Antigua Carnival

Last updated
Antigua Carnival
Antigua Carnival logo.png
Antigua Carnival logo
Observed by Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda)
TypeCultural
Significancecelebration of emancipation
Celebrationsprocessions, music, dancing, and the use of masquerade
Datelate July through early August
2023 date27 July - 8 August
FrequencyAnnual
First time1957
Related to Caribbean Carnival, Carnival, Christmas, Emancipation, Calypso, Soca, Pan music, Zouk

The Antiguan Carnival is a celebration of emancipation from slavery, held annually on the island of Antigua. It is a thirteen-day festival of colorful costumes, beauty pageants, talent shows, and music. [1] [2] [3] The festival begins in late July and ends the first Tuesday in August, known as Carnival Tuesday. [1] [2] Both Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday are public holidays on the island. [1] Antiguan Carnival replaced the Old Time Christmas Festival in 1957, [2] [3] with hopes of inspiring tourism in Antigua and Barbuda. [1] Some elements of the Old Time Christmas Festival remain in the modern Carnival celebrations.

Contents

One of the biggest events of Antiguan Carnival is that of the j'ouvert (or juvé), in which brass and steel bands perform for much of the island's population, starting early in the morning. [1] [2] Other major events of Antiguan Carnival include the Party Monarch and Calypso Monarch competitions of Calypsonians, the Panorama steel band competition, the Parade of Bands, the Miss Antigua Pageant, and the Caribbean Queen's Competition. [2] [4] [5] The festival also includes numerous smaller festivities, such as local concerts, food fairs, parades, and cultural shows. [2]

History of Carnival

Emancipation

The history of Antigua's Carnival begins in the 1800s with the abolition of slavery. [6] On August 1, 1834, enslaved Africans were emancipated in Antigua and other British colonies, per the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. On that day, Antiguans took to the streets to celebrate their freedom and express their joy. [6] Antigua was the only British colony in the Caribbean where the enslaved population was freed unconditionally, as opposed to via indentured servitude. [7] Over the years there was a return to this informal celebration of emancipation. Antiguans celebrated August 1st with picnics, family reunions, and other small celebrations. [7] Today's Carnival is a formal, island-wide celebration of emancipation.

Christmas Festival

In the early-to-mid 1900s, before Carnival, Antigua's Old Time Christmas Festival was a popular and culturally significant annual festival. Traditions of the festival included both music and dance, especially related to masquerades and iron bands. Many other elements of the Old Time Christmas Festival are still seen in the modern Carnival today. For instance, the "highland fling" was a common Christmas Festival dance performed by people wearing Scottish kilts, masks made of wire and bearing whips of cowhide. [8] Dancers wearing banana leaves and animal horns took part in the "John Bull," [9] [10] while carolers paraded with long poles covered in lanterns (called "carol trees") [8] singing with accompaniment by the concertina. Stilt dancers in robes, called the Moko Jumbie, Jumpa-Ben or Long Ghosts, [10] were also common, and were accompanied by kettle and bass drums, fife, triangle (cling-a-ching) and the boompipe, made from a plumbing joint one meter long. The Old Time Christmas Festival took place annually until 1957, when it was replaced by the modern-day Carnival. [11]

1950s and inaugural Carnival

On June 3, 1953, a single-day carnival was organized as part of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation celebration. [11] Thousands of Antiguans celebrated with a parade, floats, and a children's carnival. [11] Due to the success of the festival, Antiguans lobbied having an annual summertime festival. [12] [11] Three years later, John Ferdie Shoul (chairman of the carnival) and Maurice Ambrose (builder and musician) worked together to create a plan for a Carnival that celebrated emancipation and served as a tourist attraction. [12] [11]

On August 1, 1957, Antigua celebrated its first official Carnival. [12] [11] Mr. Shoul secured Carnival Monday as a public holiday. [11] The festival included a parade with floats sponsored by local businesses. [11] The inaugural Carnival Queen show was held at the Deluxe Cinema, and Miss Gloria White was crowned Antigua's first Carnival queen. [12] [11] A Calypso competition was also held at the Deluxe Cinema, and the winner was Mighty Styler. [12] [11]

After the inaugural 1957 Carnival, the Carnival Committee was started by Hon Edmund Lake (Minister of Social Services). [12] John Ferdinand Shoul was elected as the first Carnival Committee Chairman. [12]

Musical origins

There are several different musical forms featured during Carnival. Calypso, the oldest, has its roots in slavery; a common explanation of its origins is that it began as a way for slaves, who were forbidden to speak in the fields, to communicate with each other. It is a polyglot, improvisational form that depends largely upon the skill of a soloist, (the calypsonian) who weaves the sounds of many cultures into a lyrical whole. Calypso competitions have long been a highlight of Carnival.

