WE CULTURE - The History of Trinidad Carnival

By Antoinette Ifill



Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival is unique amongst its Caribbean neighbours for the one fact that it is not staged as a tourist attraction but has deeply rooted foundations in the history of the twin island republic.

At the end of the 18th Century, the French were invited by Spain to colonize the island of Trinidad and brought with them the tradition of ‘Carnevale’, a period of merriment before the somber reflection of the Lenten season. These celebrations began in December and ended on Ash Wednesday, during which the white elite portrayed the lower classes and slaves in costume. It was common for the upper and middle class to dress as field slaves called “negre jardin”, while the Africans were forbidden by law to partake in the festivities.

The abolition of slavery in 1834 gave freedom to the former slaves to in turn mock their slave masters in costume and the Carnival celebrations were eventually taken over by Africans and “coloured” persons of mixed descent. With this shift in the dynamic of the revelry, the whites withdrew from the festival hoping that it would loose it’s popularity by decrying the Carnival as a “Jamette Carnival” of which only the lowest class would participate in such an immoral and obscene activity. It was due to this disapproval of Carnival celebrations practiced by the Africans that the festival was reduced to only two days.

Unperturbed by the concern of the whites, Africans continued making Carnival into an observance of their own by introducing musical instruments such as African skin drums, masks and dances reminiscent of their native rituals. One of the most important activities of the Africans during the days of Carnival was the Cannes Brulees (French for Burning Cane), a festivity of song, dance and stick fighting. The Cannes Brulees was birthed during slavery; when fires erupted in the cane fields the slaves were rounded up to harvest the cane. This event became known as Canne Brulees, which was later changed to Canboluay, commemorated on Carnival Sunday.

As pressure was placed on the Africans to give up their Carnival festival, hostility brewed between the black underclass and white upper class culminating in the Canboulay Riots of 1881, a two day rampage by the retaliating lower class that resulted in deaths and mass destruction of property. Subsequently, the Canboulay Festival was abolished in 1884, replaced by a more restricted festival which began at dawn on Carnival Monday. Today this celebration is known as J’ouvert.

Africans used costume to highlight their plights as well as mock the aristocracy in masquerade developing unique Carnival Characters such as the Negre Jardin, European Clowns, Jamettes, Dame Lorraine and Sailor Mas. For most of the latter half of the 19th century, the white elite removed themselves from Carnival celebrations until the festival was rid of its unrefined elements. Upon their return it was from a position of observation in their vehicles, and it would be another forty years before the upper class rejoined the street celebrations. Today Trinidad Carnival, a celebration once so divisive, can be seen as the one event that unites all classes, creed and races, if only for a few days, of complete harmony and celebration.

WE CULTURE - Hosay

By Cheryl Nneka U. Hazell


Hosay in Cedros (photo by Pedro Delano - www.lightstalkers.org)

The beat of the tassa drums can be heard coming down the streets in various towns and districts of Trinidad as the observations of Hosay gets underway. This 1300 year-old annual celebration, observed during Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is held by Muslims in remembrance of the martyrdom of the prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Hussein, from which the creolized word “Hosay” is derived. He had been marching to Baghdad to revenge his brother Hassan’s death when his rivals slew him. East Indian immigrants who were Shiite Muslims brought this piece of their culture with them to Trinidad in 1845 from the north Indian city of Lucknow and the Indian state of Oudh. Hosay was first observed on the island in 1854.

Threatened by scenes of public gatherings, the British colonial authorities outlawed the Hosay commemorations in 1884. Celebrants still took to the streets and while Port of Spain was spared, a shootout occurred in San Fernando in which East Indians were killed or injured. That day is historically referred to as the Muharram Massacre but was called the Hosay Riots in British colonial records. There is no such threat to the culture or the observations today.

For three nights the procession wends through the city streets beginning on Flag Night with hundreds of devotees carrying multi-coloured flags symbolizing the Battle of Kerbala. The next night, small tadjahs, or models of mosques built and decorated by volunteers, are led by the sounds of the tassa - made of clay and covered with goat skin - which can be heard for miles around. On the third night, large spectacular tadjahs standing more than two meters high are paraded through the streets by eager participants while dancers hold aloft two elaborately decorated crescent moons representing the slain brothers.

