Grenada’s Carnival Tradition (Hudson George) Pt. 2

Grenada’s Carnival Tradition (Hudson George)

[Continued from August 4]

Presently,  the government is getting more involved in our carnival celebration. However, I personally believe that government involvement in the festival is not in the interest of culture but in the interest of getting  financial revenue from the events.  I am saying so because our government officials are trying their best to commit cultural genocide within the rural communities within our tri-island state  by limiting the carnival activities in the villages and trying to influence rural citizens to come to St. George’s and play mas.

I believe the government will fail with such an agenda. Carnival celebration has its roots in the rural communities. Government has not done any thing positive in the rural communities to elevate culture.  It is insane on the government part to ask rural people to  come to the city and play mas.  St. George parish has the largest population, due to urbanisation. If the government is interested in carnival rather than the money from the events, the officials should try and influence villagers in St. George, to play mas in the city of St. George’s. The long history of exploiting outer parish citizens must stop.

In the past, the importation of fundamentalists Christian religions from the United States and the Rastafarian movement from Jamaica had  intention to destroy our carnival celebration culture, yet still the celebration survive because it has strong roots in our African spirituality that our ancestors came with from Africa. 

Presently,  our calypsonians find themselves caught up in party politics.  Those who sing for the government or refused to sing against the government gets  personal treatment. Those who sing against the government and those who  will fully disrespect government officials for spite, will never be winners of competitions because government control our carnival events.

In conclusion, I believe that faces in government will always change, but August carnival will always remain.  This is the reason why we continue to play carnival. Therefore, it is very important for rural citizens to take back carnival from those who trying to steal it from them.