REFLECTION & REASON

Photo via Skkan Media Entertainment Needless to say, I'm biased. I think Jamaica Carnival is wonderful. I've never been to Trinidad, and in my 40 years in Toronto I've only missed a handful of Caribana parades. Carnival is an enjoyable passion of mine, and every part of my heart believes that Jamaica Carnival is the perfect storm of carnival excellence! Since attending for the first time in 2017 , I have kept an interested eye on the costumes, promotions, and the overall impact this exciting event is having on Caribbean culture, music, and international vibes overall. As someone who has played mas, built mas, written about mas, and helped to organize and promote mas, I have waved the proverbial flag high and mighty for our local Toronto event, for years. I have studied our carnival and invested time and passion into understanding how I can play my part, how we as Torontonians of Caribbean descent can work together to sustain this event, and I've even tried an e...

I just HAD to visit Jamaica for carnival this year . There was no question about it. Ever since the carnival bug hit me during a 2006 "girl's trip" to Miami Carnival, the international phenomenon captured my spirit and had me doing weird and new things like listening to soca music, and playing mas...BUILDING mas, and diving head first into Toronto Carnival. I fell so hard that people close to me didn't know what was going on! In fact, many of them STILL question this niche obsession I have. But, I digress. Like any carnival enthusiast will declare: "You HAVE to experience Trinidad, though!" Admittedly, I have been hesitant. I've seen the pictures, the videos, the fetes, and the costumes. I've heard the stories, and experienced the second-hand enthusiasm and extreme passion that people have for Trinidad Carnival. But still, I hesitated. Jamaican in heritage, I always promised myself that I would NOT touch down on Trinidadian soil for carnival u...