BARBUDA'S FIRST CARIBANA - Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua’s Carnival is different, and
that’s good! We cannot even begin
to vie with Trinidad and Brazil ’s
extravaganzas. But why should we?
Our colourful celebration characterised
by revelry, creativity, iron bands and
steel orchestras, is something that is
completely different, or ought to be
different. However, the way some of us
try to ape or mimic the scanty costumes
and questionable mannerisms of
foreign revellers, it is obvious that
most of us do not know why we differ.
What then, is the difference about
Antigua ’s Carnival?
August Monday makes the difference.
Remembrance of that tremendously
significant event in our people’s march
toward freedom and justice and the
recognition of the worth of the black
man/woman—and of every other
human being, for that matter—is
enshrined in the emancipation of
African slaves. Surely, this was—
and still is—cause for rejoicing and
merrymaking. Certainly, we must
always celebrate this event—lest
we forget!
Therefore, as we approach the
celebrations marking the Fiftieth
Anniversary of Carnival 2007, we must
seek for the true meaning behind the
celebrations. We need to pause and
contextualise those celebrations within
the broader picture, namely, the more
than one hundred and fifty years of the
process of emancipation. And process
it is, as Antiguan Fr. Kortwright Davis
reminds us in his book, Emancipation,
Still A’ Coming! In that same vein,
Bishop Donald J. Reece
would that the “ghost” of Tim Hector
could haunt us! We can remember
his ever stimulating and thoughtprovoking
articles in The Outlet to keep
us focussed on the true meaning of
Carnival cum Emancipation. Truth to
tell, initially Antigua ’s Carnival was
launched as an economic endeavour to
attract tourists and other visitors during
the summer. However, this Caribbean
“Summerfest” par excellence should
evolve into a loftier significance by the
August Monday observance. Why?
The best in human beings is always in
search of relevant meaning.
It is this search and yearning for a
loftier meaning of Carnival that gave
birth to the VIITUS MAS GROUP in
1993. VITUS was controversial from
the outset, because it had—
and still has—the
sponsorship and
blessing of the
Catholic Church
and is countercultural
in terms
of semi-nudity
and explicit
promiscuous
behaviour before
a mixed audience
including young,
impressionable
minds.
Succinctly
put, VITUS’
“merry and
moral” focus
grew out of
continued on p76
come celebrate
our
golden jubilee