Measuring Mas: A Metaphysical-Bakhtinian Perspective on the Trinidadian Carnivalesque

Abstract

Carnival is a space of play where you are at once earthly and divine. We are born to this culture, writing our narratives in song, dress, tradition and spirit. As Trinidadians, we embed our lives, our creativity, and our souls into this sacrament. And every year it blesses our people with inspiration, solace and liberation. The theoretical premise of this paper combines social constructivism and Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogism, heteroglossia, and chronotope to investigate aesthetic architecture within the Trinidadian carnivalesque (mas). A series of narrative interviews were conducted with Carnival band leader Valmiki Maharaj and visual artist Jackie Hinkson, gathering core meanings, intentions, and processes of creation attached to the Trinidadian brand of Carnival. This work highlights the aesthetic manifestations of reflection, creation, and connection as represented in murals, costuming, and carnival accoutrements, whilst acknowledging the cultural and historical frameworks that support these structures.