Trini mas’ made in China

THE EDITOR: I am one of those Trinbagonians deeply in love with the art of costume making. I hold in the highest esteem the mas’ men and women of the past, those who took pride in making their costumes (from materials both local and imported) and those who felt honoured to represent their area and their band at national competitions. These are the people who bore the brunt of the responsibility for the making and shaping of Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival into “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Their pioneering efforts will always be indelibly engraved in the minds and hearts of all those who love and practise this art form as their own artistic expression, as well as those who used to derive pleasure and entertainment from this seasonal spectacle. Sadly, it appears now that all these efforts have had no effect on the current elite group of bandleaders who have not been able to equal or surpass their predecessors’ creative achievements. Even worse, they have not made an iota of effort to be as creative as they (I firmly believe) could become.

Our dear departed, deeply loved pioneers must be jumping, not to the drums of that great mas’ band in the sky, but in rage over the irony of wasted effort, time and creative talent. It baffles me to think that, in this day of cutting edge technologies, advanced production methods and readily available high quality raw materials from many different countries for mas’ construction and production, the major band organisations have been able to collectively come up with nothing more than a beaded bikini with the occasional feather here and there. It also horrifies me that we now export this labelled as Trini mas’. Just think about this! Some organisations now have costumes made in other countries (factory made), including China. We now have Trini mas’ made in China. How does this new scenario affect our claim as producers of “The Greatest Show on Earth?” In all honesty, we can no longer lay claim to this title, can we? Because of the lack of creativity on the part of a few, within a period of eight to ten years, all that made our Carnival the spectacle that it was, is now traded in for a bikini, some beads and a feather or two, at a much higher price. We have allowed these organisations to inculcate in the minds of an entire generation of mas’ players a very limited idea of what creativity in costume making is, which must ultimately lead to the destruction of the art form.

We have now become a country with the most designers; all it takes now to design a mas’ band is arranging beads and then rearranging them for the following year’s production. Most people can do this. In drawing these problems to your attention, I know I am speaking on behalf of the mas’ loving public, as well as those lovers of the art form abroad, who have stopped coming to TT as a result of this degeneration. What about some solutions then! It may be too late to change the direction that mas’ band organisations have taken or the psyche of their patrons (whose participation in mas’ playing we do not wish to discourage). However, we could try challenging their creative abilities via competitions looking for designs superior to bikini and beads. It is not too late to encourage the mas’ bands recently formed to find alternative expressions of creativity and to step out of the new established scheme of design. Please understand, this is not an appeal for designers to go back to the past nor is it an attempt to diminish their income. I certainly do not wish to disturb the relationship that has been established with the masqueraders. What we desire is a return to the rich artistic endeavours that made our Carnival the greatest show on earth.

Do not be lazy, designers. Let us remove the creative block that has put our national festival in great danger. The boldness in our creations and designs of the past that lifted our Carnival to its glorified status is no more. Our present mas’ band productions can best be described as a copy of Brazil’s Carnival, where the dance is the point, not the costume. To those bandleaders who are still trying to “hold the fort” in maintaining this precious art form, our Carnival has been good to you. You all enjoy worldwide recognition resulting from the appreciation you received from the mas’ loving public in Trinidad and Tobago. Is there a role here for you in reversing this destructive trend? Do you see yourself as able to give back now in our time of need? Are you even going to raise your voice in disgust? Do not give up. I dread to think you will. Why not give demonstrations through your future productions of the true art of mas-making, showing how possible it is to make good mas’ and still satisfy the new generation mas’ player? You can also organise workshops and seminars that will stimulate our young mas’ designers. Programmes like these can be included in our school curriculum ensuring that the grand spectacle that is Carnival will remain a part of our culture and not made in China.

CLYDE A THOMAS
Port-of-Spain