By Johnny Coomansingh
As part of the English-speaking Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Tobago the sister isle, lies 22 miles northeast of Trinidad. Trinidad and Tobago is the most southerly independent, democratic state in the Caribbean Sea just seven miles east of Venezuela. Between the British, French and Dutch, history records that 33 wars were fought for Tobago. Tobago eventually fell under British rule. Because of several colonial influences, the island inherited a unique blend of cultural ‘flavours’ on its cultural landscape.
Apart from its rich history, Tobago could also boast of its natural beauty. Established in 1776, it is on record that the island’s Main Ridge Forest Reserve is the oldest legally protected forest reserve in the world. Tobago’s Main Ridge is probably the last vestige of the Andean chain of mountains.
In the years 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, The World’s Travel Awards determined that the Main Ridge Forest Reserve was the ‘World’s Leading Eco-Tourism destination.’ Coupled with its historical and natural beauty offerings, Tobago is home to the delightful annual Heritage Festival. This festival was first staged in 1987 and is considered to be the main event in Tobago’s cultural calendar. What the pre-Lenten Carnival is for Trinidad is what the Heritage Festival is for Tobago.
According to Dr. J.D. Elder, “…the Tobago Heritage Festival aims at preserving the rich cultural legacy of the island.” The two-week festival involves the participation of several villages where each village presents what they do best, for example, presentations of songs and dances, the Ole Time Tobago Wedding in the village of Moriah, Folk Tales and Superstitions in Golden Lane and Les Coteaux, and the Salaka Feast and Invocation Dance.
During the festival, each village becomes a showcase, alive with song, dance, games and local cuisine. The Tobago Heritage Festival is possibly the primary event in Tobago that could assist in the education process in the school curriculum, tourists, and citizens in general. The tourism sector certainly stands to benefit economically from the activities of this event.
Although Trinidad and Tobago as a country, boasts that it is one of the most cosmopolitan countries of the world, in terms of ethnic demographics, Tobago does not follow the general rule. People of African descent make up the majority of inhabitants. Nevertheless, there is a growing population of South Asians, most of them business people, developers, grocery owners and hoteliers, taking root in Tobago.
During its early development, many of Tobago’s inhabitants, most of them descendants of enslaved Africans, came from other islands of the Caribbean, perhaps, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Barbados, bringing with them their cultural baggage, most importantly, their mentifacts.
Despite the fact that Trinidad and Tobago is united under one flag, Tobago has a style and culture of its own. The two islands have one commonality, they both celebrate a pre-Lenten carnival owing to the fact that the majority of the country’s inhabitants are Roman Catholics. However, the people of Tobago has shown that their mentifactual understandings are in many ways quite different to that of the people of Trinidad.
Wilbur Zelinsky in his book The Cultural Geography of the United States (1992) proffered the meaning of the term mentifacts in this statement:
“Mentifacts are basically cerebral, psychological, or attitudinal in character, and include religion, along with other ideological baggage, magic and superstition, language, music, dance, and other arts, funerary customs, folklore, the basic value system, and abstract concepts of all sorts. In a sense, the mentifactual is the innermost, least mutable ‘holiest,’ and most precious segment of the culture – the glue holding together the entire cultural mass and setting its tone and direction.”
It is true to admit that Tobago has a personality of its own, not copying anything from Trinidad. As a matter of fact, the people of Tobago appear to be a ‘proud’ people, a people with a mentality that is, for the most part, impenetrable. Tobagonians are a people concerned with their culture, and their way of life as they see it; not shifting to suit anyone else’s whims or fancies.
Perhaps it’s just a rumour, but it is believed that the people of Tobago do not really appreciate some people who were born and raised in Trinidad. And maybe they have the right to be thinking along these lines. According to many Trinidadians, this is probably so because as domestic tourists to Tobago, the some people who reside in Trinidad tend to flaunt their wealth, misbehave, and look down condescendingly on Tobagonians as lesser mortals.
This aspect of the psycho-social atmosphere existing between the two islands needs closer attention and intense research. Nevertheless, Tobago has a cornucopia of events, activities, and natural beauty in its showcase to harness a powerful tourism product, one of which is the Heritage Festival. Below is a little history and a peek into Tobago’s cultural menu.
In 1925, Samuel Callender, a Barbadian, started the Goat Race as entertainment for the lower or subservient classes. The popular Goat Race is normally held on a Tuesday. Why is the event staged on a Tuesday? Note that Easter weekend culminates on Tuesday, not Easter Monday.
The Goat Race is held on a Tuesday because the organizers and participants did not want such a race to coincide with horse races that took place on Easter Monday. Easter Monday horse racing was reserved for the upper-class folk. Goat racing in Tobago is a serious event. Organized by the Buccoo Goat Race Festival Committee (BGRFC), this exciting activity is a fixture in the Tobago calendar of annual events.
