Carnival woman

Culture Matters

Behind The Mas

You have no band

Without a beautiful flag woman

You have no band

Without an experienced flag woman

The band will have no control

The music will have no soul

The revellers wouldn’t play

They usual mas on Carnival day

– Flag Woman, Lord Kitchener, 1976

THROUGH it all, the women are present.

During the battle in 1881, they fought alongside the male stickfighters in their successful bid to prevent the colonial government from stopping the Carnival of the ordinary people. Say their names – Bodicea, Alice Sugar, Petit Belle Lily, Cariso Jane – fierce warrior women who sang, fought, made mas, took care of their man and entered the gayelles to wage “bois bataille” with the best of them.

Historian Bridget Brereton recalled an account of that famous confrontation. The person telling the story made sure to point out that the policemen were “hopelessly outnumbered by the members of the bands and others who joined in, and the women with their stone and bottle ammunition.” The women were invested in Carnival and used the celebration as a means to express their creativity. In the unhealthy and poverty-ridden barrack yards of the city, mas was created.

The baby doll masquerade, for instance, emanated from the real-life drama of well-off “jacket men” who impregnated young women and then left them to fend for themselves and their children. The mas was thus a form of resistance, a “calling out” of the hypocrisy of the upper classes.

Resistance also fuelled the Dame Lorraine Ball. This was a wicked parody of the upper classes, mocking all of their diseases, body hygiene issues and pretentions. Significantly, the exaggerated breasts and bottom of the portrayal are influenced by Yoruba Gelede masquerade which celebrates the female figure.

“In Port of Spain’s backyards, the dame Lorraine evolved into a theatrical event, enacted at midnight on Carnival Sunday for an eager audience. Imitating the stately scenes at the old plantation balls, a “butler” introduced arriving couples, who then performed exaggerated versions of formal dances, accompanied by small cuatro bands.”

The invention of the steel pan led to the creation of another unique feature of TT Carnival dominated by women – the flag woman. The purpose of the flag was, and remains, to literally clear the way for the band. It was seen as ritualistic, but also carried strong sensual undertones: “Baby baby, get them moving/ Yes honey, do your duty/ Wave it sexy, send them crazy/ Woman, woman, move your hand.”

Valerie Green, the partner and dancer for Lord Kitchener, is remembered as one of the most evocative of flag women from the era of the 1970s, though this practice began as early as the 40s. Pan historian Dr Kim Johnson recalled famous flag dancers from that era with names like Bubulups and Lil Hart.

In interviews, Ms Green spoke of her experimentation with various Carnival dances to arrive at a particular style. From the bandy-leg style of the sailor to the back-bending of limbo and the sultry wine of the jammette, the dance of the pan woman was indeed an art form.

Interestingly, the calypso, or cariso as it was called in the pre-emancipation period, also heavily featured women. However, in the early stages of the Carnival, the involvement of women was associated with jammetry and bad behaviour. In fact, this opinion of female involvement in the Carnival extended even to participation in pan playing or flag waving.

Historical accounts show that men actually dominated these arenas for some time, because it was felt that only women of low stature would take part in such activities. A 1935 calypso by Atilla gives an example of popular views: “Carnival of long ago was real terrible/ And the orgies reprehensible/ In those days women sang calypso/ Like Soki, Mattaloney and Maribo/ They used to walk ’bout with boule de fe/ I mean in the days of Canboulay/ But today you can hear Trinidad calypso/ On the American radio.”

Fortunately, the 1960s and 70s saw a transformation of the presence of the woman in calypso, moving from the female being a source of disdain to claiming her space in that arena, and across the Carnival landscape.

It must be remembered though that the women of the Carnival were warriors and survivors. Emerging from the realities of enslavement and colonialism, they deliberately set out to harass and offend the sensibilities of the elite – like it or not, that was their version of protest mas.

As the Carnival jumbie descends, say their names if you dare. Summon their warrior spirits because our masquerade needs them still.

Dara E Healy is a performance artist, communications specialist and founder of the NGO, the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN

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