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.