Three decades of July Mas

29.JUN.07

Four to six weeks ago there was an atmosphere of trepidation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as Carnival approached. The spate of brutal murders which had taken place left many Vincentians worried that it would blow completely out of control as the laissez-faire spirit of Carnival erupted in the country.{{more}} These fears have proven largely unfounded as the violence has subsided somewhat and the police have stepped up their physical presence in many areas.

Thus as the 30th anniversary of July Mas commences in full this weekend, there is a more optimistic outlook for a violence-free Carnival or at least substantially reduced acts of violence during the Festival. The concerns about how such negative trends would impact on visitor arrivals are still there, but as the arrivals begin to trickle in, one can notice a visible increase in confidence about the success of 2007 Carnival.

Of course, Carnival being a “Bacchanal,” controversy is never far from its door. Elements in the media for instance have kept up a steady attack on Carnival organizers, the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) and there have been public exchanges between the CDC’s Chairman and those who seem to be unhappy about aspects of the organization of the Festival and the direction in which it appears to be going. If this debate is kept at a principled level and moreover continued outside the heat of Carnival, it can be a critical one because we are in danger of losing perspective as to where Carnival fits into our overall social, cultural and economic development.

It would have been more than useful in this 30th year for us to mount an exhibition of Carnival pre-1977 and trace its development since then. We sincerely hope that sometime during the major shows, a pageant depicting such historical development is enacted on stage. We need to keep a firm grasp of our own path of development so as to be able to stay on course.

We also need to be aware that the rest of the world and the Caribbean is not standing still. What do we bring to the table? What is unique about Vincy Mas in the context of the multitude of Carnival activities in the region? How can we maintain that “Vincentian” identity with the Caribbean flavour?

If we can keep these issues floating in our minds as we enjoy the festival and are prepared to take them up in a positive way after its conclusion, then we can contribute not only to enriching the Vincentian experience but the Caribbean civilization as well.

ENJOY MAS IN THE JULY SUN!