Over the years, participants have crossed racial and religious boundaries. Hosay celebrations are carried out in Curepe, Tunapuna, Couva and Cedros. On the fourth morning, a simulated battle done in the form of a dance is performed in an open field and afterwards a special prayer is offered up to the memory of the dead. Later in the evening the tadjahs are dismantled and properly disposed of in adherence to environmental-friendly sentiments as opposed to throwing them into the sea as in days gone by.

This highly ritualized tradition has evolved into its own unique event and it is evident that Hosay’s modern-day meaning in Trinidad serves to promote and showcase ethnic pride and encourage solidarity between Muslims and East Indians.

The festival takes place on January 19th, 2008 and in 2009 Hosay will occur twice in the same calendar-year (January 7th & December 27th).

WE CULTURE - Trinidad Parang Heralds the Christmas Season

by Antoinette Ifill



The genre of music synonymous with the Christmas season in Trinidad and Tobago is the distinctively Latin rhythm known as Parang. The word Parang is derived from the Spanish word “parranda” though Trinidad and Tobago is predominantly English speaking. Thus, the popular opinion is that parang was introduced to the twin islands by Venezuelans who worked on the Cocoa Estates in the 19th century. One would think therefore that to fully enjoy and appreciate parang, knowledge of Spanish is essential. However, Trinidadians have adopted parang giving it a characteristic local flavor which sets it apart from parang music throughout the Caribbean. From mid October to early January it is the music that dominates radio, television, office parties and even a trip to the mall, clearly Spanish not being the first language of these islands does not diminish the appeal of parang which is now a Christmas tradition.

With my paternal grandfather being from Venezuela, parang holds special meaning to me since as a child my first memories of parang music are of the paranderos (a parang band), which often comprised several of my uncles playing various instruments, invading our home on Christmas Day. The custom is to welcome the paranderos with a feast of food and drinks; in return your home is blessed with song for as long as the refreshments keep coming, when it has been exhausted the band moves on to serenade another host. Today this tradition is all but lost except in smaller rural communities, and when friends “give you a parang” for Christmas it is usually to a raid the Christmas victuals and grog!

Parang’s popularity has increased in the last twenty eight years with the advent of “soca parang”, a melding of English limerick with the infectious tempo associated with the cuatro, mandolin, box bass, scratcher and chac chac which together produce the beat that is parang. The champion of this brand of melody being Calypsonian Scrunter, renowned for producing several soca parang hits each Christmas season, even though critics have lambasted some Soca Parang artistes for the sexual innuendos used in the lyrics. Also infusing verve into an old tradition is marrying melodies of other cultures such as the East Indian Chutney songs into the harmony of parang. It is this revolutionizing of parang which makes it even more popular today as there is an established National Parang Association in Trinidad with parang competitions held nationwide from the month of September culminating in the grand finals in December.

For the advent of innovative parang, exclusive to Trinidad and Tobago, the established mode of parang is still prevalent with paranderos whose themes are hinged on religion and Christianity. This is the parang music one associates with the late Parang Queen, Daisy Voisin, who always performed with a plastic bouquet of flowers, which became her signature. To attest to the esteem still placed on conventional parang, there are 82 established parang bands performing in Trinidad and Tobago, among them eminent paranderos such as the Lara Brothers, La Divina Pastora and Los Ninos del Mundo.

Parang to Trinidad Christmas is as much a staple as black cake, ponche a crème, sorrel and pastelle, and remains a popular art form illustrating the Hispanic heritage which is part of the multi-ethnic populace of Trinidad and Tobago. Even as I sit at my desk, writing this article, the strains of Es El Tiempo's “Chinee Parang” drift through the windows from the neighbor’s radio playing at full blast. And I think to myself, where else in the world can one enjoy an English song, sung to a Spanish Beat, infused with local soca music and the subject a pun on native Chinese people! Trinidad parang has clearly developed over the years, but for all the progress I would one day hope to see a resurgence of the traditions of the past where paranderos would spread the joy of Christmas from one home to another, just like my uncles did when I was a child.

