AFRICAN INFLUENCE IN TRINIDAD CARNIVAL

OUR AFRICAN HERITAGE

As a means of maintaining absolute control, the slave masters tried to destroy every aspect of African cultural, social and religious traditions, and impose a Eurocentric value system on the slaves. Everything African was perceived as being heathen, backward and evil. In spite of these attempts to destroy an entire culture, some aspects of African culture have survived. Today the African influence is still present in music, dance,

 food, religion, language, handicraft and place names in Trinidad and Tobago.

AFRICAN INFLUENCE IN TRINIDAD CARNIVAL

While it is generally known that the French brought Carnival celebrations to Trinidad when they came in the 18th century, there are certain aspects of Carnival that can be traced to Africa and some of its festivals there. For example, the Egungun festival of Nigeria is reminiscent of the revelry, pantomime, street parades, music and masking that are seen in Trinidad and Rio de Janeiro carnival. Africans portray masks in their ceremonies, dances and festivals. The moko jumbie (stilt walker) and devil portrayal, and even the hat worn by the midnight robber are similar to characters played during the Nigerian festival of Egungun.