Junior Calypso Monarch (BdC 13/21)
Aaron Duncan wins again
Jr. Calypso Monarch 2012 Aaron Duncan talking to the press
Jeromy Rodriguez, placed 6th and sang “Hear My Cry”
Allaysha Sylvan whose song, “Know Your Worth”, had the very compelling lines, “You are more than breasts and lips. You are more than legs and hips… Know your worth inside, young girl conduct yourself with pride.”
At the Queen’s Park Savannah 16 youth competed in the finals of the Junior Calypso Monarch competition today on topics ranging from abstinence, to patriotism, to comedic entries on learning from the internet. Eight-year-old Aaron Duncan won the title for the third time. There were a host of very good calypsonians, with meaningful compositions and solid performances. It’s really refreshing to see the youth perform. Many adults made this possible, preparing costumes, props, rehearsals, writing lyrics, countless trips to and from competitions. The young people showed great sportsmanship when results were announced although there was lots of surprise and disappointment.
Enjoy
L
The Freshness
Hello people of the blogosphere, and happy new year! This is a current photo of a few french fries I bought at a known fast food “restaurant” with a regal name on Labor Day 2010 (September 6, 2010). That is not a typo, I bought the fries 14 months ago*, I took this photo today. Umm, yummy huh! They look good enough to be reheated and muched on this cold wintry day. I’m reminded of a statement by Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and other books:
“Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.”
Enjoy!
L
*I should add here that no fries or pests were harmed in this experiement. I purposely left the fries exposed on top of the refridgerator in that napkin for the past 14 months and didn’t touch them or do anything to preserve them. Not a rodent dared to eat them, by the way.
Celebration – Thanks for Supporting Studio Lafoncette Photography!
My dear friends we’ve done it. Yesterday this blog surpassed the 10,000 visit milestone. Give yourselves a round of applause. Here’s to good photography and reclaiming the message of Trinidad carnival, culture and heritage. Onward and upward. In celebration, share this blog with someone you know, so they too can discovery the story of rebellion, resistance, satire, creativity and beauty that is WE CULTURE.
In Joy
L
Caribana 2011
Preview
More to follow at main Studio Lafoncette website. And please like us at the new facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Studio-Lafoncette-Photography-LLC/120662314677418
Enjoy
L
Photo of the Week (22/52): Dja Rara – Haitian Rara at Jazz Fest (& DC Film Fest this weekend)
Along with all the other amazing things about the New Orleans Jazz Festival, there were parades with the Haitian Rara band, Dja Rara from Brooklyn, NY. These guys (and gals) are featured in one of the films this weekend at the DC Caribbean Film Festival and the power and soul from their music is dynamic. It feels like home to me. Last night they started off with two films, one good, one great (great directing, editing, great camera work, lovely story) – 70: Remembering a Revolution – the story of the National Liberation movement (aka black power movement) in Trinidad & Tobago, and Rock Steady: The Roots of Reggae. Check out AFI Silver this weekend to see a fantastic line-up of films.
Enjoy your weekend and remember
Black is beautiful 
Carnival Toute Bagai* (1) DC Caribbean Carnival
Hello folks,
June is just around the corner and Blogging de Carnaval is over, but mas is a cycle. Since the 1920s in the United States and 1964 in London, England Caribbean people, predominantly Trinidadians, have held some sort of carnival celebration to commemorate the carnivals they missed back home. As DC Caribbean Carnival struggles to survive, perhaps we can take a moment to remember that this isn’t just about jamming and wining in mud or a bikini in the street. The carnivals represent the struggle and history (and survival) of an often misunderstood and overlooked Caribbean population that has been emigrating and helping to build this country up for more than a century. And if we can’t remember that and celebrate it, no one else will. Really.
Enjoy
L
*And by the way, crudely translated my title means Everything Carnival. Many people don’t realize that Trinidadians spoke their own version of creole for a long time. It’s a dying language now, as elders didn’t often pass it on to their children. More on that later, but check this link.
