Fancy sailor from Belmont Exotic Stylish Sailors (B.E.S.S.) on the road on Carnival Tuesday
Top portion of the King of Carnival, 2015, Roland St. George’s Ahtwaje
Bandleader, Chris Saldenha portraying Mr. Slick from Image Nation Mas – De Blue Caribbean Sea on the streets of Port-of-Spain
Spectators, revellers, Black Islands, Warriors of Huracan as the mas winds down at Victoria Square on Carnival Tuesday
Tabanca: an extreme sadness and/or a depression following one’s breakup or seperation from one’s significant other.
I cannot tell a lie, I’ve been suffering an extreme case of Carnival Tabanca. Even searching through the images to find ones for this post was a bit difficult. Don’t laugh at me, ah have it bad. So bad it’s hard to post this video, which is my custom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdk4DCyaOLA
As you can tell this version of Blogging de Carnaval has been heavily abbreviated. Let me let you in on a little secret: I have not stopped shooting carnival. To the contrary, not only am I still shooting carnival, I am a serious participator. Trinis love this manufactured exclusivity in fetes and if there were a version for levels of business I would guess I’ve been at the VVIP status. Not only did I shoot as many events as I could physically get to, but I continued to work full time (I wear a psychologist’s hat all year round) and I was band leader for a small children’s band. Oh how busy I have been and oh what joy it has brought to my life. People have so many theories about the energy at carnival time. All I know is that creative engagement, coordination, organising, leadership, making things, doing things, coordinating and sharing with people in this mass of carnival humanity brought me immense joy this year. I am so very grateful for it. I believe I had the full carnival experience including the family reunion factor I have often alluded to by welcoming extended family and friends from abroad. Then, if that wasn’t enough I was privileged to attend a couple fetes and got two whole days to revel in the streets for Jouvert, Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday. I am extremely grateful – to the Universe, to the ancestors, to all those who worked hard for carnival so revellers could be in the streets.
Therefore, Carnival is over, but this BdC is not done. I shall be posting on traditional mas, Blue Devils, Canboulay, Monday and Tuesday mas, fancy sailors, some of the winners, my little band and as much as I can find for you for a little while more. And then I will share the other adventures I’ve had with my camera. Until then
Enjoy (and feel sorry fuh mih nah!)
L
Cyah feel sorry fuh yuh. I have d tabanca just as bad. With just 344 days and some hours to d next carnival, i’ll be keeping a close check.
Indeed. 🙂 We carnival jumbies all will.