The Dominica Carnival season is celebrated each year and is usually starts in February and end in March. The culture of Dominica is built by the inhabitants of the of Dominica and is home to a wide range of people. Although the island was historically occupied by several native tribes, including the Kalinago people.
The island of Dominica is often seen as a society that is migrating from collectivism to that of individualism, and its economy is a developing one that previously depended on agriculture. It is said that the signs of communism are evident in the small towns and villages that are scattered across the Commonwealth of Dominica.
As history will show, when Christopher Columbus passed by the island he did give Dominica its name but left no other settlers on the island. It would be years before English and French settlers came to the island. These two European superpowers fought relentlessly for the island, and their cultures each took hold. However, African slaves have also left an indelible mark on the island.
French influences include the island’s native language, which is Creole, food, and many location names. The British government on the island, and the powers of government, as well as the official language, are distinctly theirs. Africans also influenced Creole and food, as well as the distinctive local style of dress.
Chanté mas (masquerade song) and Lapo kabwit is a form of Carnival music of Dominica. It is performed by masquerading partygoers in a two-day parade. In our modern times, the local tradition has been taken over today by electrical musical instruments.
The Carnival has African and French roots and is otherwise known as Mas Dominik, the Caribbean most original Carnival. The carnival claims to be the most innovative and least commercialized giving the festival its name the original mas of then all.
The season is dominated by imported calypso and steel pan music in the early 1960s. After a fire in 1963, the traditional carnival was banned, though calypso and steelpan continued to grow in popularity. Calypso appealed to Carnival lovers because the lyrical focus on local news and gossip was similar to that of chanté mas, in the olden days despite a rhythmic pattern and instrumentation that contrast sharply with traditional Dominican Mas Domnik music.
Though the traditional Chanté mas and Lapo kabrit declined in popularity due to imported calypso and steel pan music, several villages on Dominica, such as Grand Bay, has preserved the unique Dominican tradition. On modern Dominica, Chanté mas and Lapo kabrit have become a part of bouyon music.
Each year, Dominicans celebrate the Catholic Carnival, a festival held for three days before Ash Wednesday. Due to the country’s French heritage, a majority of citizens are Catholic, but many non-Catholics also celebrate Carnival. Activities include the Calypso Monarch Competition, Carnival Queen Pageant, and Carnival parades and parties.
In this year’s Dominica Carnival calypso season well on the way. The only newcomer with the twelve calypsonians who avoided this year’s calypso elimination the Irish Kid. He is a multiple-time winner of the Junior Monarch title. The eleven competitors going into the next round are the veterans Hunter, Vigilante, Triumph, Intruder, Webb, Mask Eruption, Soul Pusses from the village of Marigot home of King Karessah (David Riviere), 2009 Karessah, 2010 Karessah, and 2017. They will fight to dethrone De Bobb the 2018 Calypso King Monarch. The other competitors are the Healer, Black Diamond, and Danyan. The reserves are Son of Saint, Derose and Mighty Omee.
The Dominica Calypso competition started on Saturday 5th January 2019 with the Elimination Round with over forty calypsonians.
The Grand finale will take place on Saturday 2nd March, but on Saturday 16th February will be the Semifinal Round. About twelve veterans some of whom are pass kings will be in the Semifinals. The full list is, Danyan, Jaydee, De Healer, The Hunter, Irish Kid, Tronada, Black Diamond, Lugarz, Dice, Shadow Flow, De Webb, Jamma B, Observer, Intruder, Checker, Tasha P, Karessah, Sye, Checko, and Scrunter. Take a look at the list.
If you live outside of Dominica there is a chance to watch the show live.