Steel drum music was created when the bamboo percussion instruments traditionally used to back up calypso were replaced by hammered steel pans cut from oil drums. Whereas there is no dispute that the steel pan was developed in Trinidad, the indigenous development of the steel band in Antigua and Barbuda was an outgrowth of the iron bands which were prominent at Christmas time. Steel drum music has been an important part of Carnival since that time, and Antigua is home to many of the Caribbean's finest steel bands. Soca is a musical form that grafts the slower beat of American soul music to the upbeat tempos of calypso. Soca began in the 1970s, and by the middle of the 1980s it had become an integral feature of Carnival.

Parades and mas'

Antigua's carnival has multiple parades and costumed events called mas', short for masquerade. [13] [14] [15] Historically, mas' in the Caribbean involved paraders dressed up in big, elaborate costumes depicting real-life figures of the past in order to tell stories of the past. [16] [17] Today there are many different types of mas' during the Carnival of Antigua and other Caribbean islands. [16] [17] [18] [19] Participating in the costumed parades is known as "playing mas'." [20] [21]

Opening Parade and Ceremony

Carnival Patrons on parade in Antigua Anucarnival2.JPG
Carnival Patrons on parade in Antigua

Antigua's carnival officially kicks off with an Opening Parade through the city of St. John's. [22] [23] Bands and troupes come out in T-shirts bearing the insignia of their respective companies. Parade floats, which were popular in the past, have begun to see a resurgence in their popularity. The participants of carnival competitions also appear in the parade.

The Opening Parade usually begins near Parliament Drive or Independence Avenue, [24] [25] and always concludes at "Carnival City" [24] [26] (the official title given to the Antigua Recreation Ground, or ARG, during the carnival season). [27] [28]

Following the parade the Opening Ceremony takes place in Carnival City. [29] During the ceremony, Carnival is declared as officially beginning. [29] Contestants for the various carnival competitions make a final public appearance before their shows. The ceremony usually finishes with fireworks.[ citation needed ]

Children's Carnival

While much of Antigua's Carnival is suited for adults only, an entire day has been designated for youths: the Children's Carnival, or Junior Carnival. [30] The Children's Carnival Parade (or Junior Carnival Parade) let's children participate in a carnival parade in a family-friendly environment. [30] [31] Children in the parade wear costumes portraying different themes taken from fairy tales, etc. Cheerleading has also become a part of the Junior Carnival Parade. The children march through the streets and finish the parade at Carnival City.

J'ouvert

J’ouvert is a Caribbean carnival celebration of ancestors as well as liberation, [32] a popular part of many Caribbean carnivals. On Antigua, J'ouvert is a celebration of freedom from slavery on the island. [29] [23]

The term j'ouvert comes from a French creole word jour ouvert, meaning "daybreak". [21] Patrons gather around 3:00 or 4:00 AM on Carnival Monday and meet in St. John's. [29] [33] There, they find their favorite bands ("jam bands") and follow them marching and dancing (i.e. "jam" with them) along the route. There is drinking, [23] painting of bodies with paint, mud, and pitch oil, [32] and people wearing colourful costumes. [23] The event usually concludes around 10:00 AM. [23] [29]

Carnival Monday and Tuesday

Antigua's Carnival festivities conclude on the first Monday and Tuesday in August, dubbed Carnival Monday and Tuesday. [29] Both Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday are official holidays. [27]

After J'ouvert on Monday morning, revelers come back into St. Johns in the afternoon for the Carnival Monday parade, where they enjoy music and costumed parading. Competitions also take place on Carnival Monday. [34] On Tuesday, all of the troupes, bands, and floats all come together in St. John's for a final parade. [29] The parade culminates at Carnival City. [29] During Carnival Monday and Tuesday, there takes place the judging of troupes and groups takes place. [29] Troupes are awarded prizes and the Road March king is decided upon.

