Canboulay riots

The annual Carnival in Trinidad dates back to the 1780s, when an influx of immigrants from the French West Indies emigrated to Trinidad in response to the Cédula de Población.{{Cite book |last=Chaitram |first=Samantha S. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IrzoDwAAQBAJ&dq=immigration+trinidad+french+spanish&pg=PA18 |title=American Foreign Policy in the English-speaking Caribbean: From the Eighteenth to the Twenty-first Century |date=2020-06-01 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-030-45986-4 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Brereton |first=Bridget |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Icr9Klvm6wC&dq=immigration+trinidad+C%C3%A9dula+de+Population&pg=PA8 |title=Race Relations in Colonial Trinidad 1870-1900 |date=2002-06-06 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-52313-4 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Sherwood |first=Marika |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nhUCcdRtbJUC&dq=1783+french+planters+free+people+of+colour&pg=PA2 |title=Origins of Pan-Africanism: Henry Sylvester Williams, Africa, and the African Diaspora |date=2012-07-26 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-89113-7 |language=en}} These immigrants included French planters and 'free coloureds' (free people of mixed race),{{cite web |date=15 December 2014 |title="Mama Dis is Mas" |url=https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211235544/https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival |archive-date=11 February 2017 |access-date=1 September 2019 |publisher=National Library and Information System Authority}}{{Cite book |last=Allahar |first=Anton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tZ3SDwAAQBAJ |title=Diasporic Identity: Myth, Culture, and the Politics of Home: A Special Issue of identity |date=2002-03-01 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-1-135-58781-9 |language=en}} as well as enslaved Africans. During the Carnival seasons, white planters staged elaborate masquerade balls and other celebrations after Christmas as a "farewell to the flesh" before the season of Lent. Enslaved Africans and 'free coloureds' were forbidden by law to participate in Carnival celebrations such as street festivities. Africans are said to have staged their own mini-carnivals, but using their own rituals and folklore{{cite web |date=15 December 2014 |title="Mama Dis is Mas" |url=https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211235544/https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival |archive-date=11 February 2017 |access-date=1 September 2019 |publisher=National Library and Information System Authority}} and imitating or mocking their masters' masquerade balls.{{Cite journal |last=Alleyne-Dettmers |first=Patricia Tamara |date=1995 |title=Political Dramas in the Jour Ouvert Parade in Trinidad Carnaval |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25613310 |journal=Caribbean Studies |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=326–338 |jstor=25613310 |issn=0008-6533}}{{Cite web |date=2021-02-15 |title=Jouvert: Carnival high times, from Trinidad to the diaspora |url=https://pan-african-music.com/en/jouvert-in-the-diaspora/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=PAM - Pan African Music |language=en-US}}