Photo of the Week (18/52)
This week I was telling someone about Central Park Summer Stage – the summertime concert series in Central Park, NY which offers great acts and several shows are free. This Haitian rara band was one of the groups making music in the park as I walked through after a great show.
Make some music or enjoy some this weekend.
L
Mardi Gras Indians (Bdc 36/36)
Walter, aka Spy Boy Trigga, of the 9th Ward Seminole Mardi Gras Indians
I’ve blogged before about Indian mas in Trinidad and the similarities with Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans. Here’s a member of the Red White and Blue and the Wild Mohicans Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans, LA.
Where is Africa in de Carnival (BdC 35/36)
This was not my original post. Hard pressed to find enough intentional, specific images of Africa in carnival. Don’t get me wrong, Africa is very present in Trinidad carnival, it’s just not claimed as loudly and boldly sometimes as other cultures (like Indian and Native American). So here’s something from Sierra Leone, in America, in de Trini/Caribbean carnival. Photography and irony too.
Sierra Leone representing in DC Caribbean Carnival
Journey to a Sacred Space. Exhibit at Children’s National Medical Center
Images above and others will be on exhibit as part of my series, Journey to a Sacred Space: Part 1 – Carnival, at the New Horizons Gallery in the atrium of Children’s National Medical Center from today, April 25 until June 24. Stop by and have a look.
Enjoy
L
Flag Woman (BdC 34/36)
Flag Woman from Tobago’s Redemtion Sound Setters, at Panorama 2011
In the old tradition of gang fighting, non-corporate sponsored steelbands it was war! Bands would meet each other in the streets and fight for bragging rights, control and just because they didn’t like the next side. A man from Invaders could never be friends with a man from Dixie Land, at least not when it came to pan. The flag woman was the standard bearer and the warning symbol of the band. She had to be committed, willing to get in the middle of this real physically violent war, and she had to be hot, a serious winer woman, saucy, and fearless.
Pilgrimage (pĭl’grə-mǐj): A Journey to a Sacred Place
Mosquito Creek, LaRomaine, Trinidad, WI
Enjoy your week
L
Minstrels (BdC 33/36)
Came across a group of Minstrels in the park on the corner of Robert and Murry Streets in Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain on Carnival Tuesday. Minstrels in the context of Trinidad carnival, are a “traditional” carnival character. Instead of white persons in black face, they are black persons who mask themselves white, mimicking white minstrels in American culture. I’ve heard that it began in solidarity with African American oppression, and to mock the irony of whites oppression of blacks juxtaposed with a fascination (and denegration of) black culture. I’m not sure whether the sharpness of this message is clear in the contemporary portrayals, but that might be a result of our loosing touch with history.
Here are a couple links for you to mull over:
http://zeespeech.blogspot.com/2011/02/kaiso-part-6-buhwamoder-modern-minstrel.html
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2011/03/09/minister-plays-minstrel-mas
Photo of the Week 13/52
Looking out my dining room window, this is my best view for Spring. If this grows successfully in this harsh climate I’ll be enjoying a treat this summer! First person to correctly identify this plant will get a free photo card.
Happy Friday
Enjoy
L
“Baptists” and Carnival (BdC 33/36)
Today is Shouter Baptist Liberation Day in Trinidad and Tobago. It’s a public holiday dedicated to commemorating the repeal of the act that banned Shouter Baptists from worshipping publicly (from worshipping at all, they had to hide to observe their religion). They’re called Shouter Baptists, but actually, that’s a bit of a misnomer, and a bit derrogatory, although the name is used by the group as well. The word shouter is derived from the fact that followers worship loudly. They testify, they shout, they ring bells and sing loudly in the street. They have been known to stand on street corners profesying and proclaiming the Word. The word Baptist comes from the fact the religion was influenced by American blacks who migrated to Trinidad (referred to themselves as Merikens) after fighting with the British army and refered to themselves as Baptists. Three separate groups have evolved in Trinidad & Tobago (and other Caribbean islands), at least one, which is mistakenly referred to as Baptist: the Spiritual Baptists, the Shouter Baptists, and Shango Baptists. The latter is the only one that openly embraces a connection to Africa, is very similar to Santeria, Ifa, Candomble of Cuba, Brazil, and other areas where Africans were enslaved. However, the former two identify themselves as Christian and tend to reject the representation of orishas, ancestor deification, altars with ancestral elements, elements of Ifa (a Yoruba tradition) and other West African systems of worship.