Revellers on Carnival Tuesday. Anucarnival1.JPG
Revellers on Carnival Tuesday.

List of Antiguan Mas' Troupes and Groups:[ citation needed ]

Pageants

Mr & Miss Teenage Pageant

The Mr & Miss Teenage Pageant (formerly the Teenage Pageant, Teen Splash, and Teen Explosion) [35] is a highly anticipated show during carnival. Teens from different secondary schools around Antigua (specifically performing arts students) [29] compete against each other. The teens compete against each other in the following judged segments: Best Interview, Uniform Evolution, Cultural Personality, Best Introduction Speech, and Best performing Talent. [36]

One Mr Teenage and one Miss Teenage are crowned, although in the past, the competition has alternated between having two verses one winner.[ citation needed ] Additionally, the following awards are given: Most Helpful, Most Congenial, Most Photogenic, and Best Promotional Video. [36]

Queen of Carnival

The Queen of Carnival pageant, or "Queen Show", is one of two competitions that took place at the inaugural Antigua Carnival in 1957.[https://antiguacarnival.com/about/history ] Today, it is the most prestigious and coveted pageant title in Antigua and Barbuda. Women from all over the island take part in the competition that has propelled many into the public eye.

Contestants compete in the following judged segments: Interview, Swimwear, Talent, Carnival Costume, and Evening Wear. [37] [38] One Queen of Carnival is crowned. A first runner-up and a second runner-up are named. Additionally, the following awards are given: Miss Congenial, Most Photogenic, and Leadership. [37] [38]

Many additional opportunities can open for the winner, as the pageant is a platform to select a representative for other pageants, such as the Jaycees Caribbean Queen Show. [29]

Jaycees Caribbean Queen Show

The Jaycees Caribbean Queen show has taken place since the 1970s. Competitors from across the Caribbean region compete for the title of Jaycees Caribbean Queen. Contestants from islands such as Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, St. Croix, and Trinidad and Tobago enter every year. Antigua's representative in the competition is always the winner of Antigua's Queen of Carnival pageant just days before. [39] [40]

Contestants compete in the following judged segments: Interview, Swimwear, Talent, Modeling, and Evening Wear. [41] One Jaycees Caribbean Queen is crowned. A first runner-up and a second runner-up are named. Additionally, the following awards are given: Miss Congeniality, Most Photogenic, and Most True to the Theme. [41] Notable former Jaycees Caribbean Queens have been Kai Davis, Jermilla Kirwan, Shelana George, and Shermain Jeremy (all four of Antigua), as well as Princess Best (of Barbados).[ citation needed ]

The pageant is organized by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) of Antigua and Barbuda as of 2023, [41] and is sponsored by the Antigua Cruise Port (ACP) and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda as of 2024. [42]

Calypso and soca competitions

Calypso is central to Antigua's Carnival, and many Caribbean carnivals. [1] [43] Antigua's inaugural Carnival in 1957 featured a calypso competition. [1] Soca has gained popularity in Antigua and Barbuda, surpassing calypso. [23] Today, multiple calypso and soca competitions feature in Antigua's Carnival.

Calypso Monarch

The Calypso Monarch competition is a celebration and reflection of Antigua's African history and cultural heritage. [29] The calypso competition is one of the most popular shows of the Carnival season. It is also one of Antiguan Carnival's oldest competitions, as it took place as the inaugural Carnival in 1957. [1]

As of 2022, contestants compete in one of two categories: Bacchanal and Social Commentary. [44] [45] The competitors perform an original calypso song. Before 2022, one Calypso Monarch was crowned. [44] Since the format change in 2022, two winners are crowned: one for Bacchanal category and one for the Social Commentary category. [46] [44] Second and third place winners are declared as well.