WE CULTURE - Nine Mornings: Christmas the Vincy Way

by Karen L. Richardson



The holiday season has officially begun. Christmas is a time for family and giving, but here in the north, most of us expect only maxed credit cards and blustery cold weather. For Vincentians living in Canada, the idea of going home for Christmas costs more dollars, but makes more sense!

“Many people are excited about going back home for Christmas so that we could try to relive the early days. Celebrations at home are different from here so there is that excitement,” says Gideon Exeter, president of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Toronto.

“Obviously Christmas has a different flavour in the Caribbean. There's no chance of snow and you're more likely to be topping up your tan than basting the turkey. Nevertheless, celebrations are taken very seriously, with traditional food and cultural presentations getting locals warmed up for the big day,” says Steven Veira, a graphic artist living in St. Vincent.

He’s talking about Nine Mornings. It is a holiday festival that cannot be found anywhere else. “Christmas celebrations begin early in St Vincent. From December 16th people get up in the early hours and parade through the streets of Kingstown in seasonal attire. There are also bicycle races, roller-skating, caroling, string band serenaders and dancing at nightclubs to keep everyone busy and thoroughly exhausted,” says Veira. Then, it’s off to work for 8 a.m.

As the name indicates, Nine Mornings is celebrated before sunrise for nine days leading up to December 25th. Its true origins are in debate. It is uncertain whether it began before or after Emancipation. One local myth traces the festivities to the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church in the 1920s. Parishioners celebrated the religious novena by gathering to pray daily for nine days preceding Christmas. Each service ended with processions either home or to the beach for a morning dip.

Once in the hands of the citizens at large, the festival grew from a religious observance to a community party. “In the earlier days, Nine Mornings was fun. The young people in the village got up early and walked the streets, often with our young lovers. It was a time to just stroll through town with friends. Later, it became commercialized with the staging of fetes,” say Exeter. The sounds of flutes and drums accompanied the impromptu street parades, and strolling became dancing over the hills and valleys.

For youth, Nine Mornings is akin to Carnival. Huge concerts at Victoria Park draw upwards of 8,000 people each night. In recent years, the Ministry of Culture has stepped in to sponsor free outdoor performances, featuring storytelling, carol singing and steel pan jump-ups, beginning daily at 9 a.m. In the face of a constantly evolving festival, the faithful of many denominations gather for early morning mass all over the country.

WE Culture - Sharing the Steelpan with the world

by Monica J. McIntyre



On a recent visit to Las Vegas, while walking along the Strip, I was delighted to hear steelband music wafting through the air. I followed the melody and discovered, in a busy market square, a trio of musicians. A young, white American was playing a steelpan, accompanied by a guitarist, and percussionist. They were entertaining a group of shoppers who were taking a respite from the desert heat. Some sat at tables and listened to the music, while others were dancing.

After the set, I approached the pannist, who told me that he used to play drums for a steelband in San Diego. A Trinidadian taught him to play the pan, and now he was earning a living playing the steelpan, in Vegas.

Trinidad nationals are proudly showcasing and sharing the steelpan with the world. As the only acoustic, melodic instrument created in the twentieth century, the versatile instrument is used to play not just calypso, soca, and reggae, but also classical music and jazz. Today there are steelbands in many countries, including North America, Australia, Japan, China, England, France and Switzerland, to name just a few.

In Toronto, the steelband continues to grow and evolve in spite of challenges, thanks to the dedicated professionals who soldier on to advance the instrument. They put on shows, teach, make and tune the pans, and arrange music.

Tommy Crichlow is one of the ambassadors for the steelband, in Toronto. He has been playing the steelpan since he was a boy in his native Trinidad. Now the veteran arranger runs a home-based business making and tuning steelpans. Crichlow also arranges the music for his steelband Pan Masters. In 1988, he was invited to start a band in Nantes, France. Crichlow made the pans, arranged the music, and taught a group to play.
“Steelband is picking up here nicely,” he says, “we started the Ontario Steelband Association.” Crichlow admits there is always controversy among the players when it comes to competition, but that “it’s a normal steelband man thing.” Pan Masters takes part regardless of the politics. “We are here to keep the thing alive,” he says.

