The Lost Tribe: 'Carnival cannot be cancelled'

CREATIVE director of The Lost Tribe Valmiki Maharaj thinks Carnival cannot be cancelled.

"It is something that is at the heart of everything we do in TT."

Despite the announcement by the Prime Minister and conversations on social media, he believes "Carnival is in our blood. It is a feeling, it is genetic and flows through generations."

Maharaj told Newsday as it comes closer to the days that were set to have been Carnival Monday and Tuesday, people will feel something awaken in them ­– the feeling of love, togetherness and celebration of life which makes TT Carnival what it is at its core.

"I do think many things can happen. There are many events, cultural displays and competitions that can be held without a parade or large crowds. We aren't having a parade but we can, however, still celebrate Carnival."

He made reference to director of Notting Hill Carnival Matthew Phillip who said while there was not a parade, there was nevertheless a celebration.

"Many are talking about a virtual Carnival experience. My feeling on this is that the spectator, the masquerader, or anyone interacting with us in TT and our culture – we must consider their perspective and our engagement with them. Someone just sitting in their living room, looking at a screen with people jumping around or singing to them is not engaging. I don't think this approach would work."

Since most of the world has been in a state of semi or total lockdown, he believes a more creative and engaging approach may be necessary. "The Carnival industry has some of the most brilliant, creative and innovative thinkers in TT."

He, therefore, maintains that if stakeholders and people from the creative industry in TT join forces, a novel product can be created for TT and the world to experience. He hopes if, given the opportunity, these innovative thinkers can sit together to analyse the culture and history of TT, "who we are, what is at the core of Carnival and each part of what makes Carnival what it is – and how to connect with people through whatever media."

This novel approach needed for 2021 is one which he thinks cannot be done in isolation – "We need to come together or work in groupings to achieve this."

Despite the lockdown due to covid19 restrictions which started in March, Maharaj said The Lost Tribe team already started brainstorming in the event of a parade being considered unlikely for 2021.

"We knew if this happened it would have been uncharted territory. We have never had to interact this way. The last time TT postponed Carnival the internet wasn't how it is today and social media was not in the palm of our hands – the opportunities we now have did not exist."

The most recent similar experience of this kind for TT was in 1972 when the parade was postponed due to a polio outbreak. It was rescheduled from February to May as a precautionary measure. It turned out to be a rainy Carnival and in the following year, Lord Kitchener's Rain-O-Rama captured the masqueraders' reactions and also won the road march title:

Mama, when they hear they go get the Carnival

All masqueraders on heat

When they didn't hear if it was official,

but they started turning beast on the street

And they start to jump around, yaay,

and they start to tumble down, yaay

And they fall down on the ground, yaay, if you see how they gay, yes

But what was so comical, in the midst of bacchanal

Rain come and wash out mas in May.

Despite the threat, Maharaj said the people of TT managed to find a way to celebrate without the celebration negatively impacting public health.

Asked how alternative options for 2021 may reap monetary gains, the creative director said it would call for teamwork and a combination of talent and experiences in business and finance. "No one group can do it alone. This calls for teamwork."

He said, however, amid limited resources in 2020 when compared to 2019 in preparation for 2020 Carnival, he believes the opportunity for social engagement is at an all-time high. "That is the twist, that the opportunity is there while the money might not."

Asked how much The Lost Tribe already had in place for Carnival 2021 he said, "The whole Carnival."

He said the team generally prepares for any given year's theme about a year and a half in advance. "By the time the first lockdown happened here in TT, which was right after 2020 Carnival – we had our plans in place. We have since had to put those plans down to hibernate and will be brought back out for when it can be presented."

The prequel to the Carnival season begins in July with band launches, campaigns, costume production and registration. "By the end of September, the first set engagement with masqueraders would have come to an end. This would lead to the last three months of the year when we would get into activities and engagement with committees, charitable initiatives and by Boxing Day we would have the soca switch."

Maharaj stated this to reflect how much would have been done in preparation for Carnival by the start of October in any given year.

Asked what may be anticipated for Carnival 2022, he said, "I think it is going to be one of the biggest things we have ever seen. I think the impact is going to be grand. If we do not take the time to prepare for it as individual companies and as an industry we could find ourselves crippled. The time is not as far away as it seems. We are going to have to begin planning for Carnival 2022 very soon. The onset of Carnival 2022 is very close, all while we are still emotionally processing everything that has happened since the spread of the pandemic."

The world has changed since covid19, and because of this Maharaj believes the carnival industry will now be catering to a changed collective of masqueraders. "We will have to come back with brand new ideas and approaches. "Anything I have designed thus far, I think is irrelevant for this new world. I do not negatively say this – I am excited to see what will come next."

He is looking forward to seeing what concepts will emerge to reflect the current period and how it may open the local creative industry to new and creative ways of doing things.

"You cannot cancel what can't be cancelled. It is within us. None of us in the industry were surprised by the announcement but when it came it was still hard to digest. We, however, have an opportunity of which we must take advantage."