Traditions were introduced to Trinidad by enslaved Africans during the 18th century. These include the calinda, a form of martial art involving stick-fighting.{{Cite book |last=Winer |first=Lise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_n82hsbDJBMC |title=Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles |date=2009-01-16 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-7607-0 |language=en}} The calinda is likely of African origin, and is accompanied by music and dancing.{{Cite book |last=Hogan |first=Patrick Colm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=at2J6LMfrkEC |title=Colonialism and Cultural Identity: Crises of Tradition in the Anglophone Literatures of India, Africa, and the Caribbean |date=2000-01-27 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-4460-3 |language=en}} Enslaved Africans also celebrated night-time harvest festival characterized by drums, singing, calinda dancing, chanting, and stick-fighting.{{Cite book |last=Cowley |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHFOemkETacC&dq=%C2%A0j'ouvert+canboulay&pg=PA229 |title=Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso: Traditions in the Making |date=1998 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-65389-3 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=October 2022 |title=J'ouvert: Genesis Immersive Experience (booklet) |url=https://citylore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/JGIE-BOOKLET-TO-CITY-LORE-AUGUST-11-2023.pdf |website=City Lore}}{{Cite journal |last=La Rose |first=Michael |date=2019 |title="The City Could Burn Down, We Jammin' Still!": The History and Tradition of Cultural Resistance in the Art, Music, Masquerade and Politics of the Caribbean Carnival: Caribbean Quarterly |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00086495.2019.1682348 |journal=Caribbean Quarterly |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=491–512 |doi=10.1080/00086495.2019.1682348|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite book |last=Riggio |first=Milla Cozart |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAmCAgAAQBAJ&dq=j'ouvert+jouvay&pg=PA288 |title=Carnival: Culture in Action – The Trinidad Experience |date=2004-10-14 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-48780-6 |language=en}} The term "Canboulay" comes from the French cannes broullee, meaning "burnt cane". The name may refer to the putting out of cane fires,{{Cite web |title=Canboulay's freedom cry rings out on 50th Black Power anniversary {{!}} Loop Trinidad & Tobago |url=https://tt.loopnews.com/content/canboulays-freedom-cry-rings-out-50th-black-power-anniversary |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Loop News |language=en}}{{Cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Victor Witter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SeBZ7HDV8zIC&dq=cannes+brulee&pg=PA300 |title=The Anthropology of Experience |last2=Bruner |first2=Edward M. |date=1986 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-01249-5 |language=en}} the pre-harvest cane burning for pest control,{{Cite book |last=Riggio |first=Milla Cozart |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAmCAgAAQBAJ&dq=j'ouvert+jouvay&pg=PA288 |title=Carnival: Culture in Action – The Trinidad Experience |date=2004-10-14 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-48780-6 |language=en}} or the burning of cane as an act of sabotage{{Cite journal |last=Thomas |first=Cathy |date=2021 |title=Black Femme Rising: Cosplay and Playing Mas as New Narratives of Transgression |url=https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1333520 |journal=American Journal of Play |language=en |volume=13 |pages=320–355 |issn=1938-0399}} during the time of slavery. Cane harvesting was a labor-intensive process, involving forced marches of slaved Enslaved Africans from neighboring plantations in order to more efficiently harvest the cane.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

Trinidad was captured by the British in 1797. In 1833, the British government passed the Slavery Abolition Act, with Emancipation taking effect 1 August 1834.{{Cite web |title=The West Indian colonies and emancipation |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/parliament-and-empire/parliament-and-the-american-colonies-before-1765/the-west-indian-colonies-and-emancipation/ |website=UK Parliament}}{{Cite web |last=Hamilton-Davis |first=Ryan |date=2024-04-19 |title=Trinidad and Tobago to celebrate African Emancipation Day on August 1 |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2024/04/19/trinidad-and-tobago-to-celebrate-african-emancipation-day-on-august-1/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}} After Emancipation, freed Africans first celebrated their freedom on 1 August the anniversary of their emancipation, and soon began celebrating emancipation during the Carnival season. As part of this transformation, they started carrying burning sugarcane or cannes brulees (French for "burnt cane"){{Cite journal |last=La Rose |first=Michael |date=2019 |title="The City Could Burn Down, We Jammin' Still!": The History and Tradition of Cultural Resistance in the Art, Music, Masquerade and Politics of the Caribbean Carnival: Caribbean Quarterly |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00086495.2019.1682348 |journal=Caribbean Quarterly |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=491–512 |doi=10.1080/00086495.2019.1682348|url-access=subscription }}—in celebration of Canboulay. The carnival soon featured dancing by men and women in masks. The people would also gather in kaiso tents where a "chantwell" (or lead singer){{Cite book |last=Winer |first=Lise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_n82hsbDJBMC&q=chantwell |title=Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles |date=2009-01-16 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-7607-0 |language=en}} would lead them in song to vent their feelings. Kaiso music has its origins in West Africa and was brought over by the enslaved Africans who (in the early history of the art form) used it to sing about their masters.{{Cite web |last=Ramm |first=Benjamin |title=The subversive power of calypso music |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20171010-the-surprising-politics-of-calypso |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=The Dawn of Calypso |url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-dawn-of-calypso/uAWRguvb_PRR7g |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Google Arts & Culture |language=en}} Verbal confrontations sometimes started in song duels between the chantwells, they often worsened to physical violence.{{Cite book |last=Mason |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e13fDWVHxZwC&q=violent |title=Bacchanal!: The Carnival Culture of Trinidad |date=1998 |publisher=Temple University Press |isbn=978-1-56639-663-9 |language=en}} Carnival was often marred by clashes between groups of revellers carrying sticks and lighted torches.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