“The steelband has come a long way,” says Danny Mosca, another professional pannist, in Toronto. Mosca leads the band Silhouettes which he founded in 1980. Like Crichlow he has been involved with the steelpan for many years. “People have a better understanding of the pan now because it is being taught in schools,” he says. His son Mark also an accomplished musician, arranges the music for the band.

Wendy Jones is a rare female in the male-dominated steelband arena. She started playing the steelpan as a grade 10 student in the school programme. She’s had her band Pan Fantasy for some 30 years. Jones says steelband is in a good place right now, the community steelbands have grown and there are about 25 school bands. For the bands to continue to grow they need help with accommodation. “A lot of bands don’t have ‘homes’ which makes it difficult to keep the band going during the winter,” she points out. “The only time the bands can come out is in May or June when it’s warmer. Years ago, steelbands could use schools or school portables to store their pans and practice”, Jones says, “but budget cutbacks changed that. Now steelbands have to pay a fee to use the schools.”

Jones and Earl La Pierre Jr. of the popular steelband Afropan started Pan Arts Network (PAN) ten year ago. It is a programme dedicated to keeping steelbands working year round. PAN puts on two steelband shows during the fall and winter months: “Snowflakes on Steel,” and “Autumn Leaves on Steel.” The shows have featured many talented pannists including Liam Teague, Ken “Professor” Filmore, and Dane Gulston.

Some pannists earn their living playing the steelpan. La Pierre who comes from a family of pannists is one of them. La Pierre plays all genres of music at functions and festivals throughout Canada, and the Caribbean. He recently returned from the Harvest Jazz and Blues Musical Festival in Fredericton, N.B., where he played a gig at the Caribbean Flavors Restaurant and worked as an official street performer at the festival. When Glen Lewis an R&B singer from Toronto was signed to a record company the steelpan played by La Pierre was featured on the track that went gold. “That record got him a contract with Sony,” La Pierre says.
In spite of its growing pains, the steelband continues to delight audiences and musicians around the world. The pannist in Vegas told me to pass this message on to Trinidad: “Thanks for the pan - it’s my bread and butter.”

WE Culture - CARIBANA’s 40th – The biggest and best ever!

The FMC (Festival Management Committee) proclaimed CARIBANA™ 2007 to be ‘Bigger and Better’ at the launch of the festival on July 10th. And was it ever. With the addition of several new events to the program, stretching the festival to a full 4 week celebration (from 2 weeks in previous years), Toronto residents and visitors got the best CARIBANA™ showing of all time.

This year’s celebration saw the addition of a Jazz series, Caribbean Art Exhibit, Performing Arts showcase (CARIBANA™ Village), Calypso tents and a new music concert (Imagine Music Festival). The 2007 Junior parade, Kings & Queens Extravaganza and Pan Alive also drew record numbers and this seasons Mas rivals faced the fiercest competition of all time.

CARIBANA’s 40th goes down in the history books as the biggest and best ever.


Photos by www.TORONTO-LIME.com


2007 CARIBANA™ WINNERS
As reported by the CARIBANA™ festival producer.

BAND OF THE YEAR (A Category)
'Viva Las Vegas' - Jamaal Magloire (Toronto Revellers)

BAND OF THE YEAR (B+C Category)
'Tribal Warriors' - Dexter Seusahai (Tribal Knights)

KING OF THE BANDS
Rudy Rampersad - 'The Ring Master' (Carnival Nationz)

QUEEN OF THE BANDS
Tamara Alleyne-Gittens - 'Abracadabra' (Carnival Nationz)

MALE INDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAR
Kerth Alexander - 'Master of the Seals' (Carnival Nationz)

FEMALE INDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAR
Joanne Boisson - 'Gateway to Atlantis' (Borokeete Canada)

