Caribbean Carnival: Spreading its Wings
IT IS TRULY remarkable to witness the growth, development and spread of Carnival in the Caribbean from quite modest roots, combining the features of a primarily European festival, to a global exhibition with a distinct Caribbean brand and flavour. Over the last century or so, that humble Caribbean exhibition of what originated as a European festival has grown into a major cultural and entertainment space spreading from the Caribbean to feature prominently in the cultural spaces of the European summer.
Brought to the Caribbean amidst the blood, sweat and tears of the slave trade operated by European traders in human flesh, the curiosity of this innovation has seen the Carnival itself develop into a major entertainment space of its own. From copying and parodying this quaint European festival, Carnival has grown to occupy a space of its own which has impacted on the Caribbean itself as well as the diaspora from which its roots originated.
Its early days exhibited a mixture of Caribbean and European cultures, with a rapid evolution over the last half a century and more. Its early days were marked by the Latin influence of the word Carnival itself (meaning farewell to the flesh) so much so that after the street parades of Carnival Monday and Tuesday, there was strict observance of 40 days of abstention. Even Caribbean music, the lifeblood of the Carnival, was placed under wraps and not given airplay during the Lenten season.
But in conjunction with the growth and development of the music and entertainment industry, those days of abstinence are behind us now. What has emerged is a juggernaut combining cultural practices, music and tourism, all under the Carnival name brand but exhibiting specific national features.
Take the dates for instance. Carnival, as we have indicated, was a pre-Lenten festival beginning with wild abandon but turning to restrictive practices and abstentions. So, its dates were traditionally associated with the February/ March period. However, as the carnival developed and expanded, different Caribbean islands found it convenient to organize their own festivals on dates convenient to themselves. Thus, has emerged the Caribbean carnival season, beginning with Feb/March in Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Haiti and Martinique/Guadeloupe. That is followed by respective national brands – VincyMas (June/July), the festivals in St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados, leading up to Spicemas in Grenada in August. It provides an enticing package which is a tremendous boost to the tourism product. In addition, there has been what some would call a curious “reverse colonialism” with Caribbean carnivals now dominating the European summer festivals. It is a curious evolution of our festivals which redounds to the benefit of all and which we should strive to mould in our own image, mindful of the ever increasing vulgarity which does not necessarily need to be part of our brand.
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