The British colonial authorities disapproved of Canboulay because of its bacchanalian overtones, but the festival was popular with the majority of the population on the island. {{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} In the 1850s, colonial authorities attempted to ban or control Canboulay several times. In the early 1880s, Captain Arthur Baker became the head of Trinidad's police force. He was determined to end Canboulay, which he perceived as a threat to public order. In 1880, Baker used a 1868 ordinance to stop Canboulay celebrations, by requiring revelers to surrender their torches and drums.

In 1881, colonial police attempted prevent Canboulay festivities from taking place in Port of Spain. Special paramilitary police were drafted in from England to help with this operation. Canboulay revelers in Port of Spain, however, banded together in rebellion. A violent struggle took place between the police forces and the Canboulay band members and stickfighters. The violence of the Canboulay Riots resulted in many injuries, as well as fatalities. Governor Sir Sanford Freeling confined police to barracks in order to calm down the situation.

Freeling was recalled as governor in 1883, and Baker again sought to suppress Canboulay in 1884—this time in the southern cities of San Fernando and Princes Town. In Princes Town, the masqueraders attacked the police station after magistrate Hobson decided to confine the police to barracks because the crowd was too large.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} After Hobson was felled with a stone, the police opened fire on the rioters killing a youth and seriously wounding two others causing the crowd to flee.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} There were also serious clashes between police and rioters in San Fernando during Carnival, with the police eventually being able to suppress the riots and restore order.{{cite web |last1=Anthony |first1=Michael |title=1881-4: Canboulay Riots |url=https://libcom.org/article/1881-4-canboulay-riots}}

In 1884, the colonial government passed the Peace Preservation Act, in an attempt to prevent violence breaking out during the Carnival. The Act prohibited public carrying of torches, drumming, blowing horns, and stick-fighting (or the assembly of ten or more people with sticks).{{Cite web |date=30 January 1884 |title=Submits Ordinance No. 1 of 1884: Peace Preservation. To empower the Governor to prohibit the public carrying of lighted torches at the Carnival, and for the preservation of the peace. Proclamation approved. |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10744614 |website=UK National Archives}} It also established the official start of Carnival as 6:00 A.M. (the Monday before Lent).{{Cite web |title=Immigration and the Political Economy of Home |url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=kt5w102068&chunk.id=ss2.07&toc.id=fm03&brand=ucpress |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=publishing.cdlib.org}}{{Cite book |last=Onyebadi |first=Uche |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vkNxEAAAQBAJ&q=Sunday+midnight+to+6:00+a.m.+Monday |title=Political Messaging in Music and Entertainment Spaces across the Globe. Volume 1. |date=2022-09-06 |publisher=Vernon Press |isbn=978-1-64889-471-8 |language=en}}

The Canboulay Riots are an important part of Trinidad's history. The riots are commemorated annually via a Canboulay reenactment which marks the start of Carnival.{{Cite web |last=Bartlett |first=Joey |date=2024-02-09 |title=Canboulay re-enactment thrills audience |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2024/02/09/canboulay-re-enactment-thrills-audience/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=9 February 2024 |title=Pictured: Kambule re-enactment heralds start of T&T Carnival 2024 {{!}} Loop Trinidad & Tobago |url=https://tt.loopnews.com/content/pictured-kambule-re-enactment-heralds-start-tt-carnival-2024 |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Loop News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-02-06 |title=Canboulay Reenactment At Picadilly |url=https://www.tv6tnt.com/news/7pmnews/canboulay-reenactment-at-picadilly/article_fcfd362a-54a4-5977-857f-5bd71df667d2.html |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Caribbean Communications Network |language=en}} The reenactment is sometimes held in the summer, as well, during the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta).{{Cite web |last=Philip |first=Dexter |date=2019-08-24 |title=Canboulay riots reenactment at Carifesta XIV |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/multimedia/photos/canboulay-riots-reenactment-at-carifesta-xiv/collection_69601b78-c6af-11e9-a9d2-b72c985622cd.html |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en}}

