TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CARNIVAL EXTRAVAGANZA

The largest cultural festival in the Caribbean, Trinidad & Tobago’s carnival is a flamboyant feast of hedonism, where partying is the name of the game taken to the hilt of abandon in enjoying oneself. Who would not want a piece of that pie? With stress and worries left behind, the festival is driven by the pounding, pulsating beat of soca and calypso. The streets of Port of Spain and Scarborough come alive with street parades by the bands with their intricate elaborate costumed masqueraders as they and T&Ts revellers dance and gyrate to the music, enjoying the full-on festivities for two days.

2023 marks the return of Trinidad and Tobago’s annual renowned carnival extravaganza traditionally held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, this year’s event on 20-21 February is being promoted as ‘The Mother of all Carnivals’.

Carnival Village in Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain, is the carnival hub with its arts & crafts, entertainment and local cuisine, abuzz with visitors daily and nightly during carnival season. In Tobago, its hub is its capital, Scarborough. Though its carnival is much smaller, it is equally exuberant.

Carnival is comparable to a mega party and akin to a huge buffet where you choose what to indulge in. The many varied and traditional activities include:

FETES

Fetes are parties where revellers decide to party to the maximum degree or with restraint and are carnival’s mainstay which kicks into high gear after New Year’s. Parties usually escalate to nightly leading up to carnival weekend, its variables ranging from affordable low-key coolers bring your food and drink fetes; wet fetes; breakfast fetes; boat fetes; some upscale all-inclusive with food and drink, the most popular usually feature the biggest soca stars as headliners.

OLE MAS

On Friday afternoon of the carnival weekend, Ole Mas is the macabre celebration of T&Ts folklore highlighted by its main characters Stilt-walking Moko Jumbies; Midnight Robber; Blue Devils; Fire Eaters and Papa Bois, a theatre.in itself.

SOCA MONARCH

Also referred to as Fantastic Friday, Soca Monarch is a combination of a party and competition featuring some of the best T&T soca artists plus other Caribbean islands, who all vie to be crowned Soca Monarch for the carnival season. [Note: this is not taking place this year].

PANYARDS & PANORAMA COMPETITION

The steelpan bands practice for weeks leading up to the competition where the public and pan aficionados can attend their favourite steel band’s panyards. The ultimate goal is to reach the semis and finals on Carnival Saturday.

CANBOULAY RIOTS

Held on carnival Saturday at 5 am in Port of Spain, this realistic re-enactment commemorates the 1881 carnival-time riots against the British colonial authorities, which is accompanied by drum and tamboo (a tuned percussion instrument) bamboo.

CHILDREN’S CARNIVAL

The kids have their day too with their amazing costume designs when they take over the streets and stage, as they jump up to the music, having fun on the final Sunday of the carnival weekend.

DIMANCHE GRAS

On carnival Sunday the calypso wars culminate in the Calypso Monarch competition where the different calypso styles including the improvised extempo are crowned.

J’OUVERT

Kick starts Carnival Monday, starting at 4 am as revellers take to the streets covered from head to toe in colourful powder, mud, cocoa, clay, oil or paint. Also taking part, many of the large band participants parade in a scaled-down version of the elaborate costumes to be worn on Carnival Tuesday. Blowing whistles, gyrating to calypso and soca music in joyful abandon, the streets get covered in different coloured paints, the revelry continuing until sunrise. After a rest period or not, the partying continues, joining in the main event of carnival Monday.

THE KING AND QUEEN OF CARNIVAL

This spectacular event showcases the elaborate splendour of costume design at its best. The vibrant kaleidoscope of colourful elaborate costumed masqueraders is magnificent, as the band leaders vie for the coveted crowns.

THE PARADE OF THE BANDS

Its central theme of beautiful vivid elaborate costumes – the fabric, beads, feathers and wire captures the ethos of the band’s theme magnificently in its creativity. Masqueraders in their bands dance along the capital’s streets to the constant beat of soca music for hours enticing audience participation, making it an enjoyable gratifying event for all, described by one of T&T’s legendary carnival band leaders Peter Minshall, as ‘street theatre’.

On Ash Wednesday, though weary and not wanting the party to end, Trinbagonians have found a way to extend the revelry by introducing Cool-down Fetes on Ash Wednesday. These are usually at some of the popular beaches, finally satiated until the following year’s anticipated return.

 

An amazing festival, the T&T carnival is an event that should be on everyone’s bucket list and will remain an indelible experience. Note, however, stamina, sensible footwear, sunscreen and keeping hydrated are a must.