Carnival Monday Night

It is Monday night and my head is heavy with a hangover. My feet feel like lead. My newly bald head is sunburnt. My mouth is dry from dehydration. Too many memories of gorgeous women fill the mind, so I'm a bit addled.

In other words, it's Carnival Monday night.

I actually got some sleep last night after skipping Lara, and getting to bed at 8:30, which was just enough sleep to get up for 2am at Jouvert with Section 8. That went on until about 9:00am, whereupon we collapsed into bed for a heavy, heavy nap. We got up a couple of hours later in time to go searching for our band -- Tribe -- only to find that when we were on Ariapita Avenue looking for them, they were on the stage at the Savannah (with some people looking for us.)

For the initiated, missing the stage on Monday is a little like missing the most important rehearsal for the most important performance of the year!

Instead, we made do with crossing the stage with a different band, Harts -- one in which I have several friends from prior years.

We eventually found the band just before lunch, and sat on the grass eating and catching some energy.

This all happened on top of a pretty daunting schedule (for a 39-year old anyway.) We went to a private function yesterday afternoon (Sunday) that we got to at 5pm, after getting lost someplace in Central Trinidad. We were late... and were the last to eat and the last to leave.

That itself came after the breakfast party in Diamond Vale, which started late after a 3am power cut. We didn't get there until 5:30am, which was late, but that didn't matter much. This party continues to be the best fete each year for me in Carnival, by far, and I didn't leave there until 12:00 pm. I can't say exactly what makes it so good, other than the usual elements: music, liquor, food, beauty, wining. I suspect that there is something primordial about jumping around to heavy bass music to usher in the dawn, and with all the sexaul energy in the air, it's pretty electric.

I find myself complaining this year about the lack of good music, however, and and notice that DJ's are playing a LOT of old music, which has never happened before in my experience. This is very different. It seems that the music needs to evolve to the next level, as each of the popular songs this year has its almost exact counterpart from last year in a song performed my the same artiste (or someone close to them in style.) It makes for a very repetitive feel.

I'm interested in what will happen next year, as I think artistes that make the creative jump and take a risk will be rewarded.

Tuesday starts with the band assembling at 7:00 so, I'll give in the body's need to refresh itself for another early start.

Snooze.