Junior Calypso Monarch

The Junior Calypso (or Junior Calypso Monarch) competition seeks to keep the calypso art form alive in the nation's children. [47] The competition is divided into two segments: the 5 to 12 category and the 13 to 19 category. [48] Each child performs an original calypso song and is judged on criteria that include performance, lyrics, clarity, content and use of stage. [43] Two winners are crowned: one from each age category. [48] [49] Second and third place winners are declared for each age group, as well as an award for Most Creative. [48]

Junior Calypso winners have gone on to compete in regional competitions [50] as well as the Calypso Monarch Competition as an adult. Notable winners are: Lyrics Man, Thalia King, Lady Challenger, Young Destroyer, and A'Shante (A'Shante O'Keiffe).[ citation needed ]

Party Monarch

The Party Monarch show is a soca competition. It is the biggest and most well-attended show during Carnival.[FAQ] According to the Antigua Barbuda Festivals Commission, the show has attracted crowds as large as 16,000 people.[FAQs]

Ten competitors per segment compete for the title of Party Monarch. The competition is divided into two categories: "Groovy" soca and "Jumpy" (or Up-tempo) soca.[FAQ] [51] Contestants perform original soca songs. Two monarchs are crowned, one for each category. A first runner-up and a second runner-up are named in each category as well. [51]

The Party Monarch competitions are also the fastest growing competition and the soca artists are developing and growing in popularity. Some pundits say that Antigua's soca is swiftly surpassing that of Trinidad.[ citation needed ] Notable winners of the Party Monarch competition are: Claudette "CP" Peters (winning four times); Mervyn "Sleepy" Edwards (three times); and Toriano "Onyan" Edwards of the Burning Flames.[ citation needed ]

Junior Party Monarch

The Junior Part Monarch is a soca competition for youths. [29] It began in 2015. [52] It is divided into two categories: "Groovy" soca and "Jumpy" soca. [53] Each child sings one original soca song.[FAQ] Two winners are crowned: one in each category. [54] A first and second runner-up are named in each category, [55] and other awards may be given to contestants as well, such as Most Punctual. [53]

Panorama

Steel Pan and Steel Orchestras are a big deal in Antigua with several pan yards around the island. These Pan players come into groups of about one hundred (some more, some less) and perform at Antigua's official Steel Pan competition, Panorama.

Some of the Steel Bands that perform are:

Visit the Carnival website for the history of the Steel Orchestras:

Jam Bands

"Tizzy" leading her jam band El-A-Kru on Carnival Tuesday Tizzy.JPG
"Tizzy" leading her jam band El-A-Kru on Carnival Tuesday

Jam bands, as they are called, are a significant part of the Carnival festivities. They lead the crowd during parades and they provide the music with which to dance. Several bands in Antigua have risen to much acclaim regionally and internationally.

These bands play mostly Soca music during the carnival season and attract hundreds of patrons who follow behind them to Carnival City.

Unofficial Carnival events

During the Carnival season in Antigua there are many events that take place that are not planned by the official carnival organizing body (Carnival Development Committee). These, while not official, are a very important part of the carnival season for patrons.

Pre carnival events such Blue Jeans, White Fete and Red Eye are very popular parties that usually take place over the weekends of July leading up to carnival.

"Lions Den" hosted by the Lions Club Antigua is the quintessential carnival "jam". It is executed in the form of a big rave and draws crowds of thousands. Two of Antigua's biggest bands, the Burning Flames and the Red Hot Flames perform.

See also

Related Research Articles

Calypso is a style of Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles by the mid-20th century. Its rhythms can be traced back to West African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th century.

The music of Trinidad and Tobago is best known for its calypso music, soca music, chutney music, and steelpan. Calypso's internationally noted performances in the 1950s from native artists such as Lord Melody, Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow. The art form was most popularised at that time by Harry Belafonte. Along with folk songs and African- and Indian-based classical forms, cross-cultural interactions have produced other indigenous forms of music including soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and other derivative and fusion styles. There are also local communities which practice and experiment with international classical and pop music, often fusing them with local steelpan instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Dominica</span> Music of Dominica

The music of Dominica includes a variety of genres including all the popular genres of the world. Popular music is widespread, with a number of native Dominican performers gaining national fame in imported genres such as calypso, reggae, soca, kompa, zouk and rock and roll. Dominica's own popular music industry has created a form called bouyon, which combines elements from several styles and has achieved a wide fanbase in Dominica. Groups include WCK, Native musicians in various forms, such as reggae, kadans (Ophelia Marie, and calypso, have also become stars at home and abroad.

