Old time mas at St Ann’s

“VIEY LA COU,” the popular entertaining pre-Carnival traditional street theatre event, takes place on the grounds of the Scouts Association in St Ann’s on February 15 from 1 pm to 7 pm. The event, which presents the authentic choreography, costuming, music and oral traditions of the traditional mas characters, will feature four selected characterisations based on early concepts of the French Carnival introduced into Trinidad by the French plantocrats and copied by mas players in the 1840’s and 1850’s. These four portrayals will be the Princely Pierrot, the Dame Lorraine, the Batonier (Negre Jardin) from the original French and the Burroquite (Spanish and Indian).

All the other regular “Viey La Cou” performers will also be in evidence, including the forgotten cow mas, along with nostalgic vintage kaiso from the “Chantuelle Palais.” Tobago has once again been invited to provide a speech band, an Old Time Tobago Wedding scene, tamboo bamboo and fiddle and tambrin music. Booths will be offering food, drink and craft of Carnival and “Viey La Cou” ends with an old-fashioned jump up with the Trinidad Nostalgic Pan Round the Neck Steelband. Admission is $40 for adults, $10 for children 10-14, while children under 10 are admitted free of charge.