| “Bank
a lot of sleep and bring along a set of throw-away clothes.“ This was the
advice I was given by my Trinidad host before leaving Canada last year
to attend the islands’ annual Carnival in February. The sleep advice I
could understand since late nights at a big fete are pretty much a given. |
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However, the throw-away clothes recommendation
was mystifying. Nevertheless, I did as I was told, packing an old T-shirt
and a pair of shorts long overdue for the rag bag. It turned out the clothing
advice was entirely valid.
Picture the largest party you can imagine,
multiply it by fifty-fold and it still won’t compare to Trinidad and Tobago’s
Carnival. This mother of all parties rivals the famous festivities associated
with Carnival in Rio and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The mega affair amounts
to a gargantuan kaleidoscope of colour, dancing, music, parades, elaborate
costumes and, last but not least, heavy-duty partying. Last year alone
more than 45,000 visitors from around the world travelled to the islands
in the southern Caribbean to be part of one of the greatest and grandest
street parties on the planet.
| The
two official days of Carnival, occurring this year on February 19 and 20,
are traditionally kicked off with an event called J’ouvert taken from the
French words jour ouvert, literally meaning daybreak or first light. J’ouvert,
in fact is a wild and crazy affair that serves as a prelude to two full
days of insanely frenetic festivities. Throngs of enthusiastic visitors
and Trinbagonians, together with a bevy of steel bands playing lively calypso
and soca music, rise at 4 a.m. to parade and dance through the streets
of Port of Spain (capital of Trinidad) arriving at the downtown Queens
Park Savannah about daybreak. |
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During the parade impish revellers galore
armed with buckets of axle grease and various coloured substances follow
the J’ouvert tradition of smearing marchers so that by the time the parade
reaches the Savannah almost everybody looks like Joseph in his coat of
many colours. Hence the need for throw-away clothing.
Even before J’ouvert, a host of scheduled
events herald the start of Carnival and, in one way or another, it’s all
about “playing mas,” an island term that simply means participating. Among
the premier events is the steelpan band competition. Steelpan originated
in Trinidad and Tobago and is the only acoustic instrument invented in
the 20th century. The final night of competition is a big-deal, gala event
held in a giant stadium at Trinidad’s Queens Park Savannah. In fact, the
majority of Carnival’s celebrations take place on Trinidad rather than
Tobago.
| The
excitement and exuberance of Carnival--the likes of which I had never seen
before--make it impossible to be a bystander. Visitors soon learn the art
of “wining,” a word that more than any other defines the movement and dance
of Carnival. Wining is a sensual rotation of the posterior that is performed
between two people, and in some cases three, in which case it’s called
“sandwich wining.” The dictionary may define the art of wining as a circular
gyration of the hips that starts at the waist but the Oxford meaning falls
far short of capturing the essence of the dance. |
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At no time during Carnival is wining more
unrestrained and energetic than during the final day of celebrations which
amounts to one, long 12-hour procession of costumed bands (groups of people,
not musical bands) which can number as many as 7,000 participants per unit.
They parade to never-ending music across the grand stage at the Queens
Park Savannah dressed in stunning outfits made of brilliant satin, feathers,
sequins and beads. This is the pinnacle of “playing mas” and anyone, including
visitors, can become part of the frivolity. In fact, anybody wanting to
get into the act, rather than being an observer, can rent a glittery costume
and march with one of the bands.
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Carnival’s main celebrations take place over two days, visitors often extend
their stays to sample the two-island nation’s other attractions and culture.
Tobago is typically the quieter of the sister islands where both islanders
and visitors go for relaxed quietude. Trinidad, on the other hand, is the
livelier of the two siblings and is well known for its vibrant entertainment
atmosphere where there‘s action aplenty. In spite of their differences,
both islands are home to fine beaches, nightclubs, resorts, theatres plus
extensive opportunities for bird watching, sea kayaking and sport fishing.
In addition, Tobago is particularly known for excellent snorkelling and
scuba diving since the Buccoo Reef off its southwest coast is one of the
most extensive coral reefs in the Caribbean. |
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Island cuisine is also a big attraction.
Trinbagonians are passionate about food and no other island in the Caribbean
archipelago can boast the diverse gastronomy that has evolved there. What
produced this special, multi-ethnic mix of cuisines is directly related
to island history. First on the islands were the original Amerindians,
followed by waves of immigrants that included Spanish, Creoles, South Asians,
Chinese, French and Middle Easterners who each introduced their own particular
style of cookery which has become a delightful ethnic gumbo of tantalizing
island food. Two signature items that nobody should leave the islands without
trying are Doubles and Roti.
| Doubles
are a delicious, cheap and utterly addictive vegetarian sandwich of curried
chickpeas wrapped in a pita while Roti is a crepe-like pancake filled with
either curry-laced chicken, goat, shrimp, beef or chickpeas. Both are lip-smacking
good and can be purchased from street vendors for as little as $3, a meal
that includes thirst-quenching coconut milk straight from a fresh-cut coconut.
For more information about Carnival or
vacationing on the islands see www.visittnt.com
or call 1-800-816-7541. |
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