The music of the Lesser Antilles encompasses the music of this chain of small islands making up the eastern and southern portion of the West Indies. Lesser Antillean music is part of the broader category of Caribbean music; much of the folk and popular music is also a part of the Afro-American musical complex, being a mixture of African, European and indigenous American elements. The Lesser Antilles' musical cultures are largely based on the music of African slaves brought by European traders and colonizers. The African musical elements are a hybrid of instruments and styles from numerous West African tribes, while the European slaveholders added their own musics into the mix, as did immigrants from India. In many ways, the Lesser Antilles can be musically divided based on which nation colonized them.

J'ouvert or Jour ouvert is a traditional festival known as "break day" or the unofficial start of Carnival, which takes place on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. The festival, with origins in Trinidad, traditionally begins at 2 a.m. and continues until mid-morning on Monday. J'Ouvert revellers cover their bodies in coloured paints, mud, pitch oil, dress as blue or red devils to dance the streets as an expression of liberation from the constraints of the past and in celebration of the ancestors who have gone before them. Other neighbouring islands, and in areas where Caribbean people have immigrated, celebrate J'ouvert before the official start of Carnival Mas, where the more elaborate costumes are on display and danced through the city streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribana</span> Caribbean festival in Toronto

The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, formerly and affectionately 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, frequented by over 1.3 million tourists each year for the festival's Grand Parade and an overall attendance of 2.3 million.

The music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes thriving music scenes based on Big Drum, calypso, soca, steelpan and also reggae. String band music, quadrille, bélé music and traditional storytelling are also popular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Antigua and Barbuda</span> Musical traditions of Antigua and Barbuda

The music of Antigua and Barbuda is largely African in character, and has only felt a limited influence from European styles due to the population of Antigua and Barbuda descending mostly from West Africans who were made slaves by Europeans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad and Tobago Carnival</span> Annual event held in Trinidad and Tobago

The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an annual event held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago. This event is well known for participants' colorful costumes and exuberant celebrations. There are numerous cultural events such as "band launch fetes" running in the lead up to the street parade on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. It is said that if the islanders are not celebrating it, then they are preparing for it, while reminiscing about the past year's festival. Traditionally, the festival is associated with calypso music, with its origins formulated in the midst of hardship for enslaved West and Central Africans; however, recently Soca music has replaced calypso as the most celebrated type of music. Costumes, stick-fighting and limbo competitions are also important components of the festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mashramani</span> Annual festival in Guyana

Mashramani, often abbreviated to "Mash", is an annual festival that celebrates Guyana becoming a Republic in 1970.

The culture of Trinidad and Tobago reflects the influence of Indian-South Asian, African, Indigenous, European, Chinese, North American, Latino, and Arab cultures. The histories of Trinidad and Tobago are different. There are differences in the cultural influences which have shaped each island. Trinidad and Tobago is an English-speaking country with strong links to the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Indian Day Parade</span> Parade in New York City

The West Indian Day Parade Carnival is an annual celebration of West Indian culture, held annually on around the first Monday of September in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York City. It is organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA).

Shermain Sunja Jeremy is an Antiguan singer and beauty pageant titleholder, winner of the Miss Antigua and Barbuda Carnival Queen Show competition in 2002 and Jaycee's Caribbean queen show that year. In the Miss World 2004 pageant, she won the Miss World Talent competition.

Chanté mas and Lapo kabrit is a form of Carnival music of Dominica. It is performed by masquerading partygoers in a two-day parade, with a lead vocalist (chantwèl), who is followed by the responsorial chorus (lavwa), with drummers and dancers dancing backwards in front of the drummer on a tambou lélé. The Carnival has African and French roots and is otherwise known as Mas Dominik, the most original Carnival in the Caribbean.

El-A-Kru is an Antiguan soca band. The name derives from "Little Antigua Crew".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Antigua and Barbuda</span>

The traditions of West Africa and the United Kingdom have the biggest impact on the culture of Antigua and Barbuda. As a crucial component of its culture, Antigua and Barbuda also has its own creole language.

