Carnival Trini-style

 

Carnival is big in Trinidad.  The biggest in the world, apparently.  And everyone is encouraged to join in the fun.  The actual carnival parade is the culmination of 10 days of hard partying and competitions to find the best steel band, best calypso performer, best soca performer and, of course, to select the Carnival King and Queen.  But throughout this time, there is a semblance of normality in the country.  Shops, banks, offices and markets open, mail is delivered and goods are trucked around the country.  But on the final two days, nothing happens – except Carnival itself.  But then nothing else can happen.  Every truck in the country has been commandeered to support the revellers as each band has its own support trucks hauling drink, food, boom boxes, steel bands and, most important, lavatories.

We went to watch in Port of Spain and, as spectators, were very much in the minority.  Carnival is all about participation.  The largest bands attract over 4000 participants, and there are tens if not hundreds of different bands parading the streets. Every band has its own theme and costumes, though feathered headdresses and sparkly beachwear are a common feature.

The full glory of the costumes only becomes apparent at the final parade – which starts at 9am on Shrove Tuesday.  But the parade itself is deemed to be so much fun that most people walk the route the day before too, in a semi-dress rehearsal for the final showdown.  And that’s after they have spent most of the previous night wandering the streets inexplicably throwing mud and paint at each other in a celebration known as J’Overt. 

Luckily we missed getting pelted and joined the fun at the dress rehearsal and immediately felt at home with the arrival of the first band – theme: Merry Olde England, led by Good Queen Bess – a dead ringer for Vivienne Westwood – and a fag-smoking Henry VIII, and directed by David Cameron!   

But as we found at the following day, this is nothing in comparison with the “proper” carnival parade.  Thousands upon thousands of people took part – young and old alike, and, unlike England, where everyone is hung up on how thin  and beautiful they are – size and shape are no bar here.  Everyone is comfortable in their own skin and raring to go – walking, dancing and wining through the streets until midnight.  We didn’t quite stay that long, as we had a ferry to catch back to Tobago, but I’m told that everything stops bang on 12, and by morning there is no sign that Carnival took place.  Every grandstand is taken down, every bottle and piece of litter cleared away ready for a working day – not that anyone who took part will be working….