|
 The twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago have given birth to calypso/soca, one of the world's most vibrant music forms. Trinidad carnival, dubbed the world's greatest show is an annual pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of people looking for that weeklong immersion into a most drunken, cultural, uplifiting time. Whether you're there for the sweet pan music, the all night fetes, the calypso tents, the dutty j'ouvert, the ole time mas', the carnival Tuesday, the pelau and doubles, the Tobago tranquility, the Port of Spain bussle, the Pitch Lake tar, the saga boy swagger, or the melodious sing song accent of a warm people, the twin islands offer alot of something for everyone. David Rudder and Carol Jacobs captured the essence of Trinidad and Tobago in the 2003 hit Trini to de Bone with lyrics like, "Welcome, welcome one and all to de land of fete. When it come to bacchanal, well they can't beat we yet. Sweet women parade abundantly, De brendren dey full ah energy. Some people say God is a Trini. Sweet sweet TNT." |
||
|
CARNIVAL 2005 (Feb 7&8) Mas': Sonia
Mack (Poison's frontline) J'ouvert: 3 Canal's Jab Jab Getting to Trinidad & Tobago: BWIA EVENT Listing for 2004 (download pdf). Sharri Byron Recommends
bars .... squeeze
Photo by Geoffrey Chuk, Trinidad. Jouvay.com Carnival Pics |
VisitTNT Sonia Mack
(Poison's frontline) RUM: Angostura,
Fernandes Steel Pan Links Jouvay.com Videos of TNT: |
3Canal |
|
||
|
Maya's Log (Carnival 2K4, Carnival 2003, Carnival 1999, Carifesta 1992): Wednesday ..2003 Thursday
Friday
Sunday Monday
After barely making it home and scrubbing away at the paint (someone suggested oiling yourself with petroleum jelly to make this task easier) we were dressed off in our partial costumes and out combing the streets looking for Poison with its 10,000 masqueraders. Rumor was that the band was on the highway behind the stadium, charting a course of its own. In the front you'll find designer Sonia Mack and a few trucks back will be the islandevents.com section with Machel Montano who's got enough wines for all the women in the band.
Carnival Tuesday. By 8 am we were dressed, drinking, and at the corner of Rosalina and Arapita avenue waiting for Poison to pass (it took us about an hour to figure out that we were watching Poison and the front section was way ahead). Lucky for us we soon found our lawyer, Peter Balogh, who had his personal drink cart close to the front. The day just disappeared and ended at midnight after the last song played at the last lap jam at the Oval.
Ash Wednesday. The two cool down beach fetes were at Maracas and Manzanilla. Rather than heed the advice of DJ Back to Basics to head to Maracas before 9 am, we spent about 3 hours in traffic from 3 pm and arrived at sunset to find a restless crowd. Good company, great views, roasted corn and pickled fruits saved the afternoon. Finding a good lime that night proved difficult. Many folks had already hit Tobago for real R&R. Much thanks to Ruel Ward, Francis Ragoo, and Myrtle Malcolm
for arranging tickets for us and Johnathan Mack for hooking us up with
LA Violeta...if we decide once again at the last minute that we must go
to carnival we sure hope to be in the POISON Retromania front section
as a Solid Gold dancer with a Cleopatra headpiece and beaded skirt. And
again thanks to Ronald, Cookie, Gary and Ragoo for the hospitality.
|
||
|
If you have any experience or recommendation for this page, please email us. Back to Jouvay.com |
||
for
food: chinese - kam wa,
By 10
am we had to meet the Miami Fly Girls crew to head to our first party
in Toco. Lucky for us we had arranged the $75 US tickets before arriving
in Trinidad for they were sold out. After waiting for the Fly girls to
look fly, the bus ride was a little over an hour. Specialty drinks were
abundant, food stalls lined Michael Headley’s (owner of Poison)
lawns serving Chinese, Shark and Bake, Curry, Creole, Indian sweets, and
fruits. The venue was spectacular and there were live performances by
Militant, Rupee, Oscar B, Jason Benn, Horyzon, and a live rhythm section.
By ten pm it was nearly over and we had two more parties for that night;
Madhatters and UWI Splash. 
Saturday
was curry day at Patraj on Tragrette road and then a quick walk
to Long Circular mall to collect our finished costumes (Trinis will advise
you that the place "farr" when in fact it's no more than a 15
minute walk). By 5 pm we were at the Allcarnivals.com all inclusive at
the Trinidad country club ($50 US) with an abundance of food and booze.
The turn out was not huge, but folks were dressed up and the performances
by Imij and Co., Square One, Rupee and Scrunter made the evening quite
lovely. A quick stop home to change into sneakers and shorts and we were
off to MOBS 2 for Insomnia. By 10 am the next morning we were just heading
home, Krosfyah still had the crowd pumping and we had seen most of the
big bands and singers in one venue. Our friends returned around 3 pm that
afternoon praising the breakfast fete in Diamond Vale which many refer
to as the original breakfast fete. 