Many new musical instruments were created as a result of the prohibitions of riots and the Peace Preservation Act. The tamboo bamboo was introduced in the 1890s as a substitute for the drums and sticks.{{Cite web |last=Atherton |first=Avah |date=February 12, 2024 |title=Tamboo Bamboo: The Rebellious Sound of Music in Trinidad |url=https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/art-of-rebellion-tamboo-bamboo-trinidad |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage |language=en-US}} Tamboo bamboo bands were formed, consisting of multiple different instruments, each cut from bamboo: boom, foulé, cutter, and chandler. The boom serves as the bass instrument, is usually about five feet long, and is played by stamping it on the ground. The foulé is a higher-pitched instrument, providing the tenor pitch. It consists of two pieces of bamboo, each about a foot long, and is played by striking these pieces end to end. The cutter is the highest- pitched instrument in the ensemble, providing the soprano pitch. It is made from a thinner piece of bamboo (of varying length) and is struck with a stick. The chandler provides the alto sound, and is slightly larger than the cutter. These four types of instruments combined to beat out rhythms that accompanied the chantwells.{{Cite web |title=Picture of a Tamboo Bamboo Band |url=http://www.seetobago.org/trinidad/pan/ref/pictobo2.htm |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=www.seetobago.org}} The bottle-and-spoon joined drums as percussion instruments.{{Cite web |last=Sadoff |first=Allie |date=2022-05-27 |title=Basics of Steelpan: Instruments of the Engine Room |url=https://pan-mag.com/basics-of-steelpan-instruments-of-the-engine-room/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=PAN Magazine |language=en-US}} Tamboo bamboo bands were a staple of carnival celebrations for many years, but were gradually replaced by the steel band.{{Cite web |title=Steel Band from Trinidad and Tobago · Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection · Grinnell College Libraries |url=https://omeka-s.grinnell.edu/s/MusicalInstruments/page/steel#:~:text=In%201937,%20the%20vogue%20for,and%20odd%20scraps%20of%20iron. |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=omeka-s.grinnell.edu}}{{Cite news |date=2017-05-11 |title=BBC Music Day: What on earth is Tamboo Bamboo? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39873095 |access-date=2024-06-01 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} In the 1930s, steel pans became widely used, and remain an integral part of Carnival music contests, such as Panorama.{{Cite web |last=Trotman |first=Gary |date=2023-07-30 |title=Trinidad Panorama Steel Band Competition A Complete History |url=https://steelband.co.uk/trinidad-panorama-steel-band-competition-a-complete-history/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Steelasophical Steel Band DJ |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Official |first=Megan Gill-TAL |date=2024-02-02 |title=The Largest Steel Pan Competition in the World: Trinidad PANorama |url=https://www.theatreartlife.com/music-sound/panorama-steel-pan-competition/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=TheatreArtLife |language=en-US}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.triniview.com/articles/canboulay.html 1984 article by Michael Anthony on the Canboulay Riot]
• {{cite book | author=Anthony, Michael | author-link=Michael Anthony (author) | title=Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago | publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc. Lanham, Md., and London | year=2001 |isbn=0-8108-3173-2}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205658/http://www.brianwongwon.com/history.html Article by Brian Wong on the history of Carnival including the Canboulay riots]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040620162308/http://www.carnavalsf.com/dudley3.html Excerpt from Professor Shannon Dudley's Carnival Music in Trinidad]}}

Category:1881 riots

Category:1884 riots

Category:February 1881

Category:February 1884

Category:Riots and civil disorder in Trinidad and Tobago