This transformation is apparent in carnival too – the constant battle between defining our own traditions and creating something indigenous, and embracing Eurocentric interpretations of our culture. Carnival began for Africans in the Caribbean, not as an opportunity for debauchery before lent (they weren’t originally Catholic), but as one of the few ways to connect with their ancestors. Somewhere along the way it transformed from Egungun, Gelede, representation of the orishas into something more bright and sparkly, but I’m not sure how deep. In recent decades Trinbagonians have been more open to the idea of African heritage – even in worship (and even outside of Emancipation day, imagine that). This year I was surprised to encounter a children’s carnival band that put the elements of Orisha and Egugun, which I’ve referenced briefly before, into de mas. Today, I won’t share photos of “Shouter” Baptists, but continue to blog de carnaval with these folks. I spoke to the bandleader (and spiritual leader), Iya Louise Brown-Clarke, but only briefly. Her sister told me it was “difficult to get orisha children to play mas”, and when I asked if it was also difficult to get some non-orisha children to play because of some people’s suspicion of their religion, she said that was true too. I noticed two individuals catch the spirit as the band was nearing the savannah. I don’t know if it occurred at other times during the parade. A large band of Moko Jumbies followed them and I would say that those two moments filled my spirit for Carnival Saturday in a way that usually happens once or twice every carnival. I am compelled to look into this in greater depth.
Enjoy
L
Photo of the Week 12/52
Make a mas. Hide yuh face. Make something scary. Do something different. Create. Think. Provoke others to think. Provoke others. Just for a minute even.
Vulgar, eh?
This is Robert Young, owner of The Cloth Limited, (an iconic, quintessentially Caribbean label that turns 25 years old this year), designer, artist, band leader. Along with Lupe Leonard, he led Coalition, Vulgar Fraction’s presentation for 2011. Robert has been “an artist who works in clothing” for a very long time, and he has designed and influenced mas for probably as long as that. Vulgar Fraction is an independent mas, a renegade band. A wayward band of rogue carnival warriors, artists, and perhaps crazy people who create a different space for Jouvert and on Carnival Tuesday. As Robert describes it, “Vulgar Fraction has consistently advocated a return to true creativity, art and design for masqueraders. But the process becomes even more interesting when each person gets involved in designing and building part of their own costume themselves.”
Funny thing is, I saw many people at Samaroos on Carnival Sunday shopping like nuts on Christmas Eve, for feathers, fabric, glitter and all sorts of add-ons for their TT $5000 mas. Either the costumes were inadequate and they needed to embellish/mend, or people just have this urge – as the Merry Monarch is beginning to awake – to create their own mas. It’s like the spirit of Aldrick Prospect is waking up the people. That’s up for argument, and I’d like to hear from you. In the meantime, Robert Young, Lupe Leonard, Vulgar Fraction, Cat in the Bag Productions, the Alice Yard Players and others will be celebratING iNDEPENDENT mAS at Alice Yard today, Friday, March 25 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. If you’re in Trinidad, stop by and check it out.
Alice Yard
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=143339985731671¬if_t=event_invite
And even if you’re not, enjoy your weekend 
.
