Tag Archives: carnival

The hyped-up Carnival 2023 has concluded, but the lack of changes in the traditional infrastructure and other provisions continue visibly to hurt the annual festival. Immediately after Carnival 2020, the last one preceding the forced cancellation for two years because of Covid-19, I asserted that Carnival post-mortems are usually futile …

“[…] The number one complaint I get from women I asked about wining protocol is about men who don’t how to take their one wine and be contented. A wine does not necessarily signify a wish for continuing engagement or a deeper bond—irrespective of vigor, intensity or degree of contact. …

Coming out of the Covid-induced hiatus, our 2023 Carnival is touted as the “Mother of All Carnivals”. We promote our fetes as the best ever and discuss ways of monetising our 2023 Carnival’s impact. We believe that we could export this wonder of the world. Amid this noise, a lawsuit …

The phrase “mother of all Carnivals” is overworked. Its use will eventually become as stale as “the greatest show on earth”. Moreover, whatever its short-term marketing benefits, it also has cynical political value when it is used to pump up the illusion of joy in these unrelentingly murderous and (with …

“[…] The main argument in defence of what’s in effect a Machel Monday redux on Carnival Friday was that ISM was dying anyway, so what’s the problem letting Monk have his way and have the day? “It’s a strikingly bad argument. If your beloved relative is dying, you don’t finish …

“[…] The truth is that culture and, moreso, the business of Carnival has lost, both in terms of revenue generation and reputation, over the course of these two missed years. “Our refusal to even so much as  consider hosting a festival this year will only be seen as an opportunity …

Views reportedly expressed by the well-qualified presenters at a webinar, entitled ‘Hosting and managing the Carnival Experience in Trinidad and Tobago in 2022 and Beyond’, converged with much of what I have been writing concerning Carnival and cultural development matters over several years, including last Sunday. The Trinidad Express newspaper …

“[…] These naysayers are largely ‘old’ people, not necessarily in age, but in their thinking. Old people are inclined to believe that their glory days were achieved with capabilities that have somehow been lost. “Blind to the present levels of care, comfort and convenience that were unimaginable in their youth, …

“[…] Port-of-Spain has been converted into a huge playground in which 130 carnival bands, varying in size from 50 to 5,000 or more, will parade along a route of about ten kilometres of streets and avenues that were carefully selected to form a complete loop. “[…] One section of the …

‘Covid-19 will force us to re-build our economy,’ I wrote nearly two years ago, in April 2020. ‘We should place our vibrant performing arts at the core of the recovery agenda, not merely with the disproportionate focus on one transitory carnival season, which we may not even have in 2021. …

“[…] Activist Amanda McIntyre believes that the original portrayals of the Baby Doll were a parody of the plight of single mothers and, generally, women—a stark demonstration of how they frequently bear the blame and responsibility ‘for something that is normal and natural: sex and sexuality’. “[…] McIntyre situated her …

“[…] Delicate pink or white lace accentuates the dress. Gossamer veils cascade from oversized hats or bonnets tied beneath the chin by a silky ribbon. Supple white gloves, a veil or mask, sheer stockings, and, on the feet, tightly laced Mary Janes—if you own a pair. A doll with rosebud …