Posted by Pan Times on November 26, 2012 at 7:12pm
In 1887, J.H Collens described the unrest of the Carnival of 1881 thus:
“The two days immediately preceding Ash Wednesday are, as in most Roman Catholic countries, devoted to King Carnival. Business is partially, if not altogether, suspended ; masquerading and tomfoolery generally being the order of the day. The better class of Spaniards dress themselves in fantastic costumes and ride or drive about visiting their friends, showering small confitures upon them. The custom is gradually dying out, and of late years it has degenerated into the lowest form of buffoonery ; vulgarity and thinly-disguised obscenity being rather the rule than the exception. The roughs, rowdies, and diametres take advantage of the privilege of masking, and indulge in coarse ribaldry, till the police finally take them temporarily under their wing. These orgies used to begin with ' Canboulay.' Bands of ruffians armed with staves, calling themselves Bakers, Freegrammars, etc., each set having their leader, paraded the town of Port-of-Spain at midnight on the Sunday and fought each other, annoyed the peaceably disposed, and even defied the police on occasions, if the latter presumed to interfere with them. Things got to such a pitch at last that the Government was compelled in the interests of Law and Order to put this down with a high hand. This caused some trouble at first, and not a little bitterness of feeling, but eventually Might, which for once was also Eight, prevailed, and the ' Canboulay ' as such has become a thing of the past. Peace he to its ashes !””
The Canboulay Riots only served to heighten the fever pitch of Carnival, for the Governor had reinstated the right of masqueraders to assemble in the streets of the capital after the unrest. By 1890, the street mas of downtown POS had become little more than a rabble, although the creativity of the chantwells (calypsonians) and the odd masquerade troupe could be lauded. The day of organized bands was still some years in the future but groups of poor people from the depressed barrack yards of East POS joined together to make merry in fine style. Using the materials at their disposal, they created colourful and jaunty costumes which mimicked the popular themes of the day. While the wealthy had Carnival dances and balls, the lower classes frolicked through the city in the wild abandon that is really the spirit of Trinidad Carnival. This photo from 1896 shows a typical street mas of the period.
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Actually, Noah I appreciate the quote , and since the author and date of quote is listed , I think most of us on this forum are intelligent enough to appreciate the context of the quote , and the perspective of its author.
And in its own way it is educational and worth reading.
And the second paragraph seems to be a pretty good description of the era.
And, BTW since i try to tell a story with my posts, I appreciate it when its done by others.
Thank you very much Gerry Kangalee for you detailed and well researched contribution. I was really informative (although it did not deal directly with one question),
My only concern is that there are members of WST who will not bother to read it and so maintain a backward view which expresses what the middle and upper classes of those days want us to believe is the 'true' history of Carnival.
This is, however, the view of a white journalist (more than historian) who saw the activities of the blacks through a rather jaundiced eye. His description of what happened is probably quite accurate, but his analysis, and his understanding of what was actually going on where the black people was concerned is way off base. Note his description of the cause of the banning of Carnival and the Canboulay riots. "Might in this case being right"! simplistic, and a complete misreading.
But we are grateful for the entry, if only for the photo and the first description of the situation
Absolutely true Mavin, these terms require multidimensional explanations to be fully comprehended. Canboulay for instance was more than a “carnival band”. Cannes Brulees ritual re-enacted the memory of enslaved Africans being awoken at night by Conch shell and driven with blows to put out cane fires, sometimes on sugar estates many miles away.
I think it's a pity that this significant ritual is lost in our present Carnival and survives only in a watered down form during our Emancipation celebrations. ASW
Comments
The Muharam massacre too place in 1884 they had cancelled carnival too.
Actually, Noah I appreciate the quote , and since the author and date of quote is listed , I think most of us on this forum are intelligent enough to appreciate the context of the quote , and the perspective of its author.
And in its own way it is educational and worth reading.
And the second paragraph seems to be a pretty good description of the era.
And, BTW since i try to tell a story with my posts, I appreciate it when its done by others.
Thank you very much Gerry Kangalee for you detailed and well researched contribution. I was really informative (although it did not deal directly with one question),
My only concern is that there are members of WST who will not bother to read it and so maintain a backward view which expresses what the middle and upper classes of those days want us to believe is the 'true' history of Carnival.
see
http://www.panonthenet.com/exclusive/2011/out-of-pain-4-8-2011.htm
Interesting view of the times.
This is, however, the view of a white journalist (more than historian) who saw the activities of the blacks through a rather jaundiced eye. His description of what happened is probably quite accurate, but his analysis, and his understanding of what was actually going on where the black people was concerned is way off base. Note his description of the cause of the banning of Carnival and the Canboulay riots. "Might in this case being right"! simplistic, and a complete misreading.
But we are grateful for the entry, if only for the photo and the first description of the situation
At last the truth. I need more of this and in particular the input of the farm workers.
Thanks.
Great history.
wow...the journalistic language........
Absolutely true Mavin, these terms require multidimensional explanations to be fully comprehended. Canboulay for instance was more than a “carnival band”. Cannes Brulees ritual re-enacted the memory of enslaved Africans being awoken at night by Conch shell and driven with blows to put out cane fires, sometimes on sugar estates many miles away.
I think it's a pity that this significant ritual is lost in our present Carnival and survives only in a watered down form during our Emancipation celebrations. ASW
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