The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is celebrated two days before Ash Wednesday. In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays
Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is the event of the year. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American 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. Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean Music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago at about the start of the 20th century Recently, Soca has replaced Calypso as the most mainstream type of music. Soca is a form of Dance music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from Calypso music.
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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. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March A mask is an artefact normally worn on the face typically for protection concealment performance or amusement 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. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services 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. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Carnival is celebrated two days before Ash Wednesday in the season of Lent. In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. 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). Crop Over is Barbados ' biggest festival having had its early beginnings on the sugar cane plantations during the colonial period The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant 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). A festival is an event usually and ordinarily staged by a local community which centers on some unique aspect of that community
Carnival Dates
The table shows a list of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival dates from 2009 to 2015. This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. 2015 ( MMXV) will be a Common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. [1]
Competitions
Musical competitions make up a large part of Carnival and to win a competition is highly coveted. This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols 2011 ( MMXI) will be a Common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. 2012 ( MMXII) will be a Leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland 2013 ( MMXIII) will be a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the 2014 ( MMXIV) will be a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth 2015 ( MMXV) will be a Common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori 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 $78,600) and possible endorsements and other contracts. Other prestigious titles are Soca Monarch, Road March and Panorama Champions - for which the 2007 prize is TT $1. million (US $157,230. ). 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. The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. Claves are a Percussion instrument ( Idiophone) consisting of a pair of short (about 20-30 cm thick dowels Steelpans (also known as steeldrums or pans, and sometimes collectively with Musicians as a steelband) is a Musical instrument and 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. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the These cultures and contributions render a sound vastly different from Carnival in Spain, Venice, or even in New Orleans, where Mardi Gras is celebrated. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana " Mardi Gras " ( French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday.
Costumes
As with other Carnivals, many participants wear elaborate costumes, often decorated with feathers and sequins. Carnival "bands" are organized groups made up of participants who pay for costumes fashioned by a designer and assembled by teams of volunteers. The costumed participants dance through the streets to the sounds of a steel band, a soca band or a d. j. - this is called "playing mas'". A unique feature of this parade is that locals and tourists alike participate in the parade of bands. Each band is led by a King and Queen, which are extremely large costumes, often requiring extensions and wheels to assist the masquerader to carry it through the streets. A competition is held every year on Dimanche Gras (Carnival Sunday) to award the King and Queen of Carnival title to two of these masqueraders. On the following days, Carnival Monday and Tuesday, the bands themselves are in competition to win the Band of the Year title. Small monetary prizes are associated with these titles, though they do not cover the full amount of production of the band or the King or Queen. Participation occurs at all levels of society - as said by 3 time calypso monarch David Rudder "from bourgeois to grassroots". Children participate from as early as parents can get them into costume, sometime even strollers are decorated. Children can extend their fun by participating in smaller "Kiddies Carnival" shows, competitions and parades as early as 4 weeks before the culmination of the festival and for many weeks ahead several preliminary rounds of competitions, parties or fetes as they're known, take place. Carnival is a part of the national curriculum and several programs take place at schools across the country. Regional authorities handle smaller carnival celebrations in smaller towns and villages. Whether you're into the revellry, wearing a costume and dancing in the streets, partying non-stop, photography, appreciating amazing arrangements of the season's calypsos for steelpan, or simply want to enjoy the family reunion type celebration, carnival has something for everyone.
Bands
Band leaders and designers begin working on their presentations months in advance and usually hold a launch party 3-5 months before Carnival to showcase their costumes. Port of Spain is the Capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third largest municipality after Chaguanas Costumes are available for purchase at the mas camp, and some camps offer costumes for sale online as well.
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
A few specific characters have evolved during the history of Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival. Peter Minshall (1941-) is a Trinidadian Carnival artist who describes his medium as "the Mas " and prefers to be called a "masman" Among these characters are:
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". Caribbean Carnival is the term used for a number of events that take place in many of the Caribbean islands annually minstrel was a medieval European Bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories about distant places or about real or imaginary historical events Midnight Robber is a Novel by writer Nalo Hopkinson. Reviews SF Site Featured Review by David Soyka (2000 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
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
- Trinidad and Tobago Carnival at the Open Directory Project
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