With little more than blue laundry powder, homemade instruments, discarded clothes and residual memory of Africa, the population of Paramin fashioned the jab. It is a wonder to be studied how, hundreds of years later, the life force of this character has been preserved in its sanctity amidst the forces of “commodification” and “prettification” in the contemporary carnival. The magic is found in community. No matter where the bands roam - to downtown Port of Spain, to Europe, to music videos or stage performances, the jabs always return home.
This community is itself a mas’ camp where the practice is rooted in reverence for its history and the legacy of the now retired jabs who, in their senior years, continue to be actively involved in guiding each generation of devil. Elders, children, and all in between are masters of jab. For them, it is more than a masquerade. Indeed, it can be the opposite - an unmasking to reveal the inner self. It is the space to quite literally “Play yourself”! It is a lifestyle and a birthright. As they say, “You’re born a jab”.
Carnival Band Leader Dean Ackin
on Innovation during the Pandemic
If “necessity is the mother of invention” then the CEO of one of the most popular Carnival bands on the island has filled that need. Dean Ackin has been on a trajectory to change the face of Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival for over two decades and is now making waves overseas.
It’s interesting that in 2001, just out of high school and working at a local bank, Dean and a group of friends decided to create a section within the Carnival band Poison as more of a “hobby” than a career. The section grew so quickly that he launched the TRIBE All-Inclusive Carnival band just four years later. Although most Carnival bands offer this today, the concept was truly inspired - an all-inclusive experience where revellers no longer have to leave the band in search of food, drink, restrooms, make-up touch-ups and even rest. This would all be provided while on the road. “We listen, we pay attention to our environment, trends, and most importantly the voice of our masqueraders - what they ask for, we develop and provide. When we identify a need, we innovate…If the pandemic has taught us nothing [else] it’s that TT carnival is a beautifully unique and irreplaceable thing… our job is to translate, maintain, preserve and celebrate it.”
The brand evolved in size and scope with the addition of the Bliss and the Lost Tribe Carnival bands, tailor-made to meet the demand for an alternative aesthetic in terms of costume design, as well as entertainment.
“THE LOST TRIBE was a moment of evolution in our art form that married the best of modernday road experience and the authenticity of our history of storytelling and design. It shook the industry with its out of the box design approach, unconventional material use and rejection of feathers in its material box.”
‘Tribe’ Mas Band Photos: Anthony Maugee Dean Ackin
Dean credits his team’s ability to adapt as the secret to their success, alongside a commitment to breaking barriers and celebrating Caribbean beauty.
Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of Carnival 2021 and limited celebrations this year in safe zones for vaccinated participants to enjoy select events, but not the two-day street parade. But this has not deterred the team, they have continued to innovate, even looking beyond our shores into new collaborations in international destinations.
He went on to add that over the past seven years, inclusive of these pandemic years, “the Lost Tribe family, as we have grown to call our masquerader base, has grown in size, reach and impact, extending globally. LT continues to evolve with innovation as a core pillar of the brand identity and urged by demand, LT joined with its sister company Ultimate Events Limited in 2019 to open the ‘TALENT BANK’, a facet of the brand that presented entertainment, event performances, costumed performers and brand executions for clients... LOST TRIBE’s journey has been and continues to be one of breaking barriers, design and celebrating Caribbean stories and beauty”.
This leads us to one of the most anticipated events of the year, Melé. In April, 2022, a destination all-inclusive pairing of the Carnival band TRIBE with Soca superstar Machel Montano takes off at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico. The sold-out event will include concerts, parades and “fete, after fete, after fete”.
“Melé has definitely been a journey and a product that blossomed in the face of the pandemic. The original idea was to take Carnival to the Seas. Combining the efforts of two carnival Mega Brands, TRIBE and Machel Montano, we had planned and launched a Carnival Cruise that would translate our Trinidad carnival in a different way… and then the pandemic hit. Facing the challenges head-on we decided to transform the production to a destination-based one. This year’s inaugural five-day event will be held at the Moon Palace resort in Cancun, Mexico, and will be a Soca experience like no other! The response has been great, we are sold out, and we can’t wait to show everyone what we have in store.”
And our Carnival tribe can’t wait to play mas’ in 2023!
Phagwa-Holi Festival 19th & 20th March Spiritual Baptist/ Shouter Liberation Day 30th March Good Friday 15th April Easter Monday 18th April Feast of La Divina Pastora/ Soparee Mai 8th May Eid-ul-Fitr 2 May Indian Arrival Day 30th May May Cross Festival/ Cruz De Mayo Celebrations 30th May Ganga Dhaaraa 9th June Corpus Christi 16th June Labour Day 20th June St. Peter’s Day 3rd July Emancipation Day 1st August The Festival of Santa Rosa 1st August–31st August Ganesh Utsav 31st August Hosay 8th August Independence Day 31st August Launch Of Parang Festival 1st September – Ends 6th January Republic Day 24th September Ramleela 26th September Date subject to change The Ogun Festival 7–9th October First Peoples Heritage Week 12th October Divali Festival 24th October Tobago Carnival 2022 28th - 30th October Christmas Day 25th December Boxing Day 26th December T&T Carnival 2023 20th & 21st February
Easter
The blooming of the majestic Poui trees is synonymous with a few things on the islands: the dry season, the beginning of secondary school examinations, and the celebration of Easter.
This is a time when generations picnic under the trees, play long games of cricket and football, and of course, fly kites in the clear, blue Easter skies. Like all Trinbagonian holidays, many head to the islands’ beautiful beaches. In Tobago, witnessing the traditional goat races at the stadium is a must.
