The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, formerly and commonly known as Caribana, is a festival of Caribbean culture and traditions held each summer in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a pan-Caribbean Carnival event and has been billed as North America's largest Festival,Toronto Caribbean Carnival or Caribana frequented by over 1.3 million tourists each year for the festival's Grand Parade and an overall attendance of 2.3 million.
Beginning in July, the multi-week festivities lead up to the parade which occurs over the Simcoe Day long weekend, the first weekend in August. The festival also coincides with August 1 Emancipation Day observances that commemorate the emancipation of slaves of African descent. The main stakeholders of the events are the Toronto Mas' Bands Association, the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes, and the Ontario Steelpan Association.
Events Several events occur over the course of the festivities celebrating Caribbean culture. While the Parade of Bands is the most-well known festivities, events vary per year and in the past has included exhibits (for example the first Caribana displayed every book published by a Caribbean writer, including Austin Clarke who was the centrepiece of the exhibition); theatre plays (such as Austin Clarke's "Children of the Scheme" which dealt with the plight of Caribbean women who came to Canada on the domestic immigrant worker scheme); and fashion shows.
Grand Parade While the Caribbean Festival holds events over several weeks, the culmination of the Caribana event is the final weekend which is punctuated by the street Parade of Bands. This weekend traditionally coincides with the civic holiday in August. The street Parade of Bands consists of costumed dancers (called "Mas players") along with live Caribbean music being played from large speakers on the flat-bed of 18 wheeler trucks. Much of the music associated with the event, such as steel pan, soca and calypso. Floats can also be found which play chutney, dancehall and reggae music.
The bands are the most important part of the main Carnival parade. Each band displays an artistic theme through costume-making. In competition with one another during the parade, they pass a judging spot which will rate each band section for its costume design, the energy of masqueraders, the creativity of presentation and so on. Work on the costumes begin soon after the previous year's celebration and usually takes one full year to complete all of the costumes. As of 2017, Whitfield Belasco has led a band since his brother recruited him from the Trinidad Carnival to help organize the first Caribana in 1967. Louis Saldenah has actively participated in Caribana since 1977 and has been awarded the Band of the Year twenty times. A King and Queen of the Band is also judged, and winning is considered claiming the biggest prize of the festival.
In the 1970s, the parade route originally followed Bloor and Yonge Streets ending at Toronto City Hall concluding with a concert at Nathan Phillips Square. In the 1980s, the parade ran along Bay and University Avenue. Since 1991, when the parade shifted to Lake Shore Boulevard into Exhibition Place, In 1993, the Caribana Marketplace covered market was added at Marilyn Bell Park along the parade route. In 2009, barricades were introduced to separate the spectators from those playing mas.
In May 2010, the festival added a new initiative to involve post-secondary schools. The only college to participate was Centennial College School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture, where they created a costume theme of the Tropical Amazon. Centennial College returned in 2011 and participated in the King and Queen competition for the first time to have their costume judged which is 1ST in Carnival History and For Centennial College Hospitality students participated in the Grand Parade which was expanded to include the entire college to participate in bands.
Band of the Year winners Year Band Leader(s)202120202019Louis Saldenah20182017Louis Saldenah201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996 1995 The Art of Nature Kenney Combs 1994 Louis Saldenah 1993 The Golden Antilles Arnold Hughes 1992 The Architect Louis Saldenah 1991 Outa Dis World - Trinidad and Tobago Louis Saldenah 1990 Beyond the Darkness Louis Saldenah 1989 Fire On Ice Louis Saldenah 1988 Of Men and Gods Arnold Hughes and Associates 1987 Nations of the World Eddie Merchant 1986 The Treasures of Nursery Rhyme and Fairy Tales Eddie Merchant 1985 Flight into Fantasy Selwyn Davis and Whitfield Belasco 1984 Tribute to Sparrow and Kitchener Eddie Merchant 1983 Birds Evolution Eddie Merchant 1982 Night Out Louis Saldenah 1981 Power of the SKy Eddie Merchant 1980 Island in the Sun Louis Saldenah 1979 From the Caribbean with Love Russell Charter 1978 Birds of a Feather Raymond Lee 1977 Shangrila Louis Saldenah, Harold Saldenah, and Carlos Douglas 1976 Shaka's Dream Africa Nip Davis 1975 A Compendium of Games Noel Audain 1974 Festival of Fans/Noctural Emissions Nip Davis and Earnest Castello/Kenn Shah 1973 Modes of the Seasons Earnest Castello 1972 Tales of Utopia Earnest Castello 1971 Tout C'est Beau/Wonderful World of Colour Earnest Castello/Noel Audain 1970 Snow Kingdom Keith Sheppard, Joe Brown, Steve Dyal, Kenn Shah 1969 Splendor of the Dark Continent Clive Brand 1968 The Fantasy of the American Indians Clive Brand 1967 Flight Into Fantasy Alpha King, Whitfield Belasco, and Nip Davis
King and Queen Showcase The night before the grande parade, all the kings and queens (leaders) of the bands compete on stage at Lamport Stadium to be named King and Queen of Carnival. Joella Crichton has been awarded Queen of the Carnival nine times and was subject of "Becoming a Queen" a ninety-minute documentary which screened at the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival.