Sir MacLean Emanuel, better known as King Short Shirt, is an Antiguan singer, best known as one of Antigua's longest standing and most successful calypsonians, but later producing gospel music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudette Peters</span> Musical artist

Claudette Peters, OH is an Antiguan soca and soul singer-songwriter. Peters is best known as Antigua's "Soca Diva" and the Queen of Soca of Antigua and Barbuda was the lead vocalist for the Taxik Band. Claudette has multiple Jumpy and Groovy Party Monarch crowns in which she won from the annual Antigua Carnival's Party Monarch Competition to justify her claim to fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie McIntosh</span> Saint Vincentian musician

Franklyn McIntosh is a St Vincent-born pianist and arranger of calypso and soca music. He is recognized as one of the pioneer music arrangers who helped usher in the soca style of West Indian popular music in the 1970s and 1980s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History of Antigua's Carnival". Antigua's Carnival | Antigua Barbuda Festivals Commission. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Antigua's Carnival". Visit Antigua & Barbuda. 2018-09-17. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  3. 1 2 "8 of the best Caribbean carnivals". Travel. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  4. "Eight bands to battle in this year's 2023 panorama competition". Antigua News. 2023-07-17.
  5. "Antigua and Barbuda Gears Up for "Caribbean's Greatest Summer Festival"". Caribbean Journal. 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  6. 1 2 "Antigua's Carnival". Visit Antigua & Barbuda. 2018-09-17. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  7. 1 2 Manning, Frank E. (1978). "Carnival in Antigua (Caribbean Sea): An Indigenous Festival in a Tourist Economy". Anthropos. 73 (1/2): 191–204. ISSN   0257-9774.
  8. 1 2 Hernandez, Skye (1996-11-01). "Caribbean Christmas". Caribbean Beat Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  9. Nicholls, Robert W. (2009). "Running John Bull: The Provenance of a Masquerade in the Lesser Antilles". Folklore. 120 (2): 133–156. ISSN   0015-587X.
  10. 1 2 "Ole Time Christmas". cpoise.gov.ag. Antigua and Barbuda Department of Culture. 2023-12-12.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Antigua's Carnival". Antigua's Carnival | Antigua Barbuda Festivals Commission. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Antigua Carnival: Fun facts about 'the Caribbean's greatest summer festival'". Antigua Observer. 3 August 2023.
  13. "60 years of Carnival: How Antigua keeps tradition alive". 2017-08-06. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  14. Nicholls, Robert W. (2009). "Running John Bull: The Provenance of a Masquerade in the Lesser Antilles". Folklore. 120 (2): 133–156. ISSN   0015-587X.
  15. Manning, Frank E. (1978). "Carnival in Antigua (Caribbean Sea): An Indigenous Festival in a Tourist Economy". Anthropos. 73 (1/2): 191–204. ISSN   0257-9774.
  16. 1 2 Henry, Frances; Plaza, Dwaine (2019-12-30). Carnival Is Woman: Feminism and Performance in Caribbean Mas. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN   978-1-4968-2548-3.
  17. 1 2 "The Essence Of Mas: Traditional Carnival Characters That Tell The Stories Of Our Ancestors". Essence. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  18. Compass, Caribbean (2023-03-16). "Dirty Mas and Pretty Mas – Two Faces of Trinidad Carnival". Caribbean Compass. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  19. Aarons, John; Bastian, Jeannette A.; Griffin, Stanley Hazley (2022-06-12). Archiving Caribbean Identity: Records, Community, and Memory. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-000-59071-5.
  20. "8 of the best Caribbean carnivals". National Geographic: Travel. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  21. 1 2 Allsopp, Richard; Allsopp, Jeannette (2003). Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. University of the West Indies Press. ISBN   978-976-640-145-0.
  22. "Antigua Carnival: General Information". antiguacarnival.com. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Barzey, Ursula Petula (2019-04-23). "7 Things To Know About Antigua Carnival, The Caribbean's Greatest Summer Festival". Caribbean & Co. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  24. 1 2 "Official Parade Routes 2019". antiguacarnival.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  25. Byron, Anglina (2023-07-20). "EXCLUSIVE: Know official parade route for Antigua Carnival 2023". Associates Times a Caribbean News website. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  26. "Motorists told to make way for Carnival launch on Saturday". Antigua Observer. April 14, 2023.