JR BAND OF THE YEAR
'Viva Las Vegas' - Jamaal Magloire (Toronto Revellers)

JR KING OF THE BANDS
Andrew Ramsaroop - 'The Atlantean Prince' - (Borokeete Canada)

JR QUEEN OF THE BANDS
Keyra Best - 'Keeper of the Coral Reef' (Borokeete Canada)

JR MALE INDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAR
Kishi King - 'Apache’ (Arnold Hughes & Associates)

JR FEMALE INDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAR
(TIE) Coryn Defreitas - 'Fly Pretty Butterfly Fly' (Evolution) / Chenez Power - 'The Atlantean Princess' (Borokeete Canada)

PAN ALIVE 2007 - Salah's Steelpan Academy - 271 points


Full CARIBANA™ results are available online at http://www.toronto-lime.com/

WE Culture - Trinidad Carnival 2008 …. Are you ready?

by Antoinette Ifill


(Island People 2K8 Costume - Photo by Kwesi Marcano)

It seems insane to be thinking about Trinidad Carnival 2008 only 5 months after Carnival 2007, but the band launches have started in Trinidad with so much gusto that one would think Carnival is mere weeks away! In fact Carnival 2008 culminates on February 4th and 5th, fairly early in the year. This might be the reason why the big bands scheduled the showing of their costumes and opened Mas Camps at the end of July. Die hard masqueraders and potential first timers thinking of experiencing Trinidad’s Carnival next year should be prepared to keep up with this frenetic pace as Carnival 2008 is shaping up to be one of the biggest ever.

Kicking off the Carnival 2008 season was big band TRIBE with their 2008 Carnival presentation “Myths and Magic”. It was a launch of aptly mythical proportions, drawing thousands of patrons to Pier 1 where fanciful and whimsical costumes with names such as “Autumn Sprite” and “Pixie Dust” were revealed to a waiting public.

Following on the heels of TRIBE, Harts opened their mas camp on July 30th to such a demand huge for registration that one section was completely sold out by July 31st! Carnival 2008 will see the debut of several new bands, among them Ronnie and Caro, formerly a section of the band Legacy. They started the month of August with the launch of their 2008 offering “De Gulf”. Right behind them was the launch of another new band called “D Krewe” which will bring to the streets of Port of Spain their interpretation of “Love Is…” through the mas.

As I get ready to explore my wild side when Island People presents their highly anticipated 2008 Carnival production “Animal Instincts” on August 18th , the magnitude of this phenomenon of Trinidad Carnival hits me! With Carnival bands such as, Trini Revellers, Legacy, Genesis, and Mc Farlane still to reveal their designs for the 2008 season I anticipate a plethora of costumes to dazzle the eyes and feed the senses between now and November! In addition to these Carnival stalwarts, Dream Team, Pulse 8 and Image Nation, bands which enjoyed their inaugural year in 2007, will again be making a foray into mas for 2008. Carnival bands Oracle and Taboo, which are creating quite a stir in Trinidad with promises of costumes that shirk the conventional norm, are still to be unveiled.

Subsequent to all these bands launching in Trinidad comes the time to register for costumes; seasoned masqueraders know how important it is to ensure a spot in your favorite band in a costume of your choice. And if you think attending a band launch in July is outrageous how about making a deposit on your costume for 2008 in August?

Trinidad Carnival has undoubtedly become a legendary event and if one wants to be part of it for 2008, now is the time to start getting ready for the mas! Popular hotel and guest houses in Trinidad are already booked solid, savvy travelers have been snapping up cheap fares to Port of Spain and most importantly, masqueraders have their costume deposit in hand.

The popularity of Trinidad’s Carnival, fueled by the growing emergence of similar International celebrations worldwide, draws an increasing number of visitors to the island festival each year. If the number of band launchings taking place in Trinidad is any indication, masqueraders will not lack for choice in 2008!

So the question remains; are you ready for mas again?!

