Carnival 2020: Caribbean Girls Everywhere Virtually Pulled Up
written by Suhana Rampersad
Across the Western hemisphere, Carnival season descended upon us amidst a pandemic never known to the world —COVID-19. From the UK’s Notting Hill Carnival to Canada’s Caribana and Brooklyn’s Labor Day Parade, the buildup of Carnival is always filled with excitement and anticipation for West Indians globally. However, in observance of safety, most in-person events were canceled for 2020. When the cancellations of the usual parades were announced mid-spring, many took to social media to express their disappointment. Yet, in the same spirit of resilience and passion from which Carnival was born, the annual celebrations were kept alive in the form of virtual events, artwork, Instagram lives, Zoom parties, and photography.
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Virtual Carnival, a brand-new form of fete, replaced multiple festivals this summer due to the global pandemic. All three of North America’s largest carnivals —Toronto’s Caribana, New York’s Labor Day Parade, and the United Kingdom’s Notting Hill Carnival participated virtually. In previous years, Caribana has attracted over 1 million people to the city and is one of the most anticipated events of the summer. This year, the bright floats and vibrant Lakeshore setting were transformed into “The Virtual Road”, a full day Zoom event. The 53rd annual celebration took place on computer screens across the city, where DJs from Australia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Toronto played music for hours while revelers of all ethnicities danced live on camera. Participants were able to “get on” in costume, in the safety of their own homes. Even local radio stations took part by playing Caribbean music and interviewing Soca artists, like KES.
Notting Hill Carnival kept the vibes alive late into August with their All Access Areas Digital Carnival. This included four categories of streaming performances: celebrating culture, the parade, sound systems, and the main stage. Many BBC Radio presenters even took part in the Main Stage, NHC’S largest show for Carnival Sunday. NHC’S webiste featured multiple West Indian food and drink locations with live cook-alongs. Through such creativity NHC found a wonderful way to promote Caribbean culture and local business.
In early September, Brooklyn’s Labor Day Parade also took place on digital platforms. The 53rd annual parade was replaced by a 12-hour virtual event: New York Carnival “ONE LOVE” Virtual Road. The live stream featured Soca music and lively locals jamming out. Participants dressed in masquerade wear, took pictures, waved their flag, and decorated their spaces to create a quite the digital party.
Major West Indian influencers took the lead on social media in highlighting the beauty of Carnival to the community. On Instagram, multiple Caribbean Creatives, including makeup artists, photographers, foodies, and cultural platforms preserved the excitement of the season through their own artistry. Artists like Justine Sky and Anya Lovell posted in their Carnival costumes. On Twitter, “Tabanca” became a trending topic when Martika Gregory and Wanna Thompson created the hashtag #CaribanaCyahDun, encouraging revelers to post throwbacks from past carnivals. An abundance of photos and videos of playing mas in Toronto were shared, creating a warm sense of community.
Toronto based photographer Bina Persaud brought a team of women together to create the photojournalism series #CarnivalWeMissYou. Persaud paid homage to the style, diversity, and beauty of Carnival and Caribbean women. Models of different ethnicities, nationalities, and body types were brought together to display the bold, colorful costumes, unique talents, and racial unity of Caribbean women. The team consisted of makeup artist Amanda Persaud, decorator Malina Nankoo, Facetival Photo Booth who provided all Carnival headwear and accessories, and Queen Treats specialty drinks. Together, these women were able to create a representational photo series exhibiting that creativity, teamwork, and unity is what #CaribbeanGirlMagic is all about. As Bina herself put it:
“Caribbean people are a mix of different cultures, races, and heritage, but we are all one big family. And like a family we quarrel and bicker amongst one another, but if anyone else comes to attack us from the outside world we stand strong and tall and proud of who we are. We are the sound of soca and we are the heart of the Caribbean. Due to Covid-19 … we did not get to participate in Jab Jab or J’ouvert. Times have changed but our passion and love hasn’t. [Carnival] is apart of our lives, cultural history and hearts, and our shoot shows this story. #CarnivalWeMissYou and we will come back stronger, taller and even more proud next summer.”
While the West Indies is made up of a variety of ethnicities, two of the largest ethnic groups consist of Indo-Caribbeans and Afro-Caribbeans, who for many reasons have historically experienced racial tensions. Despite this, West Indian culture has always exhibited unity. From the food to the music, to the people, the Caribbean is truly a melting pot where all ethnicities come together as one. That’s what Carnival is and remains. Soca music for instance was born through the union of African Calypso and East Indian rhythms. The beauty of our cultures comes from the blend of ethnic traditions. It is a giving and taking of Afro and Indo elements that add to our diverse culture. It is that same spirit of resilience that started Carnival in the first place.
“Carnival originated in Trinidad and Tobago as an evolution of French settlers' masquerade balls that would be held between Christmas and Lent. When Africans on the island were emancipated in 1838, they created their own masking traditions, known as Canboulay, and used it as an act of defiance and resistance against the British government, which had outlawed African drums and masquerade.” - CBC News-
Historically, the unwavering spirit of the emancipated people found new ways to celebrate freedom, life, and culture, even when their beloved traditions were temporarily taken away. In 2020, it is that same spirit of resilience that brought Carnival to the virtual realm. Regardless of the pandemic, Caribbean womxn everywhere showed up and found safe and creative ways to celebrate our heritage. Whether it was posting Tabanca throwbacks, to photoshoots, to makeup tutorials, cook-alongs, and trending hashtags, the spirit of Carnival shined throughout a pandemic summer. For West Indian womxn, we chose to carry our culture on in vibrant costume and joyous celebration this 2020 virtual Carnival season.