Masqueraders cross the stage at the Queen's Park Savannah during the parade

Two revelers dance in the streets. The form of dancing is locally called "Wining"

A Music Truck entertains the crowd on the streets. Trucks are an integral part of the street parade, featuring live performances or deejays

The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is celebrated two days before Ash Wednesday.

Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is the event of the year. It is said that if the islanders are not celebrating it then they are preparing for it while reminiscing about the past year's festival. The heart of the musical celebration is the calypso. Recently, Soca has replaced Calypso as the most mainstream type of music.

History

Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago originally had its roots in West African festivals, facilitated by conservative French aristocracy's carnival celebrations where masks were donned and social visits ensued. When the use of drums and religious practices had been outlawed, the slaves (and then former slaves) found novel ways to pass on their heritage. Carnival then grew with African influences from the slaves who added singing, dancing, and music as well as exuberance to Carnival to transform it into what we see today. Carnival is celebrated two days before Ash Wednesday in the season of Lent. In the earliest times, similar celebrations were held at the end of crops being harvested (hence the Crop Over celebrations in some other Caribbean islands). However, as these became more oppressed, the only permissible time was when the aristocracy was engaged in their own merriment and debauchery - the pre-lenten festival tied to the Roman Catholic idea of carne vale (farewell to the flesh).

Carnival Dates

The table shows a list of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival dates from 2009 to 2015. ^[1]

Competitions

Musical competitions make up a large part of Carnival and to win a competition is highly coveted. For example, to be named Calypso Monarch is one of the island's greatest honors, and the competition is aired on television. Along with the honor comes an enormous trophy, a car, TT $500,000 (approx. US $80,908.95) and possible endorsements and other contracts. Other prestigious titles are Soca Monarch, Carnival Road March and Panorama Champions - for which the 2007 prize is TT $1. million (US $161,817.91). The instruments used are the drums, claves, and the steelpan, which is a drum that has been hammered down in different areas which create different notes. A group of performers practice weeks in advance on these drums in order to compete and hopefully bring home the top honor. Trinidad and Tobago is very multicultural (African, Asian (south and east), European) and all these groups have combined their musical influences to that of Carnival. Spanish influences are also reflected by the immigrants from Venezuela. These cultures and contributions render a sound vastly different from Carnival in Spain, Venice, or even in New Orleans, where Mardi Gras is celebrated.

Costumes

Floats play a major part in Trinidad's Carnival celebration

Bands

Members of a Costume band parade on the streets of Port of Spain

Some popular Carnival bands include:

• TRIBE
• Harts Carnival
• Masquerade
• Peter Minshall's Callaloo Company
• Island People
• Trini Revellers
• Legacy
• Genesis
• Pulse 8
• Dream Team
• Mas Jumbies
• Wayne Berkley
• Evolution
• Poison

Characters

Carnival, Port of Spain, early 1950s

Pierrot Grenade - he gives speeches on issues of the day, all in rhyme
Minstrels - black musicians acting as wandering minstrels, wearing white facepaint
Midnight Robber - his grandiose bragging is known as "robber talk," a style which evolved from African Griot storytellers
Jab Jab - The name of this mas is derived from the French patois for 'Diable Diable". It is pretty devil mas. The costume consists of a Kandal or satin knickers, and satin shirt with points of cloth at the waist, from which bells hang. On the chest, there is a shaped cloth panel which is decorated with swansdown, rhinestones and mirrors. Stockings and alpagatas are worn on the feet, while the headress consists of a hood with stuffed cloth horns. The costume can come in alternating colours and be divided into front and back panels. The Jab Jab has a thick whip of plaited hemp which he swings and cracks threateningly. These whips can reduce the costumes of other Jab Jabs to threads.It is not to be confused with Jab Molassie.

JAB MOLASSIE Jab is the French patois for 'Diable' (Devil), and Molassie is the French patois for Mélasse (Molasses). The Jab Molassie is one of several varieties of devil mas played in Trinidad and Tobago carnival. The costume consists of short pants or pants cut off at the knee, and a mask and horns. The jab malassie would carry chains, and wear locks and keys around his waist, and carry a pitch fork. He may smear his body with grease, tar, mud or coloured dyes (red, green or blue). The jab molassie "wines" or gyrates to a rhythmic beat that is played on tins or pans by his imps. While some of his imps supply the music, others hold his chain, seemingly restraining him as he pulls against them in his wild dance.

The differences among the various forms of devil mas were once distinct, but have become blurred over time.

Dame Lorraine - an amply blessed woman dressed as an 18th century French aristocrat

References

1. ↑ Trinidad Carnival Dates

External links

• Official Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Site - www.gotrinidadandtobago.com
• Calendar of Events at the Trinidad Tourism Site
• National Carnival Commission Official Website
• History and Carnival Information at the National Library

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