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Fancy sailor from Belmont Exotic Stylish Sailors (B.E.S.S.) on the road on Carnival Tuesday

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Top portion of the King of Carnival, 2015, Roland St. George’s Ahtwaje

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Bandleader, Chris Saldenha portraying Mr. Slick from Image Nation Mas – De Blue Caribbean Sea on the streets of Port-of-Spain

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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

2 thoughts on “BdC 5 Carnival Tabanca”

  1. 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.

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