Trini couple in the US spread TT Carnival

NORMALLY associated with large urban cities such as Miami, New York and Toronto, the Trinidad Carnival experience is set to debut in a Chicago suburb in the third week of August.

Husband and wife duo Lystra and Kirvan Audain are hoping that the one-day Carnival will not only become a regular fixture in the calendar of the city of Harvey, Illinois but also evolve into a one-week event.

The Trinidadians are the organisers of Windy City West Indian carnival, a festival that takes place on the third Saturday of August.

Audain told Newsday: "We are in the process of moving the carnival to Harvey, Illinois. In the US there is no place, where our culture is solely celebrated. We have to share with everybody, and I want to create a carnival village. We want the people from the US to experience TT Carnival."

The couple was in the country recently.

Audain said discussions began around the 1990s about spreading TT Carnival in the US. Two years later, festivities were progressing as the street parades began growing. He left for 11 years, pursuing other things, and in 2010 he observed the festival appeared to be dying.

He and his wife wanted to revive the event which showcases the cultures of TT and the rest of the Caribbean.

"We bought a band, Kingdom fete, and the next year I became president of what was called Carifete. Due to funding and other issues, we changed its name to Windy Carnival. Last year, the festival had 11 bands. Going forward, we are trying to have a week long of activities."

There are jab-jabs from Barbados and Belize, for example, and each country brings its own piece of the culture, he said.

Audain said he left TT as a child but continues to celebrate his culture. He is an elder in a ministry in the US.

It is the love, joy and decadence, associated with TT Carnival, that he hopes to spread.

"I believe this, what we are pushing, is an economic opportunity for TT. Some of the band leaders are born Americans and know nothing about our Carnival. My wife and I want to expose every part of our rich culture to the world."

According to its official Facebook page, Windy City West Indian carnival showcases colourful handmade costumes, authentic steel pan music and traditional dance performances.

It said: " Help us keep the culture alive by patronising or partnering at any or all of our events. Visit our website for more information www.windycitycarnival.com."