WE Culture - 40 Years of Mas – The Story of Caribana

by Niama Sandy



In 2007, Toronto celebrates the fortieth anniversary of the Caribana. Like many Caribbean festivals, on the exterior we see bacchanal, beads, feathers, mud, and revelry…but rarely do we hear of the sacrifices and substance behind the carnival tradition. In the four decades lifespan of Caribana, countless Caribbean expatriates and native Torontonians have toiled so that the community may collectively bask in Caribbean culture. WE honors those who’ve worked and given so much of themselves….we give you the story of Caribana.

1967 marked the centennial of the passing of the British North America Act – the legislation that made Canada a dominion in the British Commonwealth. In an effort to commemorate its hundredth year, in 1966, the Canadian government invited different cultural communities within the dominion to participate in the celebration. Dr. Rita Cox, then a volunteer who helped to facilitate the Festival, recollects that the idea for the exhibition was born of the “community’s response to the invitation from government of Canada.”

“The Canadian government reached out to all of the different communities to participate in the centennial celebration. Bringing our carnival culture was our gift to Canada. In those days we were a small community and it was an opportunity for all island people to work together on a project,” explained Dr. Cox.

The Caribbean Centennial Committee, including a five-person board of governors and a four-person executive committee, was formed in December 1966 with the purpose of promoting “a Caribbean trade and cultural exhibition.” As for the name Caribana itself, it was coined by Fred Hope, one of the first persons hired to work on the Festival. Dr. Cox explained it simply, “we were all talking together about a name for this inter-island collaborative effort. Fred Hope suggested it and everybody liked it,” and it stuck. Some nine months later the first Caribana was held from August 5-12, 1967 in and around Toronto City and its islands.

Much like its modern day incarnation, Caribana 1967 included a series of events designed to synergistically showcase the richness of Caribbean culture, most notably: a Kiddie’s Carnival event, a carnival pageant parade, a centennial ball, art exhibitions, and a “morning market,” which according to the original program from 1967 featured “fruit and crafts direct from the West Indies.”

Though a completely novel occasion in Toronto, the festival received an outpouring of support from everywhere from volunteers in local citizens and civic associations to donations of costumes and sponsorships from Caribbean governments.

Dr. Cox remarked that “people worked in those days for the love and the pride of it. Even now when I speak with the people who were the main founders about Caribana there is such a spirit of togetherness that we had at the time. So many of them have talked about the role that women played through volunteerism- if it hadn’t been for the work of the women it may not have been such a success. In those days there was a group of women - the Canadian Negro Women’s Association; they played a major role in the event in the early years. There was cooperation from Caribbean governments, as well as from the Caribbean Council Accord through musicians, and costumes.”

After the triumphant success of the 1967 Festival, the Caribbean Centennial Committee resolved to continue its mission of creating a platform to showcase the beauty of Caribbean culture. With a minor change in moniker and some slight structural changes, the Centennial Committee became the Caribbean Committee for Cultural Advancement (CCCA) and plans to stage the 1968 carnival went underway.

On August 2, 1968 Mayor William Dennison and the City of Toronto announced the official celebration of Caribbean Week from August 5-10, 1968 held on Olympic Island, with the parade procession to be held on August 3 through the streets of Toronto.

If the 25-page program is any indicator, Caribana 1968 was quite the grandiose affair.

“The euphoria, the excitement in those days was unreal - it was more than the parade. All kinds of other things were part of the Festival because people had different interests and, in fact, it culminated in an arts festival,” said Dr. Cox.

Similar to the 1967 events there was the marketplace, art exhibitions and the like. However, in 1968 there was a pronounced effort to ensure cultural exchange from several islands instead of dominance of one country’s customs through “island days.” For instance, Guyana Day featured appearances from Guyanese High Commissioner, Sir John Carter, Miss Guyana 1969, and Guyanese steelbands.

1968 marked a second and very successful undertaking for Caribana’s organizers. In February of 1969, the group officially changed its name to the Caribbean Cultural Committee – Caribana. Through the years, though everything from name of Caribana’s managing body, to the management style of the Festival and the actual parade route would change, two things remain constant and true – the love of the masquerade and the desire to see the growth of the event. Government officials and generations came and went but Caribana stayed true. The only way to ensure progress is real, unbiased evaluation.

