The History of Carnival

To give you an idea of my connection to Carnival"Moonwalk") depicting the various sections of a ship;
and what I would prefer L.A. or any other place toor having to avoid "Lucifer" and his Entourage From
experience, let me begin with the fact that when IHell, to name just a few . . . All of whom were to be
began playing mass, "Invaders" steel band did notfound not just in a few isolated places on Carnival
even yet exist; and when the band eventually cameday, but in almost every district in the island.
on the scene, they were known, initially, as "OvalThese traditional portrayals are now shunted, for the
Boys". You may therefore assume, and correctly so,most part, and replaced by nondescript fluff and
that I grew up in Wood brook.semi-nudity. Our Carnival has fallen so low, in my
Music of the steel bands - in addition to other LIVEhumble, traditionalistic opinion, that it no longer
music played by LIVE musicians on conventionalsurpasses Brazil's but more resembles it, having fallen
instruments - used to be the backbone, the catalyticalmost to the level of Las Vegas "Schmaltz".
driving force in our Carnival. It was a creative, artisticTraditional has become almost a dirty word. A word
pursuit; and pan was synonymous with our Carnival.to be ridiculed by a new generation of players
To play mass used to mean, literally, to portray ashowing no interest in embracing the history of their
character. To tell a story. It was our ownculture. Instead, they have been satisfied to emulate
expressionistic, local theatricality. Theatre of theand imitate "outsiders", either ignoring or not realizing
street. Or as the late Trinidadian auteur, Dr. Errolthe fact that it is their own "culture", the very same,
Gaston Hill, termed it: a "Mandate For A Nationalwhich has been taken, exploited, dumped down,
Theatre". Playing mass used to involve research. Whorecycled and sold back to them. And they have
or whatever you played, you made a point ofbought it.
learning, studying and practicing for the portrayal ofAs for the music - and I use the term advisedly -
that entity. But most of all, it required some amountfirst of all, FASTER and LOUDER is not necessarily
of talent and imagination and a certain desire tobetter. Especially with that sort of (synthesized)
"entertain" the spectators.music that doesn't "breathe"!! . . I never thought I
But in the early 1970s a "cultural sell-out" of "Thewould see the day when pan would lose its place in
World's Most Spectacular Festival" (as our Carnivalour Carnival and we would be subjected to the
used to officially be called) began to prevail - forAmerican Square Dance fashion of "crowd control"- -
monetary gain - and the integrity of our Carnival hasWhen some guy, some person of no consequence
since then been progressively and shamefullywhatsoever, and most likely from another island,
compromised.would be telling me when to "Lay down on the
No longer do we face the challenge of fending offground' and wine". Or, to "Hold on to the big truck."
the threats of "Midnight Robbers", or witnessing theor to wave my hand in the air! Such utter nonsense.
hypnotic realism of a family of "Bats", or enjoying -This is by no means the Carnival atmosphere that I
which has always been my personal choice to play -have known and loved. Or as a journalist from "The
the fanciful movements and dancing of a "FancyTrinidadian Guardian" succinctly summed it up a couple
Sailor" band (Michael Jackson's source of hisof years ago, "Rhythmic rhetoric for dictation dancing.