Caribbean Beat — January/February 2017 (#143)

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“I never choose the mas” Tracy Sankar-Charleau, who explores the spiritual roots of folklore through mas performance, on being “chosen” by her characters — as told to Tracy Assing Every traditional mas character is alive. Every traditional mas person, whether they want to look at it that way or not, from moko jumbies straight down to a fancy sailor, they all have to deal in the spiritual aspect of it. You have a fancy sailor turn around and tell you, you can’t just do so and put on a costume and say you dance a dance like that — you have to be on a high. And, as I tell people, is not an alcohol high, it’s a whole different thing. Traditional mas has a level of spiritualism in it, and each character, each person, knows how to be. We take on that character, whether it be for an hour or for the whole day. This is not just jump in a costume and palance yuh backside. This is awakening something when you need it to do something for you. For me, really and truly, the La Diablesse was on a whole different level. I am the vessel and I have to do whatever it is she tell me to do. I’ve been playing mas for the last ten years with my mom. I started off with her. That didn’t happen until my thirties. I was doing photography work with her band, helping with her workshops. But then I became an individual performer — next year will make it four years. From there it just took off We are from an artistic family. My mom was a draughtswoman and also a seamstress. That was her job at home. We were always making something. Is she give us the courage to just start we own, so to speak. My sister, she does stuff with her, they are joined together. But I branched off on my own, because I decided to deal more with the folklore aspects of it, the spiritual aspect of it, and the part it plays within the whole persona of the mas. They do the Dame Lorraine. I play the Dame Lorraine, the fancy jab, the jab molassie, and in 2015 for the first time I brought out the La Diablesse. So in all it’s four characters I play. 2017 will make it five. I giving them my version of a burrokeet. This time I will be the one dancing the horse. I was bored with the Dame Lorraine. It’s a cool character. It’s my mother. I am a little more out there. I’m a little more brackish and a little more loud and outgoing. When my mother realised I 56 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM
maria nunes wanted to play the jab, and this was something I was pondering in my brain for years, she told me, “No, behave yourself. That ain’t for you. You sure you could blow fire?” Steups. Boy, nobody never teach me, I went and put kerosene in my mouth. It burn like hell! I do my own thing and after that it take off in less than a week. That was it. Second skin. I had a ball with it and then I realise I hadda make this my own. I get bored a lot. I am always trying to figure out, yeah, this very macabre way to fit with the traditional, but then sometimes you want to put a little twist onto it and you want to do something a little more refreshing. “I was bored with the Dame Lorraine. It’s my mother. I am a little more out there” WWW.CARIBBEAN-AIRLINES.COM 57
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January/February 2017 FREE take-hom
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Page 16 and 17: Contents No. 143 January/February 2
Page 19 and 20: January/February 2017 Cover A young
Page 22 and 23: CARIBBEAN AIRLINES AT 10 A decade o
Page 24 and 25: Powered by people As head of corpor
Page 27 and 28: datebook Your guide to Caribbean ev
Page 29 and 30: Crafted Richer. Aged Deeper. theeld
Page 31 and 32: St Barth Fun Cup St Jean Beach, Sai
Page 33 and 34: Holetown Festival St James, Barbado
Page 36 and 37: Illustration by James Hackett It’
Page 38: the look Wood for life Jamaican fur
Page 41: Blind cricket was first played in 1
Page 45 and 46: No Safeguards, by H. Nigel Thomas (
Page 47 and 48: Single Spotlight What Can We Do Aga
Page 49 and 50: immerse edison boodoosingh 49 Snaps
Page 51 and 52: Carnival is mine There are as many
Page 53 and 54: At twenty-five years old, Khari Cod
Page 56 and 57: Before sunrise In the darkness befo
Page 60: maria nunes I never choose the mas.
Page 63 and 64: “My Carnival no longer starts or
Page 65 and 66: ADVERTISEMENT
Page 67 and 68: Music in motion The steelpan is Tri
Page 69 and 70: Ad.pdf 1 12/7/16 12:13 PM SHIPPING
Page 71 and 72: Hayley Madden for The Poetry Societ
Page 73 and 74: months, this is not just a shutting
Page 75 and 76: Mrs Fanny Eaton (c.1859; chalk on p
Page 77 and 78: Fanny Eaton’s thick, kinky hair a
Page 79 and 80: ARRIVE PHB.cz (Richard Semik) / shu
Page 81 and 82: The serene bay at the fishing villa
Page 84 and 85: Under the water Altin Osmanaj / shu
Page 86 and 87: Martin Mecnarowski / shutterstock.c
Page 88: Fort King George is one of the best
Page 91 and 92: Streetscape French Creole influence
Page 93 and 94: ROUND TRIP T photography / Shutters
Page 96: MIC DAX Mindelo, Cape Verde Off the
Page 100 and 101: 98 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM Binche, B
Page 102 and 103: 100 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM Cape Tow
Page 104: gary yim / Shutterstock.com Oruro,
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LAYOVER Eric Baker / shutterstock.c
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THE DEAL Electric avenues Around th
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on this day The remains of the Dane
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puzzles Puzzle grid.pdf 1 11/15/16
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81% (2016 year-to-date: 7 December)
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737 onboard Entertainment — JANUA
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parting shot This old house One of
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Caribbean Beat — January/February 2017 (#143)

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