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The Carnival Is Over: A Reflection on the End of a Season of Joy, 2024

By Published February 16, 2024

Originally posted on the blog Sokah2Soca (www.sokah2soca.com). We bring you only the best new music, while Island Vbye Radio rocks it live on the air!!

 
Live, love, and be happy is a code that I aspire to achieve. That code, when one thinks about it, can be applied to the festive nature of Trinidad and Tobago's carnival culture. Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is a celebration of life, culture, and creativity. Our passion for life and love can be seen on our faces as we plan for fetes and major carnival events. It is a time when people of all backgrounds and walks of life come together to express themselves through music, dance, and masquerade. It is a time when the streets are filled with vibrant colors, infectious rhythms, and exuberant energy. It is a time when the spirit of the nation is at its highest. We embrace and accept everyone and invite everyone to play mas with us; it brings out the best in us, and we live a life of joy and share our love for all, and our happiness shines from our faces. But...
 
But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. And so, on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the Carnival season reaches its climax and conclusion. All frustrations are unburdened, and in that tropical sunshine, our joy for life explodes on the streets of Trinidad and Tobago. Then, as the day comes to an end and the sun sets on the final day of revelry, the masqueraders make their way back to their homes, leaving behind a trail of discarded costumes, broken bottles, and fading memories. The music stops, the crowds disperse, and the silence settles in.
 
This is the moment that Lord Kitchener, the Grand Master of Calypso, captures in his poignant song, "The Carnival Is Over." In this song, he laments the end of the festivities and the return to the mundane realities of everyday life. The sadness creeps in as many "chip" their way from the masquerade bands and return to their homes. We will go back to complaining that the radio stations don't play enough Soca and Calypso and that the culture slowly dies for the rest of the year until King Carnival breathes life into the cultural fire once again. 
 
The Carnival Is Over is a song that resonates with many Trinidadians and Tobagonians, as well as anyone who has ever participated in or witnessed the spectacle of Carnival. It captures the mixed emotions that accompany the end of a season of joy. It is a song that reminds us of the beauty and fragility of life and the importance of cherishing every moment of happiness that we have. Even though the song signals that the carnival is over, it is a song that inspires us to look forward to the next carnival and to keep the spirit of carnival alive in our hearts throughout the year.
 
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Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: The Carnival is Over 
Artists/Performed by: Lord Kitchener
Written by: Aldwyn Roberts aka Lord Kitchener
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Genre: Calypso
 
Please be advised that the music is presented here for your listening pleasure and for promotional purposes only ("Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976). No copyright infringement is intended! We don't own the rights to this music; it is presented here for promotional use only. We encourage you to promote the artists and their music; please don't download and share them and rob the artists of needed income! I, nor this blog, make any claims of ownership over any of the videos, songs, photos, or graphics used for this post because they all belong to their respective owners.
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