Last week Monday and Tuesday were the celebration of Carnival in my country, Trinidad and Tobago. Carnival is one of the things I enjoy most about my culture. Before the actual two days of masquerading, there is what is commonly referred to as the “Carnival Season” which involves many pre-carnival activities such as kiddies carnival, band launches, and going to fetes. During kiddies carnival, young children dress up in carnival costumes such as the Pierrot Grenade, the Fancy Sailor and the Midnight Robber. Band Launches are when masquerading bands showcase their costumes for the upcoming year (which is usually followed by a party). Fetes are huge Carnival parties where artists perform their Soca music for that year in their hope to be nominated for and to win the Soca Monarch title. There is an intoxicating energy that is fills Trinidad and Tobago during Carnival time which is very hard to resist.
I played mas for the very first time last year which made missing carnival this year all the more difficult. Moreover, the snow storm here compared to the beautiful sunny weather at home did not make it easier either. I can remember my experience as though I played this year. I woke up Carnival Monday Morning at 2:00AM and played Jouvert with my friends. Jouvert involves parading in the street to Soca music and throwing paint and such on friends. At about 5:00AM I went home, showered, put on my Carnival Monday costume (I played with a band called Island People), and headed out to Port of Spain (our capital) to play mas. The music, the energy, the people, the colours, the life in the street all contributed to an atmosphere of pure freedom and fun. By the end of the day my feet were killing me but nevertheless I got up at 6:00AM on Carnival Tuesday Morning to play mas again. On Carnival Tuesday, masqueraders come out in their full costumes and parade the streets. On both Carnival Monday and Tuesday each band crosses the stage where they are judged to win the title of “Band of the Year.”
New York City offers a taste of almost every culture so my roommate and I were determined to enjoy Carnival to some extent here. However, we were most disappointed at the lack of celebrations and wallowed Carnival Monday and Tuesday as we streamed the coverage at home.
