Tobago’s early carnivals

Dr Rita Pemberton

The introduction of the Trinidad-style Carnival to Tobago by returning migrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries did not immediately result in general acceptance by the population of Tobago.

Interest in the imported Carnival ebbed and flowed during the first two decades of the 20th century, but by 1925, a clear pattern had emerged, in which, while aspects of the Trinidad Carnival were embraced, the celebration was counterpoised with features of Tobago’s traditional culture.

From 1925 onwards, at the centre of Tobago’s carnival celebrations were the traditional singing bands and efforts to produce what was considered a “decent” carnival with a distinct Tobago flavour.

The singing bands were bands of musicians playing instruments such as the banjo, cuatro, flute, guitar and violin, who were led by a chantwell and a chorus of back-up singers. These bands were offshoots of the string bands which were very popular in communities across the island at the beginning of the 20th century. The string bands were composed of musicians playing the tambourines, violin, guitar, cuatro and flute, which provided musical accompaniment for concerts, celebrations, bazaars, fairs, and other forms of entertainment, as well as for marches and processions. Players on the tambourine, banjo and violin accompanied reel, jig and other folk-dance performances.

The singing bands were produced by and represented their villages, most of which had their own band. The members of the singing bands wore disguise costumes which were designed by the chantwell.

The costumes worn by members of the singing bands were similar in style, but varied in colour. They wore Robin Hood-style balloon satin pants, tops with a string and collar, a satin-covered straw hat which was turned up on one side, wire masks on their faces and “watchecongs” on their feet. Portrayals included, Wild Indians and jab jabs.

These bands both reflected and fostered community development as well as providing platforms for developing creativity and musical skills in the population. The singing bands constructed their own centres, which were tents made of bamboo, supported by plaited coconut palm leaves, with a roof covered with coconut branches, and seats made of bamboo.

A king and a queen were selected for each tent and the band would practise at the venue during the weeks before carnival. In some instances, villagers paid an entry fee, usually six cents, but in other cases entry was free. The king and queen of carnival were crowned on Carnival Monday night, at a ceremony which ended with sharing food.

When on parade, the band was protected by a guard, who was usually a champion stickfighter, whose responsibility was to ensure that no one disrupted the band’s activities. The bands serenaded planters, shopkeepers, the stores and shops around the community, and were rewarded with money and refreshment.

The members of the business community in Scarborough responded by offering prizes for the best songs, especially for the song which provided the best advertisements for their business.

Particularly entertaining was the competition which occurred when one band met another, with each attempting to demonstrate its supremacy in song. The songs ranged from social commentary to recounting important historical events such as the abdication of King Edward VIII to marry Wallis Simpson, the 1919 strikes in Tobago, the provision of pipe-borne water to parts of the island, the Italian invasion of Ethiopia and, in the late 1930s, a warning to Britain of impending war.

Praise songs, which were directed to individuals, included advertisements for Cross Drug Store and the song on Miss Alefounder’s House, which was purchased from Grafton Estate in 1933.

Boasting songs, which lauded the singer’s prowess, were used to enhance the individual’s presence and were usually expressed in commanding and impressive language.

Picong placed focus on negative developments on the island such as: prostitution in Scarborough; class issues; or an instance when a person was caught stealing government property.

Ballads told the tales of current events such as the 1931 disaster of the Belize, which ran aground in Toco on the night of October 31,1924, and the sea journey around the island made by the ships Kennet and Spey, the two coastal steamers.

Traditional banter songs or satires told the weaknesses or unusual beliefs and practices of the people.

These developed into a formal competition for the best song and the best picong, which was sponsored by the stores in Scarborough.

The Speech Bands were male-dominated entities which were accompanied by tambourines, fiddles and triangles, and which also became embedded in Tobago’s carnival. The bands drew on older speech traditions, but also wrote their own speeches. These bands were predominant in Bethel, Patience Hill and villages in North Tobago.

Like the string bands, using bamboo and coconut branches, they built their own tents for their practices and performances, and their renditions embraced social and topical issues. Their speeches were generally verbose, intended to show off their language skills to impress listeners.

Carnival and the carnival arts provided opportunity for various forms of speechifying, an expression of the African oratory tradition which was well embedded in the culture of Tobago. This was evident in the singing bands, the speech bands, oratorial calypsos and picong and the performances which accompanied the masquerades, in which mastery of language was an essential element to win the respect of listeners.

It is to be noted that there was no wholesale adoption of the Trinidad Carnival, aspects of which were infused with the cultural practices of Tobago, whose traditions, despite the competitive element, fostered co-operation, respect for authority and community development.

The practice of sharing food after a performance and constructing their own spaces for performance were demonstrations of Tobago’s community spirit and self-reliance. These remained distinctive features of the Tobago Carnival.

After World War II, Tobago’s carnival declined because of post-war dislocation and the heavy migration from the island. There were few bands in Scarborough after 1945; an effort was made to improve Tobago carnival in the 1950s.

The subsequent growth of the calypso culture, which lured the island’s artistes to the calypso tents in Trinidad, contributed to the decline of Tobago’s singing bands.