Carnival

Carnival

So you ready for carnival? Well, yuh cyaa head dong di road & not know all di carnival chat so for those of you new at di carnival ting here is a lil' lesson for yuh on carnival chat.

Bacchanal.....Scandal, heavy quarreling, big party, confusion (named after Bacchus, the God Wine.)

Band.....A group of Carnival masqueraders with costumes designed on a related theme. A band can have 4,000-7,000 people divided into 25 or more sections, each with it's own theme and several music trucks. Each band has a huge King and Queen costume. Carnival Tuesday will see about 20 large bands go across the savannah stage and parade in the streets in competition.

Band Launching...... A Launch party to introduce the band and its costumes to the public.

Cahneevaal..... (Carnival) "Farewell to the Flesh" A pre-Lenten festival started by Catholics to get in one last party before giving up wine, women and song for 40 days during Lent. Preparations and partying in Trinidad start in January and build up to Jouvay (Monday) and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) ending at midnite just before Ash Wednesday in mid-February. Costume bands in street Carnival, steelband competitions, Calypso contests, parties, dances and Kiddie Carnival all come together for Carnival. Rio and New Orleans carnivals are bigger and better known, Trinidad's is best.

Calypso..... A musical and lyrical comment on any subject, usually composed for, but not limited to, the Carnival season.

Dimarsh Gra..... (Dimarche Gras) The major show on Carnival Sunday night. Eight King and eight Queen of the bands costumes (some 30 feet tall) compete on stage at Queen's Park Savannah to be named King and Queen of Carnival. The eight top singers compete to be crowned the Calypso Monarch.

Dingolay.....to dance in a joyful, carefree manner.

Fete..... A party, loud music, lots to eat and drink, dancing to wee hours of the morning.

Horn.....What you receive when your significant other is seeing someone else behind your back.

Horner man/woman.....the man/ woman your significant other is horning you with.

Jab Jab..... A type of Carnival devil costume; jabs people with his fork and demands money from passersby.

Joo-vay.....(Jouvay, Jour Ouvert, J'Ouvert)...... "Opening of Day" in French, Carnival Mas beginning before dawn on Carnival Monday wearing costumes of mud, old clothes (Ole Mas), devil costumes or satirical themes.

Jumbie.....Spirit, ghost.

Las' Lap (Last Lap)..... Last minute street partying on Carnival Tuesday which goes until midnite when Ash Wednesday begins. The very last of Carnival.

Lime.....to hang out in a casual atmosphere, loafing e.g. "I feeling to lime." pre-arranged activity(hangin out)

Mass.....(Mas) Carnival costumes, or playing mas, street revelry in carnival costume.

Mas Camp ......A venue where the mas costumes for the bands are constructed.

Moco Jumbie..... Stilt dancers, an African tradition carried over to Trini carnival Their costumes represent jumbies, or spirits, of African mythology, in Haiti the word jumbie was corrupted to zombie.

Mud Band..... A J'Ouvert mas where band members cover their bodies in mud from head to toe.

Pan.....Steel band, invented in Trinidad in the 1930's, melodic percussion instruments made out of oil drums. One hundred piece steel orchestras compete playing classical, soca, pop during Carnival.

Road March..... Kind of Trinidad's song of the year, or best song of Carnival. As the costume bands cross the stage in the Queen's Park Savannah, the song that most bands dance to is declared Road March for the year, and wins a large cash prize.

Soca.....Soul-Calypso, the modern version of calypso music. Hardcore political satire, scandals, sexual double entendre and comedy, wrapped up in dance music with an African beat and heavy baseline.

Vibes it Up.....To keep in good spirits.

Wine/Wining .... The style of dancing to Soca, Calypso and Chutney... circular movement of the waist or Trini term for rolling your waist line- looks very sexual.