Re-defining Trinidad Carnival

Carnival magazine 2005

Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) wishes to announce the publication of its Chutney & Carnival magazine, 2005. The theme of this Special Edition of its souvenir magazine is “Re-defining Trinidad Carnival.”

Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is hailed as the most colourful street parade on earth. Ever since the French aristocrats introduced the festival in the 1780s in the island, the face, form and rhythm of the festival has been constantly changing. In recent years, people of South Asian/East Indian descent have contributed to this change to the extent that Carnival has now to be re-defined to include Chutney Monarch, Chutney Brass, Chutney Soca, Chutney Calypso, Chutney Glow, and now Chutney Mardi Gras. This new change is being hailed as a welcome addition to the Carnival potpourri in multi-ethnic Trinidad and Tobago, and a colourful contribution to what has become a truly national festival.

February 2005

11 x 8 ½ inches

28 pages with advertisements and articles

ISSN 1683-4143

Glossy pages and cover

Chutney re-defines Carnival [editorial]
Greetings from the Prime Minister: The Honourable Patrick Manning
Is Carnival a religious festival? Sacred or secular?
The rise of chutney soca in Trinidad By Amelia Ingram
The evolution of Calypso: From the 19th to the 1900s
Chutney goes to the Mas Camp Pub: A sign of the times
Indi Carnival Commission: Chutney contesting space
Adesh Samaroo - the young chutney icon [an exclusive interview]
Chutney Soca and Carnival By Dr Peter Manuel
National Chutney Foundation: A profile of it activities
The Chutney Soca Monarch Competition: The 2005 spectacular show
The Soomarie donkey dance: [Traditional Carnival Characters]
Jab-jab (“Pretty Devil”) [Traditional Carnival Characters]
Chutney Mardi Gras With promoter Randy Glasglow
Music of Hindu Trinidad By Dr Helen Myers
The Canboulay Riots of 1881: A re-enactment at dawn
Colour photos of masques, including BRAZILIAN DANCER portrayed by Gloria Dallsingh,
BEHOLD portrayed by Wade Madray,
FLY HIGH PRETTY BUTTERFLY portrayed by Pamela Gordon,
THE INVOKEMENT OF CARNIVAL portrayed by Errol Phillip,
LADY OF THE NIGHT portrayed by Susan Low,
PRIDE OF THE NATION – WE PAN portrayed by Deborah Nandah

Kumar Mahabir

is a full-time anthropologist at the University of Guyana (UG) and Fellow of The Eccles Centre for American Studies, British Library (2022-23). He is a former Assistant Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). He obtained his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Florida (UF). As a doctoral student, he won a Florida Caribbean Institute Award, an A. Curtis Wilgus Grant, and an Organization of American States (OAS) Fellowship.
Mahabir received a National Award (Hummingbird Silver Medal) for his contribution to education in his country in 2011. He was among 50 recipients who received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the UWI Alumni Association.
Mahabir is the author of 12 books to date.