Like all Trinbagonian holidays, Easter celebrations are also synonymous with special foods. Though it is mainly Roman Catholics who refrain from eating meat on Good Friday, many Trinidadians and Tobagonians use this occasion to enjoy some delicious fish, fried or otherwise. As in many other parts of the world, sticky hot cross buns with cross-shaped icing on top are also an Easter staple.
Another tradition is the Good Friday ‘Bobolee’: a stuffed effigy of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, that passers-by are encouraged to beat as a symbolic punishment for Judas’s sin. It has now become a bit of a rarity, often showing up in more rural parts of the island, so keep an eye out for any hanging ‘bobolees’.
OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP Installation of the Shiv Lingam - Pt. Krishen Ramdeen & the ISHA Organisation
Photo: Lisa Fernandez/Lifepyx
OPPOSITE PAGE BELOW L-R Chinese New Year Celebration, 2020
Photo: Lisa Fernandez/Lifepyx Joanne Briggs, Los Paranderos de UWI
Photo: Maria Nunes
Egungun Festival
Photo: Lisa Fernandez/Lifepyx Photo: Ziad Joseph
Eid-ul-Fitr
On Eid-ul-Fitr, a festival that marks the breaking of the fast, Muslims around the world celebrate the end of the sacred month of Ramadan in which the Holy Quran was revealed to the prophet Mohammed. During this time, Muslims abstain from food, drink, and sexual activity between dawn and dusk, and at sunset the fast is broken with prayers and communal meals. The practice of fasting is a spiritual exercise found in many of the world’s religions; in Islam it is used as a means to help the believer focus on spiritual reflection, prayer, and good deeds; it is a way to draw the mind and spirit from worldly concerns and place the attention on the divine. The Quran tells the faithful that, “fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God”.
In order to ensure that no one is excluded from this happy occasion, many Muslim families traditionally perform an act of charity around the time of Eid through donations of food or money. This is sometimes linked to the practice of zakat, or almsgiving, which is one of the pillars of Islamic teachings whereby Muslims are called upon to give a certain percentage of their wealth to charity. Although zakat is not necessarily due at this time, some Muslims choose to make these charitable payments around the time of Eid-ul-Fitr. The word zakat literally means “to cleanse” and it is believed that act of giving purifies and blesses the wealth of the donor. The night of Eid-ul-Fitr itself is a joyous time of great celebration filled with enjoying food and sweets, as well as socializing with friends, family, and neighbours.
Photo: Christopher Anderson
Indian Arrival Day
On Indian Arrival Day, May 30th, we recognize and celebrate the arrival to these shores of the indentured labourers from India who migrated to the islands in the mid-19th century. The first group arrived from India on the Fatel Razack or, in English, Victory of Allah the Provider, which was misspelt by a careless British customs officer who noted the arrival of the “Futtle Razack.” This group of two hundred and twenty-five East Indian indentured labourers would have just completed a perilous three-month journey across the kala pani, or ‘black waters’ that lay between India and the Caribbean, in order to begin a new life in Trinidad, working on sugarcane and cocoa plantations across the island.
The British, who looked to India as a source of cheap labour after emancipation, would continue to bring close to one hundred thousand labourers from India to the colonies. These labourers, who came to replace the freed African slaves who left the plantations in droves after emancipation, have left an indelible mark on the culture of Trinidad and Tobago - the religion, food, music, and traditions that they brought with them have played a major role in shaping the multicultural landscape of the country.
Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day
Every year on March 30th, Trinidad and Tobago commemorates the liberation of the Spiritual (Shouter) Baptist community, whose faith was banned for over three decades (1917-1951) in the early twentieth century by the colonial government. The Spiritual Baptist faith is one that is indigenous to this country; a religion comprising elements of Protestant Christianity and African doctrines and rituals. Here are some of the iconic features of the faith.
The bell is one of the most enduring symbols of the Spiritual Shouter Baptist community. It can be heard ringing throughout the worship assembly and celebrations. Used as a powerful tool to raise the vibrations of the congregation and connect them with the divine, the elders of the church teach that the bell is a representation of what the Bible calls, “a voice in the wilderness calling out to God” and is said to represent the divine presence of the Holy Spirit. No celebration is complete without the ample ringing of bells.
Another recognizable symbol of the faith is the calabash. Used as a vessel for flowers, candles, water, and other items during worship, it is regarded as a gift from ‘Mother Earth’. It is believed that it was heavily influenced by the spiritual practices of persons of former kingdoms in West Africa including the Dahomey, Kongo, and Yoruba tribes. The calabash symbolizes the faith’s connection to the ancestors hailed from these kingdoms. Spiritual Baptist worship is a joyous, musical affair in which the divine is invoked and praised through spontaneous hymns of worship, the beating of drums, the ringing of bells, clapping and dancing–the entire body and mind are used to connect the congregation to God. One recognizable feature of this style of worship is what is known as groaning, a sort of humming or groaning sound which worshippers sometimes make as an act of devotion to God, a form of devotion which transcends language.
Water, another essential symbol, is used during worship. A Baptist service begins with what is called “watering the field” where the corners and centre of the church are sprinkled with water. This water signifies the source of life and energy, representing the divine which revives and refreshes the worshippers. This use of water is a feature that the faith shares with many other world religions and spiritual practices.
These symbols are all powerful elements of Baptist worship which give us more insight into this integral and somewhat misunderstood religious community. On Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day, we are reminded of the struggles faced by this community and their resilience and achievements in the face of oppression.
Photo: Lisa Fernandez/Lifepyx
