Carnival may look like “bikinis and beads” today, but as T&T heads into Carnival weekend, we should never forget the rich history behind our celebration. Carnival is rooted in memory and survival. Marcus Garvey warned, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” And he was right, for when we forget the meaning behind our traditions, they may continue, but they slowly stop belonging to the people who created them.
Historically, Carnival is a symbol of the strength of our ancestors. Well, at least traditional Carnival, not the modern version that rules today! It is a show of ingenuity in times of hardship and distress, an example of how people found ways to cope and survive, as well as how they rebelled and created beauty in an ugly world. Carnival did not emerge out of comfort. It was born out of an attempt to survive.
Yes, Carnival has European origins. It began in exclusive spaces, tied to pre-Lenten masquerade traditions. But what makes T&T’s Carnival ours is what happened after emancipation. When formerly enslaved Africans were still facing poverty, exclusion, and heavy control over their movement, the streets became a stage for self-expression and defiance. What began as elite masquerade traditions by French colonisers was transformed by the working people into something distinctly local.
There was the emergence of Canboulay and J’Ouvert, the use of mud and paint, satire and masquerade. These were ways for people to claim a space, to reclaim their dignity and to let their voices be heard.
When authorities tried to restrict that freedom, they rioted and the Canboulay Riots became embedded in our historical narrative. Carnival is actually a living reminder that we have always pushed back against being silenced. Also, that our struggles have pushed us to be creative. We have calypso as commentary, characters that mocked power, and communities that turned bamboo into sound - a clear example that even in the harshest conditions, our ancestors did not only endure, they created a culture that is distinctly Trinbagonian.
The thing is, we are not still in the “good ole days”. As as our country developed, race relations were reshaped and changed. It is no longer about the subjugated Africans and the dominant Europeans.
As we developed into a melting pot, race relations have emerged as a complex issue in T&T. Today, we are a diverse society with a complicated history and a political culture that loves to exploit differences. The response to calypsonians singing out against the white colonial elite will not be the same when they sing out against the government in the contemporary period. This is the repercussion of having a political system dominated by two parties which are aligned (perceived or real) to the main racial/ethnic groups.
However, while social critique must remain a crucial part of our art, it cannot be allowed to slip into ethnic stereotyping, not in a multi-racial society like ours. Satire was created to challenge power, not to tear us apart. The moment it becomes a tool for division, we dishonour the very ancestors who used culture to resist oppression. And, inevitably, there will be pushback. You only have to look at the decline of the calypso tents. I think back to the days when I loved going to the tents. It felt like an annual pilgrimage but when the racial undertones crept into the calypso, I grew uncomfortable in that space. I know I was not the only one.
The most recent debate in Carnival is whether the government should regulate it. Any form or degree of regulation should focus on ensuring that Carnival does not become an even more ‘packaged product’ that only belongs to those who can afford the “premium” version, while the traditions that carry our history get pushed to the side.
The real danger isn’t change because Carnival has evolved and will continue to do so. The real danger is forgetting why it existed in the first place. Forgetting that it was born out of struggle and it belonged to the people long before VIP sections and imported costumes.
While we cannot avoid the modernisation process, we can remember the roots and incorporate it into the modern Carnival. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
Ultimately, the best outcome would be one where we go back to our roots and let it influence the future developments of our Carnival. That way, the final product would be very distinct from what is found in other parts of the world. We don’t need to copy Brazil or anyone else.
Our history and our story are powerful enough and we need to protect it, tell it to younger generations and sell it to the world because when we lose our roots, we lose our identity.
