What do your children know?
If you are around my age, a little north of mid forties, you have probably never seen these traditional characters displayed in numbers in a very long time. The days when burrokeets and devil mas ruled the road on Carnival Monday have long since passed.
I was six when my parents decided to move back to Trinidad. My dad figured, if he was going to work in a grocery, he could probably do better in Trinidad, and that's what he did.
I spent my first few carnivals sitting in the front row of the stands at independence square. Ole time mas was already largely a thing of the past, but a few diehards would parade across the square early in the morning before the big bands came down the road. I was entertained by Midnight Robbers (didn't understand what he was saying), fancy Indians, sailors, minstrels, the book men, Burrokeets (the original Burokeet has nothing to do with mud mas), blue and red devils, Pierrot Grenades etc.
40 years ago, people were still trying to keep these stories and characters alive were already facing an uphill climb. Jackie and Clarence Forde are taking up that fight in a foreign land turned new home.
Right here in Toronto, they have been putting on shows for the last couple years, showcasing the roots of carnival. So, if you are feeling for some nostalgia and you think your kids might benefit from the knowledge that there was something before the bikini and beads, please come out and see:
Ol' Time Carnival - Bacchanal in d' Plantation Yard
Come out to see a production of Calypsonians, Moko Jumbies, baby dolls, devils, stick fighters and other traditional carnival characters.
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