After years of purported mismanagement, in 2006, the City of Toronto withdrew funds and support from the Caribbean Cultural Committee, Caribana’s former managing entity. With this episode the festival’s survival was in question. Determined not to see the festival fall by the wayside, the City commissioned Festival Management Committee (FMC) to oversee the operations and execution of the affair.

The FMC has markedly risen to the occasion to ensure success. In the first year of its tenure as the managing organization of Caribana, the group managed to produce revenues of $912,000.00, leaving a $9,000.00 profit – the likes of which has rarely been seen in past years either because the festival spent more than it made or because no final financial report was ever produced. This year the Committee boasts sponsorships from Molson, CTV, Roots Canada and a host of others. In addition to the efficient financial administration, despite the fear that Caribana would be shut down in 2006, the FMC captured an audience of 1.2 million people during the parade procession down Lakeshore Boulevard. Given that this year is the fortieth anniversary there is no doubt that the number of this year’s participants will be staggering.


Joan Pierre, veteran event planner and manager for Caribana since 1986, discussed what the FMC has in store for the fortieth anniversary.

“Of course I’m helping with the traditional aspects of the event - an awards evening in August celebrating and honoring the founders and paying tribute to the people who’ve kept it going. But we’re doing a lot of new events in honor of the fortieth anniversary of the Festival. We’re also extending the Festival beyond the weekend with And the Beat Continues - JAZZ 4 days of Jazz in which we are partnering with a jazz organization.”

And the Beat Continues – JAZZ will showcase four fusion styles of Jazz: Caribbean, Latin, African, and Indian Jazz. Other new events surrounding this year’s Festival include: an art exhibit running at the Blue Dot Gallery in the Distillery district with 30 artists involved, a revival of the long-held Caribana Ball, as well as a series of concerts in one of the city’s many parks.

Another huge and often overlooked component of Caribana is the masquerade. The beads, the bikinis, the feathers, the themes – what would it be with out all of this?

This year’s masquerade will feature 16 bands including Saldenah K-Mas, Borokeete Canada, reigning band of the year Carnival Nationz, Toronto Revellers, Mas Toronto, Callaloo, and others.

“It costs a lot to put this thing on. The bandleaders have held this thing together, it’s for the love of their culture. They believe in it, it’s their culture and they’ll always do it no matter what. I’d like to see it get to the point where they could do it and make a profit. Most of them have to rent a warehouse, the volunteers doing the work from the goodness of their hearts and the love of their culture. In the early years bandleaders used to take out second mortgages on their homes to be able to finance their bands. I hope before I close my eyes that I see some huge rewards going to the bandleaders of the city. That would bring me joy because I know the sacrifice. Without them you have no carnival,” said Joan Pierre.

Behind every great thing - event or otherwise- are great people. Caribana is no exception, from the volunteers who create the beautiful costumes, to those who sacrifice their day of revelry to ensure the safety of masqueraders, each person who lends a minute of time donates to the invaluable continuing legacy of cultural diversity in Toronto.

In a Sway Magazine article entitled “Caribana celebrates 40 years in Toronto,” Joe Halstead, current Chief Operating Officer of the FMC, said, “Caribana has developed over 40 years to become the pre-eminent festival in the city and certainly in the North American continent. All of this is really because Caribana is the essence of diversity and community. It is at the heart of what we are in this city – the essence of Toronto.”

Hopefully, Caribana for the next 40 years will be a testament to that.



Up close with CARIBANA legend Rudy Rampersad (10-Time King of the Bands)

Q1.How did you become involved with Caribana?

I made my debut in Trinidad Carnival when I was 5 years old portraying a Prince at the Queen’s Park Savannah kiddies carnival and continued masquerading with Silver Stars and Harold Saldenah bands well into my teens. In the summer of 1967, on my way to Nova Scotia from Trinidad, I realized that there was a Trinidad-style carnival parade in Toronto and decided to make a pit stop and participate in this event. Since then, the inaugural year of Caribana, I have been actively involved in the parade festivities, both as a volunteer and a masquerader.