Champion goats are urged to press forward by jockeys who must run along with the tethered goats. The goat jockeys must train with their specially selected goats for up to two months before to event. Goats in the race will be disqualified if they outrun their ‘jockeys.’
In the celebration of Emancipation Day (August 01), Goat Races are also staged at Buccoo. The celebration which consists of an Emancipation Village, church services, street processions and a variety of entertainment, marks the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in 1838. Tobago goat races can be seen as a form of entertainment to evoke much fun. Nevertheless, there is more. Tobago also indulges in Crab Races.
Curried Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) and dumplings, referred to as the dish ‘Crab and Dumplin’ is not only relished by the people of Tobago but serves as a delicious meal normally sold each day to hundreds of tourists at Store Bay and other venues in Tobago. It is to be considered as one of Tobago’s indigenous foods.
Not only are crabs used in Tobago’s culinary preparations, but also perform as ‘race horses’ for the Crab Races, an event that people look forward to and really enjoy during Easter time. Crabs are attached to string held by the jockeys and urged forward with thin bamboo rods. Some races involve a straight course. In others, a large circle is drawn around jockeys and their race crabs.
First crab out wins with their owner pocketing the prize. The losing crabs are cooked, curried down for pride of place and served on a bed of dumplings. Goat and crab races are events held on land but there are other races.
Tobago has more to offer such as the Tobago Carnival Regatta and the Carib Great Race. After the power boat races, fetes, jam sessions and block-o-ramas are organized all over Tobago, but the Pigeon Point Beach Resort seems to be the location for the most important party.
Pigeon Point Beach is one of the famous beaches in Tobago. At this venue and other popular places in Tobago, an annual beach party is staged. These parties comprise what is known as the Great Fete Weekend. Local Disc Jockeys and dancehall stars feature at these parties from Trinidad and Tobago, and many other Caribbean islands. These parties sprung up as a spin-off from the annual power boat racing event.
At the Crown Point Beach Resort at Store Bay a Regatta Village is constructed to facilitate various events including parties, games and miscellaneous activities as part of the Tobago Carnival Regatta. Known as the Angostura Yachting World Regatta, Tobago prides itself in hosting this notable event in the Caribbean.
Starting out at Carenage, Trinidad, the annual Great Race ends at Store bay, Tobago, covering a distance of 85 miles. Held in early September, this powerboat race is the crème de la crème for boat racing between the two islands.
Notwithstanding all the excitement of all these races, this little island is also engaged in the celebration of a pre-Lenten Carnival. Just as is observed in Trinidad, Tobago celebrates the pre-Lenten carnival.
Calypso is the engine that drives the carnival while the steelpan bands interpret the music for the bacchanal. Not only are there pretty masqueraders (mas) and steelpan music, Tobago incorporates its own special blend of music consisting of Speech Bands, Jab Jab Mas (whip wielding devils), African drummers, and Bottle and Spoon bands.
In large part, this part of the revelry projects the reversal of roles. Men dressed as women and women dressed as men. Under darkness, many follow the tradition of taking a mud bath from head to toe. The night pot (posy) is the utensil of choice for drinking. Covered in mud, oil, molasses and whatever else, revelers may sometimes occupy the streets chipping to the music until noon.
On Carnival Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the pretty mas comes out in all its pageantry and splendor. One thing must be noted is that historically, almost all masqueraders were fully clad. Also, note that the carnival has been ‘overtaken’ by women. Thousands of bikini-clad women now take to the streets dressed in skimpy bikinis with just a few sequins and feathers covering the most private parts of their anatomy.
Weeks prior to the staging of the carnival, the island goes into high gear with competitions and cultural events involving calypsonians and steelpan panorama. Calypsonians compete with their songs to win handsome prizes and the coveted title of Calypso Monarch while the steelpan bands compete for a chance to win the title of Tobago Panorama Champions.
Seeing that Tobago is so rich in culture and reenactable history, Dr Jacob Delworth Elder, anthropologist, historian and former community development officer, developed the concept that Tobago could showcase to the world what Tobago has to offer in terms of its culture. For Elder, the basic pillar of heritage was that communities should empower themselves and depict an aspect of their cultural heritage, thus ensuring continuity and preservation.
Held over a two week period, the annual Heritage Festival aims to preserve the rich and unique blend of cultural flavours on the little island. Many consider the festival to be the main event in Tobago’s cultural agenda. This festival envelops the environment from mid-July to Emancipation Day (August 01). Dances, songs, skits, plays, Tobago cuisine and reenactments of historical aspects from which the island emerged, are presented by select villages all over the island during the two weeks.
Tourists visiting Tobago could really have an enjoyable time as they follow the cultural menu for popular presentations such as the Ole Time Tobago Wedding in the village of Moriah, Folk Tales and Superstitions in the villages of Golden Lane and Les Coteaux, Games We Used to Play, the Belmanna Riots, Salaka Feast and Invocation Dance and the Boat Blessing Ceremony in the village of Black Rock.
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