Carnival Nostalgia

By Majessire L. Smith, Esq.

I hate Mondays. I’ve been staring blankly at two stacks of documents, the significance of which is now completely lost on me. I can’t really concentrate. My chair offers no lumbar support. And the collar of the crisp white button-down I wore under my business suit is pinching my neck. I looked down at the large calendar that decorated the surface of my desk. February 23rd, 2009. I suppose most people share my intense dislike for Mondays. In fact, I am certain that many of my colleagues can think of a hundred places they would rather be than this office. On this particular Monday, I myself can think of only one.

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Mas Stories

The Art Factory

By David Robertson

Carnival impinges on every aspect of society in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), good and bad, those who condemn it are either unaware or dismissive of its history. This year I did a stint at Brian Macfarlane’s mas camp, the Art Factory. His presentation for Carnival 2009, was Africa, Her People, Her Glory, Her Tears. Africa won the Band of the Year title, and the King and Queen of Carnival competitions, bringing the band leader his third consecutive (Band of the Year) victory. As befitting a three times title winner much has been written about Brian Macfarlane but this article looks at the people working behind the scenes as it were, the story behind the headline, the carnival artisans, master craftsperson’s, mas workers, wire benders, volunteers and novices, mostly unheralded and unacknowledged but vitally important to the organisation. In fact there’d be no carnival without them.

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