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Global Carnival News

Bahamas' Junkanoo Carnival Ends With All-day Celebration

Tenerife Buries Sardines to Mark The End of Carnival

When the Carnival is almost over ( because there will be another weekend of piñata to permanently dismiss the festivities until another year ) , the Tenerife says goodbye in tears of grief. The Burial of the Sardine is the most irreverent and lighthearted show of this Carnival, with which the end of the party is announced at a ceremony after a humorous and grotesque procession of mourners and all sorts like a burlesque's own funeral with purifying fire as a sacrificial event to make way for Lent , a time for religious and spiritual reflections.

The spirit of Carnival, symbolised by the sardine, is carried through the streets on a funeral bier, and is then set on fire and consumed by the flames to the despair of the entourage of inconsolable and “grief-stricken” widows, widowers and mourners. The final ending, however, is really the celebration of the “Piñata Chica” at the weekend, with shows, dances and parades.

Rio's Viradouro Samba School Downgraded This Year

The Samba School which came last in Rio's major carnival competition this year "Viradouro" has lost its place in the league with the 12 Special groups. That means they have now been downgraded from that First position to the Second League.The Samba Parade is a glorious competition between the Rio Samba Schools, for which scores are given by the judges on Ash Wednesday, the first day after Carnival.
There are 10 categories in which the schools are judged. Usually the competition's worst scoring school drops down from the First League (the Special Group) into the Second League and the winner of the Preliminary Parades of the Second League Schools joins the First League for next year Parade . Photograph: Ricardo Moraes/Reuters

Steelpan Goes to New Zealand!
New Zealands first Steelpan Academy...

Early 2014 saw the launch of the New Zealand Steel Pan Academy, with a focus on bringing the magic of Pan to all. Dispite their popularity worldwide steelpan was relatively unknown to New Zealanders until now. Musical Director Marion Titmuss is excited to pave the way for a Steelpan industry in this country, and showcase the possibilities that playing Pan can give to children of all ages.

France - Nice Carnival Claims its The Original Carnival

The earliest records establish its existence in 1294 when the Count of Provence, Charles Anjou, spent "the joyous days of carnival". This probably makes the Nice Carnival the original carnival celebration. Today the event attracts over a million visitors to Nice every year. The Carnival spans a two-week period with the final day on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).

The 2014 theme was The King of Gastronomy this year's theme was

7 Things To Know Before Going To Trinidad Carnival

Read more on Tara Donaldson's advice about how to prepare yourself before you visit Trinidad Carnival. Its worth the read especially if its your first time to attend Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

Photo on the right by Carl Gabriel as part of his archive documenting the Trinidad and Tobago old style mas traditions.

Seychelles Carnival Ends with a Bang!

Click here or image to read full story

Singapore 43rd Chingay Parade

February 14th 2015

Boasted as the largest street performance and float parade in Asia, thousands of performers dressed in bright colors, and elaborately decorated floats passed through this year’s main venue at the F1 Pit Building.

The Chingay Parade originally began as a celebration of Lunar New Year, but over time the event has become more of a way to appreciate the cultural diversity that resides within Singapore.

This year’s street procession was themed “We love SG” to mark Singapore’s 50th anniversary as an independent country, and more performers and dancers turned out than ever before to celebrate the occasion.

Global Carnival Dates

The following global Carnival dates are based on information given to us or researched. Please contact organisors if you want to visit or participate in their carnival and confirm that the events are still taking place.

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Please note that most places in Europe and around the world that celebrate carnival with reference to religious dates will normally do the final carnival celebrations on the same dates. e.g. Brazil, Italy, Trinidad and Tobago. We are therefore giving you future dates as below:
2016 - Carnival date - February 9
2017 - Carnival date - February 28
2018 - Carnival date - February 13
2019 - Carnival date - March 5
2020 - Carnival date - February 25

National Carnival Commission Introduces TT Carnival

The National Carnival Commission in Trinidad and Tobago have made this video as an introduction to Trinidad Carnival. It gives a picture of what the TT Carnival is all about in traditions and culture. On the youtube comments there are a lot of positive comments but also negative ones especially on the music used to link the video. Considering Trinidad is full of highly talented artists and original music and instruments we do agree that local music should have been used. despite all that the video isa valueable asset for those interested in Trinidad carnival.

Above photo by Bandele Iyapo and on the right by Pax Nindi

The Pan Making Process
The Art of the Handmade Pan

Few people fully understand the time and craftsmanship that go into creating a steelpan instrument. Each steelpan is handmade using traditional methods which begin with a 55 gallon metal drum. There are several stages involved in this labour of love, each taking days or weeks to perfect.

1) SINKING - The top of the drum is stretched into the concave shape using a hammer to create enough space for the notes.

2) MARKING - Templates cut in the shape of the notes are placed on the stretched surface of the drum and outlined using a pencil, chalk etc.

3) COUNTER-SINKING - The area in between the note outlines is flattened using special tuning hammers.

4) GROOVING - Indentations are placed on the note outlines. The indentations or grooves are created using a nail punch struck by a hammer. This is to prevent the sound of one note from bleeding into another when the steel pan is being played.

5) CUTTING - The skirt (side) of the drum is measured and unwanted portions of the drum shell removed.

6) BURNING - The metal is tempered by rapidly heating and cooling the drum.

7) PROTECTIVE FINISH- A protective finish is added to the Steelpan to prevent it rusting and to make it more attractive.

Due to the level of skill and time involved in hand making these instruments, as well as the laid back pace of Caribbean life, a set of pans can take a significant amount of time to produce. Any delays or problems can almost grind production to a halt without warning, therefore patience is often needed. Although the finish product is without doubt worth the wait.

Why not experience this unique process for yourself, as well as engage in the vibrant Trinidadian culture that gave birth to the instrument.