Peace
L
Mas for Whom? (BdC 32/36)
Masquerader in Roy Pierre’s NY Jouvert Band 2010
Masquerader in Macfarlane’s 2011 presentation
This is a New York masquerader. I’ve spotted her in Jouvert in NY playing an individual mas with Roy Pierre’s Jouvert presentation year after year. I’ve been thinking about “mas for whom?” for a while now. In my opinion (based on research of the festival and my observation) carnival is a local festival. It is not intended specifically for tourists unlike some other events. Trinbagonian nationals who have emigrated to North America and Europe have always been a huge part of carnival. They’ve influenced mas themes, and supported carnival by returning home and participating in it, spending their foreign currency and boosting the economy. However, I wonder about how far their influence stretches. In 2002, after the attacks on the World Trade center in the US, some people feared Carnival would be dismal because many New Yorkers who make the annual pilgrimage were cash strapped and less likely to visit. Carnival seemed to continue just fine, which led me to affirm my faith back then in the autonomy of the festival. I’m not so sure now. I wonder what percentage of Trinbagonians can afford the costly costumes, fetes and national events. Are there so many well-to-do locals to support them? Are there so many well-to-do foreign nationals willing to pay the exhorbitant price hikes even if they won’t do so for other expenditures in their new home countries?
Musician Raf Robertson was talking about the contributions of Kitchener, and how one of his calypsos, Miss Tourist, hints at the attitude of Trinidadians towards tourists. The singer encourages the tourist to find herself in a band, join in and do just as the locals do – no catering to tourists, you fit in where you get in. A recent visitor told me that was something he liked about Trinidad*, that there wasn’t a ton of catering to tourists (he touched on some racial baggage that comes along with that, but that’s a story for another blog, another time. I told him I don’t think it’s that simple, I’m sure foreign nationals do get treated differently, it’s a more nuanced argument (ethnic, regional, nationality, socio-economic etc.). I’m curious to know what you think – you tourists and non tourists, foreign nationals returning to spend your big bucks, and locals. In the meantime, I’ll continue looking to find myself in ah band.
*I say Trinidad specifically here, because Tobago is our tourism isle. Tourism is the main industry of Tobago, and in some ways events, attitudes, behaviors are supposed to be directed to attracting tourist money.
Photo of the Week (w11/52)
Photo of the Week is back! Carnival is over so I, like many other Trinis (the Tobagonians not as insane) can remember to breathe and do other routine activities again.
Woman at a Dance for the Ancestors held by the Akan Spiritual United Order in Brentwood, Maryland.
In choosing this photo the song, Black Woman, by Ella Andall came to mind. I’ll leave it to you to interpret and give your own personal significance as you see fit. Happy Friday.
And just because some Fridays you want to give de people a lil lagniappe, here’s the Black woman in action.
Enjoy
L
East Indians in T&T Carnival (BdC 31/36)
Member of a Tassa band during Jouvert at Labour Day Carnival, Brooklyn, New York
In blogging de carnaval I’ve focused on the African contributions to the structure and foundation of Trinidad & Tobago carnival, but it would be remis of me to suggest that it is a mono-culture carnival. East Indians comprise 40% of the population in Trinidad & Tobago. Our carnival is partly an expression of people’s fight for freedom and to retain important elements of their culture. East Indians were the largest group of indentured servants brought to Trinidad after slavery. Unlike Africans they were allowed to maintain their languages, religions and culture, which exist today in T&T. However, indentureship was no paradise. People came out of necessity. They came because they were living in harsh, destitute conditions in India, and they were led to believe they were coming to a land of milk and honey (sounds familiar). As described in Dr. Liverpool’s book, Rituals of Power and Rebellion*, East Indians lived in rural settings but met the squalor of barack ranges, lack of privacy and disease similar to the urban baracks populated by Africans. The planters used them as a means to keep wages down, Africans saw East Indians as a threat to wages, and East Indians looked down on Africans, and tended to keep themselves separate. With a rise in the East Indian population however, they were more apt to celebrate their own festivals, particularly Hosein, which was also supressed by the British government, and met with opposition. Carnival was an expression of freedom and an opportunity to relieve the stress, the rage, the pain at the harsh conditions of life in the colony. Over time East Indians carved their own way into the carnival, particularly in non-urban regions such as the San Fernando carnival, where Lionel Jaggesar his wife Rosemarie Kuru Jaggesar, and Ivan Kalicharan are two noteable names in modern mas. Additionally, although not entirely their domain, “Indian” (Native American) mas is often portrayed by East Indians. Moreover, tassa drummers are a frequent addition to the music – be it as a part of a rhythm section on as an individual component in adult mas, with the use of abeer (the powder dye used for the Hindu festival of Holi (Pagwa) during jouvert) or in mas portrayals.
