Trinidad Carnival

From Trinidad carnival

Having previously only experienced the Notting Hill Carnival, I was intrigued to see how the Trinidad Carnival would compare, since it is in a sense the template on which our UK event is based. Many ingredients are the same, including the bands of dancers, the booming soca music, the flamboyant costumes and the steel bands. However, the scale and atmosphere are totally different.

Arguably the main difference is that the Trinidad Carnival is an opportunity for everyone to join a band and party (play mas), with the result that the largest bands can number over 4000 players. Conversely, there are far fewer spectators than than at the London event, with the beneficial consequence that it is relatively easy to move around the streets from one viewing location to another, with no crowd pressure to worry about. Since the band are only judged on their costumes and dancing prowess at three locations around the carnival route, there is no particular incentive for the participants to put on much of a show in between. So they don't! What you end up with is a sort of moving street party, with massive bar trucks handing out liquid refreshments to the band members, who seem to spend most of the time on their mobile phones chatting to their friends further up the road.

There was quite a disparity between the major league bands, with their legions of dancers, elaborate costumes, and fleets of support vehicles, and at the other extreme a group of a dozen or so mates in fancy dress outfits with a battered pickup truck full of beer. What they all had in common was that they were all sharing in a great party. And it has to be said that the big bands did put on an impressive show as they passed the judging stations.

It's hard to overstate just what a big deal carnival is for the people of Trinidad and Tobago. For many residents it forms the focal point of their year, with months of preparation leading up to carnival week. Maybe next time I should pay to join a band and experience the real thing?