A critique of Carnival events

Carnival in Dominica is considered the cream of the crop annually since it presents a variety of events such as Carnival Princess Show, Miss Teen Dominica, Junior Monarch, Queen Show, Calypso Monarch Competition, Jouvert, Carnival Monday and Tuesday and a wide range of other festivities around the island.

Every year visitors from all over the globe come to the nature isle of the Caribbean to engage in this joyous and exciting occasion.

In the eyes of most Dominicans, this is an occasion to relieve stress, consume alcohol and dance to the most entertaining beats. However, in my eyes I see carnival as an occasion which should promote a country regionally and internationally, as far as it can possibly go. After examining previous carnival seasons and this year’s Carnival Season (Mas Dominik 2016), in the area of music it presents difficulty in promoting Dominica’s Musical Industry both regionally and internationally.

In the Calypso Monarch competition, calypsos are strictly based on Dominican politics or locally based Dominican issues. Additionally, it addresses no broad, common or everyday issue thus it is quite unlikely that Dominican Calypsos can make it to the regional or international level. On the other hand, calypso in Trinidad addresses broad issues which are either familiar to people located in the Caribbean or those living abroad. Thus, this type of music will escalate as it is relatable to many other countries whereas Dominican Calypso is strictly related to what happens within its own borders.

One Dominican Calypsonian who has strived to deepen the connection between Dominican calypso and the outer world is Mr. Derek ‘Hunter’ St Rose in his famous composition ‘Page of the Good Ol Days’. However, there have not been enough attempts to put Dominican Calypso on the regional and international market. Therefore, I urge songwriters, calypso organizers and Calypsonians to produce calypso material which is able to reach both the regional and international level.

Moreover, there is always room for improvement and changes can be made when new ideas arise. Thus, instead of only crowning a calypso king or queen, Calypso organizers should consider providing a winner per segment. The Dominica Festival Committee would have to address sponsors In order to be financially able to go ahead with the categories. This would include most improved Calypsonian, Best lyrics, best calypso round 1, best calypso round 2, most witty, best presentation, and best writer. In turn, this will allow more Calypsonians to take part and it would also make the show more competitive. As long as the show is more competitive it will secure a greater public response thus increasing the profits made by the Dominica Festivals Committee.

Additionally, bouyon is also an area in the music industry which needs attention. Bouyon unlike calypso have made it regionally in Caribbean territories such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Maarten, Anguilla and Antigua while it has also reached the international level on occasions such as Labor Day in New York City. However, Dominican bouyon does not qualify as a genre of music which brings a meaningful contribution to the Dominican Society.

This is because present bouyon does not reinforce the country’s cultural heritage like in times of the original WCK. Instead of producing songs with reasonable and sensible lyrics the bands have made bouyon into just a beat, not a song. In Jamaica, artists tend to uplift each other thus embracing their culture and promoting their music internationally. On the other hand, in Dominica bouyon is arena where bands oppose each other which deprives the music industry from growing.

When bouyon artist look to go to the international basis they should consider improving in the lyrical department and focus on lyrics that is flowing, entertaining, informative, educational, and humorous. It’s not just a beat which makes a song a song moreover it is the development of the lyrics and music which I strongly believe in this critical area Dominican bouyon artists are lacking.

Therefore I urge everyone in the bouyon industry to make bouyon the main pillar which reinforces Dominica’s cultural and historical heritage thus promoting Dominican values, customs and traditions.

Carnival Princess Show, Miss Teen Dominica, Junior Monarch and Queen Show are the shows held annually and every year the committee receives a commendable crowd response. Yet, it is possible that new ideas and new addition to the team could make it an even greater success. From Jouvert down to the last beat on Carnival Tuesday it is a sight to behold. However, on the day of the parade I suggest more colors and costumes which will make the festivity engaging, brighter and a more welcoming sight for the locals and foreigners. As to the date of carnival, the best recommendation is to have it changed since it usually clashes with Trinidad’s Carnival every year. This will increase the number of tourists visiting the island during Carnival Season thus increasing foreign exchange currency, sales for vendors and the profit for the Dominica Festivals Committee.

All in all this Carnival Season (Mas Dominik 2016) was a grand and spectacular festivity however there are a few critics and recommendation which ought to be taken into consideration to make Carnival in Dominica more successful. As Carnival 2016 has closed its doors, let join together with new ideas, objectives and aspirations in making Carnival (Mas Dominik 2017) the hallmark of all carnivals within the Caribbean.

Aymah George is a student of the LEAD Institute. This article was published as received without editing.