KIDDIES CARNIVAL, THE AFTERMATH

So, the plan was to go to church then head into the kiddies carnival however, SEVEN went for a lot longer than expected and the body just couldn't do it. For my experience in SEVEN, click HERE. Although I appeared 'normal', I was limping on both feet from the madness the night before and disappointing the children was not an option so off we went.

Once inside the Broward Regional Park, I was in shock.  I want to believe I got there around 3pm.... maybe I just know it was late.  The general children didn't begin lining up because the Kings and Queens of the Junior bands were 'competing' along with the Individuals.  The children still 'hanging out' around the park/the possible late start isn't what shocked me cause after all, we're on Caribbean time.  What shocked me was how empty the park was. The stands are never normally full to capacity or anything but it tends to have more people than there were on that day.  It puzzled me.

 

Michael Masser and Linda Creed wrote a song called "The Greatest Love of All" originally sung by George Benson and repopulated by the late Whitney Houston.  The song was so important because children are our future and it seems as though in the year 2015 people still don't get it!  We as Caribbean people need to understand that the culture can not live on if it is not taught by us to be embraced by our youth.  Passing down our culture from generation to generation is how it will be preserved.  Just as we teach our children how to cook, clean, read and write we need to teach them about our culture, their culture.  Not only the bacchanal within the mas but what goes on behind it and where it came from.  If children aren't learning about the origin the interest will be eternally lost. Where were all the parents, grandparents, godparents, aunties, uncles and nenen's on October 4th for the Junior/Kiddies Carnival?  Who's explaining to these children what a Moko Jumbie is?  Do they know the origin of the steel pan or who created it?  The Dimanche Gras?  Are they aware of sweet caiso music?  Do they even know that there is a Kings and Queens competition for children as well as adults for the carnival?  Do they know that all of it is actually a competition? Do the children of these times only associate carnival and mas with wining up to the latest soca music and drinking excessively? What are we as responsible adults handing them down?  Who are we leaving our extremely rich culture to? Then we get mad when John Public don't understand our precious culture.. Pretty soon we as a people won't understand it either!

 

 

Next point.  Yes, there's more.  I find it to be crazy how good friends become enemies for each carnival season and then make back up when the carnival is done.  Has no one heard of friendly competition?  If South Florida has such a small Caribbean community, it's evident that everyone WILL know everyone.  It is not at all possible to pass through a band and NOT know anyone.  Now with that being said, we all have children.  We teach these children to not get into big people business but then you go to a kiddies carnival to tote feelings?  While sitting in the grass across the stage, I heard parents refusing.  R-E-F-U-S-I-N-G to give CHILDREN a round of applause for their efforts.  WHAT?  HOW IN THE ENTIRE PHUCK allyuh in the stands will NOT GIVE CHILDREN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? How allyuh could sit down an feel good about yourselves?  You know DCARNIVALBABY does get misquoted so let me say this.  It wasn't everyone but by the sounds of it, the majority of the stands did not clap for the children.  Whether it was because people weren't paying attention or not, you clap for children whether they did well or not.  I sat on the grass believing I was hearing wrong then heard Giselle (The Wassi One) almost begging the crowd to please give the children a round of applause.  I have muzzled my thoughts and feelings for quite some time which is partly why these blogs are coming so slow but big people, allyuh failing the youths in more ways than one eh! It was a sad sight to see how the kiddies mas bands dwindled yet we had TWENTY JOUVERT BANDS IN THE SAME PARK ONLY 6 DAYS LATER!!!

Doh worry, the blogs comin because I have to express my sentiments on THAT TOO! Bless!