Queen of the Bands Year Queen Title Band Band Leader(s)2008Joella Crichton2007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995Danielle LeeLady of LifeSunrise and SunsetNip Davis and Courtney Doldron1994Natasha McCollinDance Ka Lay LayDancing in the StreetKen de Freitas1993Penney SutherlandAmazon QueenGolden AntillesArnold Hughes1992Venetia SaldenahPandora BoxThe ArchitectLouis Saldenah1991Ariene ParrisWave of Light and LifeKenne de Freitas199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973197219721971197019691968Yvonne Alexander1967Hyacinth Noreiga
King of the Bands Year King Title Band Band Leader(s)2008Ronald Alleyze2007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995Jason Connelle/Courtney DoldronA Mystical Bird/ChaosSo Nice So Sweet/Sunrise and SunsetKen de Freitas/Nipp Davis and Courtney Doldron1994Courtney DoldronXXXAbracadabraNip Davis and Courtney Doldron1993Rudy RampersadThe NebulaLight After DarkLouis Saldenah1992John Kam/Rudy RamparsadKing Solomon's Dream/Visions of the ArchitectBiblical and Mythical Dreams/The ArchitectDreams by Caribbean & Canadian Cultural Club (The 4 C's)/Louis Saldenah1991John KamNorthern ReflectionsRealms of LightArnold Hughes1990John KamHigh Priest of El DoradoPoetry in MotionArnold Hughes19891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973197219721971197019691968Francis Dennis
Calypso Monarch Started in 1980, this judged event crowns a Calypso Monarch for the year.
Caylpso Monarch winners Year Monarch1988John 'Jayson' Perez1987John 'Jayson' Perez1986John 'Jayson' Perez19851984John 'Jayson' Perez1983198219811980Lord Smokey
J'ouvert In addition to the main parade, the Caribbean community also celebrates a smaller pre-dawn parade known as J'ouvert (Pronounced "Jou-vay"). This too has been modelled after Trinidad Carnival. In Caribbean French-creole this means "day open" or morning. The J'ouvert portion of Carnival is the more rhythmic part of the Carnival celebration and is usually featured with steelpan bands, and persons using improvised musical instruments. It is not usually accompanied by any singing but will have a lot of whistles and other music makers. Spectators and or persons "playing Mas" will occasionally get themselves covered from head-to-toe with mud, flour, baby powder, or different water-colored paints in the tradition of the Caribbean-based J'ouvert celebrations. In many instances, everyone in the band is supposed to resemble evil spirits while parading around at night. There are some common characters that are a part of Afro-Caribbean folklore and include things like Red Devils (people covered in red paints), Blue Devils (people covered in blue paints), Green devils, Black devils ( Jab Jab -traditionally portrayed in the Island of Grenada), Yellow devils, White devils, (usually people throwing baby powder or flour.) or people just covered in other concoctions which are supposed to resemble mud or oil.
Other events Junior Carnival Parade: The junior carnival (commonly known as Kiddie Carnival) has run since, at least, the 1990s and provides an opportunity for young masquerades to dance through the streets. Similar to the grand parade, the junior carnival consists of a series of bands with leaders who display costumes in competition. Junior King and Queen Showcase: This was introduced in 2017 to allow the Younger kids to showcase Jr King and Queen's at Malvern Town Centre before the Jr Grand Parade & Family Day. Fêtes (parties): Leading up to the main parade a number of Caribbean music artists perform in Toronto. These parties are generally called "fêtes", for a French-Creole Caribbean word meaning "festival", and usually start in June/July. Jump-ups (dances) Picnics (Food Fest): Originally taking place on the Toronto Islands, the island picnics now occur at Ontario Place. Picnics are two days of feasting on rotis, jerk chicken and festival, callaloo, goat head soup, potato pudding, pelau, fried fish, cow foot, rum cakes; drinking sorrell, Mauby, and ginger beer; and dancing to music. Calypso tents (shows) Talk tents: Talk tents contain shows featuring storytellers, comedians and others well versed in oral traditions. Gala (Carnival Ball): The gala, debuted in 2008, is an evening of elegance celebrating Carnival music, arts, and the works of the pioneers of the Caribana festival. Pan blockos/blockorama (steel band street parties)
History
Origins
Caribana has run annually since 1967, first performed as a gift from Canada's Caribbean community, as a tribute to Canada's Centennial. Billing itself as a multicultural nation, the Canadian government invited ethno-cultural groups to contribute celebrations with representations of their ethnic diversity. Caribana emerged during a time when many Caribbean residents emigrated to Canada following immigration reform, internationally acclaimed singers were popularizing Caribbean music (for example Harry Belafonte sang to a sold-out crowd at the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto), Civil Rights Movement activities including the Canadian visits by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., and Muhammad Ali's fight against the Canadian heavyweight champion George Chuvalo.
Introduced by immigrants from the Caribbean, Caribana showcases multiple cultures and traditions from same heritage backgrounds coming together to celebrate their heritage ties (namely, Afro-Caribbeana persons of African descent born or living in a Caribbean nation). Caribana's roots has links to slavery and the struggle for emancipation, as well as post-colonial pan-Caribbean influence of the 1960s. Following the carnival format, particularly that of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Caribana's Caribbean influences include traditions from many of the islands: Jonkunnu in Jamaica, Crop Over in Barbados, and other similar festivals in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.