Bits and pieces of Carnival over the Years

I ATTEMPTED TO research the origin and nature of Carnival going back with the ‘1879 riots’ which is well documented but got only as far as 1872 when the microfilm machines at the Archives expired until quite recently. 1872 was the year when masquerading was prohibited. Attempts to revive masquerading led to the Riots of 1879.

The Barbados West Indian newspaper in response to the riots stated, “In our immediate neighbour we are informed of the riotous behaviour of the mob at Kingstown, St. Vincent, for the last few nights occasioned by masquerading parties which the Police attempted in vain to check. It is said to be a custom introduced from Trinidad, connected with the license permitted during the Carnival in Roman Catholic countries”.

Trinidad historian Bridget Brereton, attributed the origin of Carnival in Trinidad to the French but noted that after emancipation it was taken over by urban Blacks. She said in the 1860s and 1870s the Jamets took over the festivity in order to let off steam and pay off old grievances.

Elements of West African life were introduced. In the recently published History of SVG of which I was a co-author we made note of some of the African cultural practices that were seen at Crop Over which marked the end of the sugar cane harvest, and at Christmas.

WilliamYoung and Alison Carmichael gave examples of these practices. At Crop Over the enslaved assembled in the largest Negro house and danced with the greatest agility. They paraded around the plantations beating the Gumba and tambourines (hollowed out calabashes). At Christmas in 1791 the ‘Negro’ fiddlers and tambourines, along with Stilt Walkers (Muco Jumbo) were very much in play. WilliamYoung noted that whenever an African tune was played, the girls from their huts did “a curious and most lascivious dance with much grace as well as action”. Some of the practices were also recreated in the ‘Negro Yard’ and at the Market Place on Sundays.

If indeed the French were the ones who introduced what became known as Carnival, it is likely that we got it from Trinidad since no strong French presence existed in St. Vincent after British colonisation in 1763. Our relationship with Trinidad existed for a long time starting from the period just after Emancipation and continued into the 20th Century when Trinidad radio stations controlled the airways. Calypsonian Baha Lawrence told me about visits to SVG by Trinidad calypsonians, and similarly visits to Trinidad by Vincentian calypsonians.

He said that some of the Trinidad calypsos actually originated in St. Vincent.

I have already noted that the first Carnival riots were in 1879 in St. Vincent and then Trinidad followed in 1881 and 1884, sparked really by attempts by the authorities to limit and control Carnival. In St. Vincent in 1872 there was a prohibition against Masquerading.

In 1879 the Vincentian masqueraders attempted to defy that ban, starting riots.

Carnival development in St. Vincent was undoubtedly influenced by what took place in Trinidad. The Road marches were at one time the Trinidad road marches.