Q2.What has been the most gratifying experience of being a part of Toronto’s carnival?

When I look back on my history with Caribana, there is a combination of factors that make my whole 40-year experience so gratifying- the thrill of competition; the reward of holding the record for most King of the Band titles (10), but most of all, watching the parade grow from its original route on Yonge Street to its present-day Lakeshore extravaganza.

Q3. What has been the most challenging experience thus far for you?

Taking three years off from active participation due to illness and being able to return to the stage and reclaim the title of King of the Bands. The 2006 King and Queen competition was particularly challenging, as the odds were stacked up against me - my age (62 years young), potential health issues, the size and weight of the costume. Bets were being placed against me as I made my entrance on stage! I am happy that I was able to overcome these obstacles and win the title for the “Trinidad Soca Warriors”

Q4. Where would you like to see Caribana going in coming years?

I would like to see the younger generation become more involved in the production and management of the Toronto Caribana Festival. It is also important that all three levels of government as well as “Corporate Toronto,” provide more funding and sponsorship to the festival. It is a well-established fact that Toronto hosts the largest Caribbean-style parade in North America and since this event attracts tourists from all over the world, I would like to see the Toronto service industry giving back to the community, a percentage of profits earned as a result of festival activities.

WE Culture - Leave Me and My Mas Alone

By Antoinette Ifill


I have always been of the opinion that each one of us has an irrational necessity, the one thing that brings us no tangible value but satisfies our emotional and psychological desires. For some, it is outfitting their car with the latest in music, rims and accessories. Other people prefer to spend their money on travel, visiting different countries, and immersing themselves in other’s cultures, but at the end of the day all you have to remember your adventures by are a bunch of photographs still on your digital camera. For me, my irresistible passion, among others, is Carnival. Now, I know many people who do not share my devotion to mas, but there is one thing that irks me about those self righteous people who look down at those of us who do; the fact that they believe Carnival is a big waste of money and lecture me on all the other ways that they think my money should be better spent.

One of the most common rhetoric I have heard is “Why don’t people use their money to visit someplace else besides Trinidad for Carnival?” What these “financial experts” fail to realize is that for many, many people, both expatriate Trinidadians and foreigners alike, coming to Trinidad for Carnival is considered a vacation. It may not be a quiet, restful vacation, but nonetheless Carnival is the single event in Trinidad that attracts thousands of visitors, so there must be something about Carnival that keeps them coming. Count me among those who choose to support a festival that draws thousands of visitors, all coming to enjoy the music, food, parade and fetes, rather than supporting another country’s tourism at that time.

Not everyone who spends money on a costume is trite with finances; in fact many people make allowances to budget for their costume and Carnival expenses monthly establishing a “Carnival fund”. One of my friends has a standing order so that a portion of her salary goes towards savings for carnival monthly. With band launchings in Trinidad starting as early as July, it gives ample time to put your finances in order. The reality of the situation is that we can budget, we can save, we can take loans all for Carnival and nothing is wrong with it as long as we are not stealing, defaulting on payments such as mortgage or going bankrupt on Ash Wednesday. With anything else in life, priorities should be met before spending on “fun” activities.

My purpose is not to convince anyone to try and understand what Carnival means to me and I have no problem with people choosing not to participate or spending their money otherwise but I do take offense when they try to lecture me on my love for Carnival, branding it a ‘waste of money’. I don’t look at people who spend thousands of dollars on video games as being idiots, if they want to spend their waking hours immobile behind a Play Station or Xbox, then that is their prerogative. I do not think it is a waste of money to spend thousands of dollars upgrading computer equipment, which ultimately becomes obsolete. Fact is, I can go around in circles pointing out many mindless pursuits that we as humans spend our money on for no other reason that it gives us pleasure.

To me each of us has the power to spend our money as we see fit, after all we do live in a democracy. And for all those pointing fingers at us mas players, get off your soap box, take a good look at yourself and be honest; unless you are hoarding every dollar you work for there are things in your life that you have “wasted” thousands of dollars on so give me a break if I choose to play my mas! Get a life!