The Antigua Carnival celebrates the country’s emancipation from slavery with a riot of colour, music and dancing every July and August.
First celebrated in 1957 to mark the freedom from slavery of the Antiguan people on 1 August 1834, the carnival has grown year on year and now welcomes thousands of people from all over the world.
Singing of the soul of the beautiful Caribbean country, the lively event – to be held this year at the Antigua Recreational Ground in St John’s from 23 July to 2 August – comprises parades, a rainbow of costumes, local music and street theatre, puppetry, beauty pageants and dancing. Most of the activities are centred around St. John’s as the recreation grounds are transformed into Carnival City with events running day and night.
The capital city will also play host to a bevvy of local food and drink stalls, selling freshly grilled seafood and barbecued meats, fresh salads and, for those that fancy a tipple, local liquors such as Cavalier and English Harbour rums.
One of the highlights of the carnival is J’ouvert, held on Carnival Monday – a public holiday – when brass and steel bands perform traditional Caribbean tunes to an appreciative audience. The festivities begin on Monday night and last throughout the evening until 4am when J’ouvert morning kicks off as the sun begins to rise. This massive parade takes over the streets of St. John’s with dancing, miming and music.
There is even a talent show during which local acts perform and are applauded – or jeered – by the crowds. Some of the events held throughout the carnival include the Party Monarch and Calypso Monarch competitions of Calypsonians, the Panorama steel band competition, the spectacular Parade of Bands, the Miss Antigua Pageant and the Caribbean Queen’s Competition. Non stop revelry indeed – and all free.
Music is a key part of each year’s Carnival, with many different forms on show. The oldest, Calypso, has its roots in slavery, and was used as a way for slaves who were not allowed to talk to each other while working in the fields, to communicate with each other. Today, Calypso competitions are among the highlights of the Carnival.
Other musical genres, including steel drum music, are also popular. Antigua is home to many of the Caribbean’s finest steel bands, all of which can trace their origin back to a time when the hammered steel pans used to make the music were cut from oil drums by slaves.
The most recent addition to the Carnival’s musical repertoire is Soca, which blends the slower beat of soul music to the more upbeat Calypso tempos. Beginning in the 1970s, it gained legions of fans during the 80s and is now a constant backbeat at the Carnival.
Check out the Antigua Carnival Facebook page at www.facebook.com.
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