A CARNIVAL STORY

Ah time ah went to NEW ORLEANS for the MARDI GRAS!!!

Now, the natural instinct for a TRINI is to hear CALYPSO and PAN in any Carnival yuh go to. But when ah reach NEW ORLEANS it eh have none ah dat. So I am culturally discombobulated in the middle of all this Carnival Celebration. What makes matters worse is that when I travel, I always travel alone. So ah taking in the whole scene in a real disconnected way. Of course the FOOD (dat authentic GUMBO is something special and memorable) and the JAZZ (all I will say is that when you hear JAZZ on Bourbon Street -- yuh could say that yuh hear JAZZ). Now I am a fellah who when I experience something spectacular for the first time in my life, I could live without ever experiencing it again and live off the memory. That is just me.

But imagine if somebody from Norway who hearing all dem small steelband in Europe went to Trinidad this year and they went to PANORAMA and they hear SKIFFLE PLAY. Allyuh could imagine what a lifetime impression that will leave on them. Well that is the state of mind I was in listening to this LIVE and AUTHENTIC music all by myself. Ironically, there was this white fellah sitting down next to me listening and then suddenly he reached out to me and said: Do you believe this? And I said: No! Then he told me that he was from Australia and that he had an uncle who had a stack of Jazz Records that he listened to all day but his uncle who was always telling him about jazz, his uncle "never heard nothing like this in his life" and he kept shaking his head in disbelief.

Anyway, the PARADE DAY came around and it was quite different for a TRINI CARNIVAL HEAD. Still no Carnival Music. But as the day progressed the MARCHING BANDS started to get into my head and I started making out the music a little bit because a lot of bands were playing popular songs.

And then later in the day this MARCHING BAND came down the street playing "TORTURE" by Michael Jackson and something happen to me and I like I went in a TRANCE because ah never hear sweet music so in my life. I will never forget that experience for the rest of my life!!!

Carnival Tuesday night always makes me BLUE -- though matter where I am.

If I am alive next year Carnival Tuesday Night, I will tell allyuh about my BRAZIL CARNIVAL EXPERIENCE!!!

Carnival done and ah feeling BLUE and REFLECTIVE!!!

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  • Lovely memory! your story felt so real. Blue Tuesday, that is true, around 6:00 pm for me. But do make it in the land of your birth, I take it, for 2K19. A million or more have not got their necks locked yet!

  • Nice to hear your experiences Claude and help many imagine the head of an invisible guy from Norway.  What will happen to those abroad who may get an internet break down ...maybe...and not see this amazing spectacular event with all that pan for Panorama.  Give Brazil a pass and live it, live on the Rock and add a doubles to that.

    • Merle: How are you? Merle yuh want meh to come down to Trinidad and get rob and kill by the children from the BANDIT FACTORY? I would love to come down and make a lime with you ... but I will just have to live my life in DREAMS OF YESTERDAY!!! Glad to know that you are still enjoying it!!!

      CHANGE THE CHANGE, Merle: Run for political office and clean up the crime!!!

      • Cleaning up the crime or any other unwanted behavior (plenty) is a tall order but I plug away making etches with development in any group I belong as long as it is here.  I`ve been back in Table Tennis & hold office; hoping my volunteer time spent among my people will make a ``change``, instead of fighting the cold & shoveling snow.

        Hope you jump on a CAL instead.  My favorite Calypso too!

        Take care Claude!

  • The Carnival Is Over - version mix

    1. Pantasy 2. Mavis John 3. Regeneration Now 4. Lord Kitchener

    • Ola ODW:

      Do take a bow.  Lovely mix.

      Thanks again.

    • Very Nice, Odw!!! One of Kitchener's Top 3 Melodies!!!

  • Yuh tink yuh could go Trinidad and say we have Mardi Gras? Yuh mad, oh me Lard.

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