Liverpool, pp 254-258. http://www.amazon.com/Rituals-Power-Rebellion-Tradition-1763-1962/dp/0948390808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300392468&sr=8-1
Hard to find this Carnival season: Burrokeet (BdC 30/36)
So I’ve heard, carnival is over, but it’s okay to still blog about it. And I’ve also heard, I owe de people 7 (which I fully intend to offer up). So today I give you two thoughts: one is about how the master narrative is defined in today’s carnival – which leads to the absence of some elements, and the other is my simple formula: highlight an element of “we carnaval” and “we mas”.
First thought: Events such as the Nostalgia Parade, the Traditional Carnival Characters Festival, and the Dragon Festival populate the National Carnival Commission (NCC) schedule of events each year. I think it’s great. A photographer like me can go directly to those events and find all the “traditional carnival characters” I want. However, it bothers me that these elements of mas appear to have been relegated to these special events, cordoned off like zoo animals – rare, endangered, captive and not free to roam as they please on Carnival Monday or Tuesday. Of course, the NCC is to be given credit for doing something, to include them in the annual festival, albeit an artificial inclusion. But how is it that our carnival, once defined by free, rebellious people defining themselves through their mas, now need a special pulpit, a bligh, to own the streets? And the feathers and beads roam as the normal, as the master narrative of the day? Just a thought.
Taureg – built like a burrokeet, from Spoilt Rotten Kids 2011 presentation: Nomads
A mas that was hard to find this year was the Burrokeet. The word burrokeet comes from the Spanish burroquito – little donkey. The costume is made with a large skirt with reigns, legs and a donkey’s head attached at the top and an opening for the masquerader to put over his/her head. When worn it gives the appearance of someone riding a donkey decorated with a skirt. Burrokeet is attributed to Venezuelan and East Indian culture. Another figure, Soumaree, is very similar and attributed to East Indian culture as well.
The Carnival is Over (Blogging de Carnaval 29/36)
Full disclosure, I am exhausted. I did my due diligence in honor of the ancestors today. Someone shared a comment that despite the some people not embracing their “African-ness”, they are still very much connected – including those not of African descent – especially through the clothing, dances and activities of carnival.
This is by no means the largest carnival (Brazil will always beat us in numbers), but the energy of Trinidad carnival is unimaginable. For those who worship at the altar of Carnival, there is an inexplicable joy and an overwhelming emotion that comes from participating in the madness of it all. More than once I stopped and shook my head and said, “this is amazing and crazy.” At times the awareness of it brings tears to my eyes. I heard those sentiments several times yesterday from masqueraders and onlookers.
Music trucks shut down promptly at midnight, all who wanted took their last lap, and tomorrow morning it’s back to normal in sweet T&T. It’s hard to believe it’s over, but will return as pilgrims again next year. I have enjoyed blogging de carnaval, and I hope you’ve enjoyed viewing my posts. I will continue to periodically post on elements of Trinidad carnival and update photos.
Until then, thanks for reading,
Peace
L
Jouvert 2011 Vulgar Fraction/ 3Canal – I AM ReEvolution (BdC 27/36)
I am de thorn in yuh side, I am de Jamette who doh hide. I am de picka in yuh bam bam! I am de Re-evolution. Check http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328656&id=45398357245 for more photos.
Peace and Happy Carnival
Ashe
