“No Bacchanal please!”

This picture I saw on the front cover of the Catholic News for the weekend preceding carnival Monday and Tuesday. It was an illustration by Fr. Tom Willemson, CSSp, titled “David Danced”. The drawing depicted the biblical words, “…and David danced before the Lord, with all his might!” (2 Samuel 6:14). An observation of the picture I saw iconic representations of Trinidad and Tobago’s traditional masquerades. From the pierrot grenade, bookman, fancy Indian, sailor mas to the midnight robber.

On closer analysis of the picture, it shows that the Catholic Church has no problem with the carnival festivities. Well, it has been proven that carnival celebrations are linked to European nations who colonized countries in the west, and bringing their religious practices with them. The drawing indicates that the bible sees nothing wrong with dancing. However, the church complemented the image with an article rightfully titled, “no bacchanal please.” The commentary implored readers to be modest in dress and behavior during the season. The general message of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) campaign was, “if you’re ‘reveling’ for the carnival, don’t become a ‘bacchanalist’”.

Carnival celebration is a time of drunken revelry, relatively lewd, sexual music and indecent exposure. In my eyes, the inclusion of the traditional characters in the drawing was a way of the Church saying; bring the old time festival back. A festival where masqueraders were fully clothed, and costumes where grounded in the historical contexts. This can be even connected to the theory of cultural imperialism. It shows that the uniqueness of the Trinidadian mas is being lost, as mas band designs are becoming homogeneous replicas of those of the Brazilian costumes.

This article in an unconventional format, is actually saying to Catholics to show dignity in their actions, and not lose their Catholic identity that is based on the teachings of the bible. On the other hand, they are telling all the Trinbagonian readers to not let the traditions of other cultures influence the content and direction of their inherited lifestyle elements.

--- Spice Independence ---

Yesterday was the 7^th of February, 2012. It was a day of great significance to Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. It was their 38^th anniversary as an independent nation.

Hooooooooooooorrrrraaaaaaaaaary!!!!

Being Grenadian, I was clad in my national colours – red, green and yellow. I was proud to showcase to people who I was. I felt part of a community as I saw fellow nationals on campus dressed with the triad of colours. As human beings we develop our identities based on our interactions with our family, traditions, myths and society on the whole. Wearing my national colours yesterday was a means of expressing my communal identity. According to Stuart Hall this is an identity that is associated with large-scale communities.

February 7^th, from since 1974 is a day for Grenadians to express their national identity. In the past, I was never really interested in the Independence celebrations; I saw it as just another day to stay home from school. Being away, in another country has opened my eyes to a new perspective. One that tells me to spread the word to others saying, “Hey this is Grenada’s day!”

I analysed the many posts of my facebook Grenadian friends, home and abroad. I realized that the majority of Grenadians living in other countries had profile pictures of the Grenadian flag. Many others were posting local songs, posting pictures of the fauna and flora and of gatherings making our national dish - Oil down. The internet provided this non-physical environment that allowed us to express our elation and pride. It afforded us the opportunity to celebrate our independence day together, despite our geographical limitations.

In my mind, this was an empowering experience, as we lived out our national and cultural identities online. The internet, Facebook allowed us to share messages that collectively - they became this shared experience. In this one instance, we can see how powerful the media can be. It is ultimately up to us, as users to utilize it in ways that would unify peoples and help build better societies.

Take a listen, just another way the media helps to perpetuate our Grenadian national identity. ENJOY!!!

Artist: Zedel Jeffery

Song: Happy Birthday to Grenada!