Trini Carnival blogger Abbenash Rajnarinesingh.
Each and every year, this season called carnival presents and represents the artistic side of the time and of the people.
Carnival, consists of art in music, in the costumes both big and small, in displays, in feelings and in actions.
Carnival every year starts the year before. Strange I know, but listen to my explanation.
As soon as carnival has concluded, every stakeholder involved, every interested soul starts preparing for the following year.
Doing it big and doing it proud. This is especially the case with Soca artistes, March Grass presenters, with their kings and queens presentations; the costumes for the bands like “Island People” and “Fantasy”, as well as the people who express their artistic side with powder, mud and water during Jouvert.
Soca Star Destra Garcia. Photo courtesy soundvillage.net
From July you hear artistes like Machel Montano, Kes the Band, Swappi, Bunji Garlin, Fayann Lions, Destra and lots more dropping their songs getting the people ready for carnival.
It doesn’t feel like carnival until after the New Year, and when these artistes start pushing their big songs, with intention of getting the crowd to vote on Soca Monarch “Fantastic Friday” night.
These songs embody the current culture of the land, and I do not think any other music in the world can get you in the mood to party like Soca music.
In addition, beautiful displays and presentation at the kings and queens March Grass makes one wonder how imaginative the people of this small Caribbean island can be.
These presentations illustrate on: one, the inventive art of wire bending and two, the representation of an element or spirit these large costumes portray and reinforce.
Anya-AyoungChee.Photo courtesy www.mylifetime.com
The bands like “Fantasy”, “Island People”, “Trini Revelers”, design their own costumes, making them ever so creative and ever so sexy each year. People have fun and the art-form of designing lives on, so much so that internationally known, home grown designer Anya Ayoung Chee created costumes for a section in the band “Tribe”.
Finally, we talk about the art of feelings, the pelting of powder, the spraying of water, the mix of colors and the blend of love.
Jouvert denotes the expression of feelings, the unraveling of emotions and it symbolizes that ‘Trini people” are the Happiest in the world.
