by Rubadiri Victor
2014 will be remembered as the year that the Port of Spain Carnival died with the Mardi Gras ascendent, the Canboulay routed. However in the ashes of the battlefield one could see rear-guard action by the Canboulay Forces...
This year- 2014- the Steelbands came out in force to defend the Legacy of the Golden Age. The whole rank and file of the Pan Movement ...came out in force on the road on Monday and Tuesday as if to prove a point. They are at the Heart-Centre of the Trinidad & Tobago Carnival and they showed that they could rescue the thing... None moreso than All Stars who organised themselves in Traditional Sailor glory to prove the power of the Traditional Mas even in its simplest form, the power of community, and the power of Pan organised!!!...
It is clear to me that it is Steelband and the Traditional Mas that will save us. Walking the streets this year I was more clear of that than ever!
These are images that I captured of the 'Canboulay' traditions on Carnival Tuesday 2014. I don't take pictures of the Mardi Gras traditions- there is more than enough of that. I just try to capture the essence of the life of 'the Mas' as it attempts to survive its contest with the Mardi Gras and modernity and the general all-round ignorance that is piloting the Carnival.
This year- 2014- the Steelbands came out in force to defend the Legacy of the Golden Age. The whole rank and file of the Pan Movement ...came out in force on the road on Monday and Tuesday as if to prove a point. They are at the Heart-Centre of the Trinidad & Tobago Carnival and they showed that they could rescue the thing... None moreso than All Stars who organised themselves in Traditional Sailor glory to prove the power of the Traditional Mas even in its simplest form, the power of community, and the power of Pan organised!!!...
It is clear to me that it is Steelband and the Traditional Mas that will save us. Walking the streets this year I was more clear of that than ever!
These are images that I captured of the 'Canboulay' traditions on Carnival Tuesday 2014. I don't take pictures of the Mardi Gras traditions- there is more than enough of that. I just try to capture the essence of the life of 'the Mas' as it attempts to survive its contest with the Mardi Gras and modernity and the general all-round ignorance that is piloting the Carnival.
Replies
Yes, yes and yes again! Thanks and blessings!
"Modernity and general all-around ignorance ". I could not have said it better. The essence of our Carnival is the steelband and the more we stray away from the tradition the quicker we'll get lost and caught up in someone else's. Mardi Gras, what is that, isn't that what they call it in New Orleans?. This is Trinbago.
You tell them Sherwin Campbell, we Trins have a problem playing we-self, we love to follow.
When did this happen, Cecil?
Steelband, calypso, fancy sailor, flourbag sailor, red indian, wild indian, etc etc, everyting in Carnival, de very Carnival self, is a clear indication dat we, from time immemorial was creators, inventors, leaders, innovators!
What happen?
Was it a ting dat creep up on we? Or did it lick we sudden?
The idea of T
Trinis patterning any aspec of Carnival on someting from somewhere else is horrifying!
Yet it is here upon us. People talking as if 'galavanting' is all dat we does be doin at Carnival time! An almost concerted effort to sideline true calypso! A pushing out of pan away from the centre an to de fringes of de val! People talking about the val as a money-making ting, pure an simple!
An dat is it. I think. Capitalism gone mad! Powerful forces in de country, wid dey eye on 'de bottom line' are steadily working to rid carnival of its heart and soul and replace it wid a ting dat is simply men wining on women in Bikini an feathers while drinking plenty rum, listening to DJs playing mindless soca about 'jump and wine to de lef!' All while a few people at de top making plenty money.
Dey winning over de media. Dey win over Pan Trinbago, Dey wukking pon de calypso, too.
But mos of all dey attacking de minds an hearts of the youth by keeping them from internalizing de soul an de heart of Carnival!
Teach de youth to be 'followers' and dis is what you get!
We have to fight dis!
Rubadiri Victor, I like your post, it is about time steelbands come out in defend the Legacy of the Golden Age, let's hope that more steelbands follow suit in 2015.
Cecil, isn't this what we've been saying for years, in many different ways? I've gotten tired of repeating myself.
Glenroy I'm willing to continue saying the same thing until I see some kind of change.