Dr Burke’s upcoming book takes on T&T Carnival from academic, political, and social perspectives, made up of essays from a range of diverse, expert voices
Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival is one of the more renowned carnivals in the world, and serves as a representation of the fusion of cultural influences from Europe, Asia, Africa, and of course, our indigenous population. However, understanding how Carnival works and what it takes to encourage its growth and sustainability is extremely important when it comes to the future of the festival.
In line with this, Dr Suzanne Burke, Head of DLCCS, has integrated writings from those in the Carnival industry into the collection, Memory, Politics and Performance in Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival Complex. The book seeks to build the scholarship of Carnival.
Edited by Dr Burke herself, this book includes presentations made from practitioners, academics, policy makers, and educators at the 2017 symposium, “Memory, Performance and Politics: The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Complex”, that was organised by the Cultural Studies section at UWI St Augustine.
The essays are organised around five thematic areas: Politics, State Policy and Governance, Politics and the Performance of Identity, Gender Performativity, Systems of Knowledge Creation and Dissemination, and Nostalgia and the Construction of Memory.
Dr Burke, in speaking on her upcoming work, stated that, “The more important thing that I want to underscore is the building of scholarship on Carnival from the region. Not other people writing about us, but us writing about ourselves.”
Opening up larger discussions in the society as to what Carnival means to everyone, and how it can be used as a mechanism of seeing and imagining ourselves differently are other important aspects of the book. Recognising policy issues that are necessary for creating the kind of environment that any festival needs to grow will also be addressed.
“I think these types of contributions add to discussions around Carnival that in the past have centred in a very specific disciplinary silo,” she said.
Beginning with a dedication by Marvin George, and an introduction by Dr Burke herself, the collection includes contributions that examine topics of gender performativity by female soca artists; calypso as a site of socio-political commentary; and the incorporation of resistance, integration, and commodification to the festival; and even speaks to how Carnival is taught in schools.
The collection of writings ends with a special think piece by Tony Hall entitled, “Mas as a Living Museum: an exploration of the work of Peter Minshall” which states that Carnival is “a very important mirror through which we can observe and reflect on this drama and our culture”.
Other contributors include Keith Nurse, Keron Niles, Leah Gordon, Joanne Briggs, Haroun and Laila Shah, Kai Barratt, Nikoli Attai, Kela Francis, Guy Massiah, Janelle Sanchez, Cevel Regis, Candace Hughes Bengochea, Jarula Wegner, and Dixie-Anne Banga.
Memory, Politics and Performance in Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival Complex will be launched in August 2024.