  27. 1 2 "History of Antigua's Carnival". Antigua's Carnival | Antigua Barbuda Festivals Commission. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  28. Butters, Stephen (2022), "Landscape as Record: Archiving the Antigua Recreation Ground", Archiving Caribbean Identity, Routledge, doi:10.4324/9781003105299-7/landscape-record-stephen-butters, ISBN   978-1-003-10529-9 , retrieved 2024-05-10
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Frequently Asked Questions: What does a typical schedule for Antigua's Carnival look like?". Antigua's Carnival | Antigua Barbuda Festivals Commission. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  30. 1 2 "Frequently Asked Questions". antiguacarnival.com. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  31. "Frequently Asked Questions: Is Antigua's Carnival Children Friendly?". Antigua's Carnival | Antigua Barbuda Festivals Commission. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  32. 1 2 "J'ouvert hits the streets in Antigua and Barbuda, marking the last two days of carnival". Dominica News Online. August 7, 2023.
  33. "Antigua to celebrate Caribbean's greatest summer festival- Carnival 2024, event unveiled". Associates Times. May 10, 2024.
  34. "Antigua Begins 2013 Carnival". Caribbean Journal. 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  35. "Re-branded Again! Teen Splash, Teen Explosion now Mr and Ms Teenage Pageant". July 12, 2017. pp. Antigua News Room.
  36. 1 2 "Antigua's Carnival kicks off with Mr and Miss Teenage Pageant 2023 | Loop Caribbean News". Loop News. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  37. 1 2 "Antigua: Ischikelle Corbin crowned Queen of Carnival 2023". Loop Caribbean News. July 24, 2023.
  38. 1 2 Walker, Monica (28 July 2023). "Antigua Barbuda Carnival Queen 2023 1st runner up Jahkaydah Isaac pens down emotional note". WIC News.
  39. "Antigua and Barbuda wins Miss Jaycees 2023 Queen title | Loop Caribbean News". Loop News. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  40. Wong, Melissa (August 1, 2023). "Antigua and Barbuda wins Miss Jaycees 2023 Queen title". Loop Caribbean News.
  41. 1 2 3 "Antigua and Barbuda sweeps Jaycees Queen show: Ischikelle Corbin reigns supreme". August 2, 2024. pp. Antigua Observer.
  42. "Jaycees Queen Show 2024 returns after previous cancellation". April 24, 2024. pp. Antigua Observer.
  43. 1 2 "Caribbean voice: How calypso went from plantation to politics". BBC News . 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  44. 1 2 3 Antonio, Makeida (August 2, 2022). "Two competitions in one: Zacari and Tian crowned Calypso Monarchs under new format". Antigua Observer.
  45. Knight, Carlena (25 July 2022). "Calypsonians weigh in on change to Carnival competition format". Antigua Observer.
  46. Thomas, Latrishka (August 5, 2023). "Antigua Carnival: New Calypso King crowned, fulfills promise to dad". Loop Caribbean News.
  47. "[PRESS RELEASE] State Insurance Corporation Gives Full Support to Junior Calypso Competition". Antigua's Carnival | Antigua Barbuda Festivals Commission. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  48. 1 2 3 "Ruez Titre, Empress Buchaman crowned Junior Calypso Monarchs". Loop Caribbean News. July 31, 2023.
  49. "From climate change to youth violence: Junior calypsonians put issues of the day under the spotlight". Antigua Observer. August 1, 2023.
  50. "Junior calypso monarch to represent Antigua and Barbuda at regional competition". Antigua News Room. July 13, 2017.
  51. 1 2 Thomas, Latrishka (August 7, 2023). "Women win Groovy and Jumpy competitions at Antigua's Party Monarch". Loop Caribbean News.
  52. "ECAB Recommits to the Junior Party Monarch Competition". Antigua News Room. 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  53. 1 2 Thomas, Latrishka (August 4, 2023). "Newcomers shine at Junior Party Monarch contest". Antigua Observer.
  54. Thomas, Latrishka (August 4, 2023). "Newcomers claim Junior Party Monarch Crowns in Antigua". Loop Caribbean News. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  55. "[Press Release] 2019 ECAB Junior Party Monarch Competition Results". antiguacarnival.com. 2019. Retrieved 2024-05-12.