Emancipation, liberation and renewal are the arteries behind all Carnival celebrations, but Toronto’s 41 year-old Caribana has not only soca’d to the top spot as North America’s largest Caribbean festival, but has become one of the most flamboyant and bedazzling events worldwide.

Our multicultural population invigorates the original ideals of Carnival and has choreographed a pastiche of fetes, mas band competitions, culinary stops and musical performances to go alongside the highly anticipated parade that attracts over a million people.

Carnival bloomed in Trinidad to celebrate the 1834 abolition of slavery, a celebration drawing from many different social identities, including the French plantation owners, the island’s indigenous people, East Indian and Chinese labourers and European pilgrims. Instead of resulting in chaos, the culture clash evolved into a chutney soca, Jab Molassie and j’ouvert extravaganza.

“Caribana is not like the gay Pride Parade or the Santa Claus Parade, it is a revelry that has inspired Toronto to host street events every summer weekend,” says Charles Roach, civil rights lawyer and one of the founding memebers of Caribana.

Toronto’s ever-growing Caribbean festival has extended a hand to many other cultures in the GTA to further embrace diversity. The Caribbean-Canadian Carnival features the traditions of the cities of Jamaican, Brazilian, Guyanese, Bahamian and Cuban populations, among many others, to create a hybrid reggaeton-steelpan-roti fiesta.

“It’s an annual festival that brings together different cultures that are in the Caribbean community — French, English, West Indian — and areas like Guyana, Bermuda and all the islands in between,” says Roach. “It also brings together the different generations: first, second and third... It means quite a lot to these people and it impacts the entire city.”
With so much hip shaking, bum figure-eighting and flavourful cuisine, this tropical event, which features armies of shimmering dancers and rhythmic bands, could leave even the most dedicated veterans dazed and confused. Follow this guide to true Caribana zeitgeist to mitigate temporary blindness and sensory overload.

Roots to Rhythm
ROM, 100 Queen’s Park
To Aug 4
When Caribana first came to Toronto, coinciding with the World Expo Festival in Montreal, the federal government wanted the carnival to be an art-focused event. Over time, the festival moved away from this original concept, transforming into a giant celebration of diversity and heritage. Through the transition, art has continued to live on and this year’s participants are lucky to have the Royal Ontario Museum’s colourful Roots to Rhythm exhibit just a short dance away.

Ludacris at Caribana
CiRCA, 126 John. $20 Feat Baba Kahn, Ill Kidz, Kid Kut July 31
Fetes are the dance parties that feature a long night of soca dancing, too many rum-and-cokes and terrible hangovers leading up to a Carnival. This year, CiRCA is hosting a modern fete led by multi-­platinum rapper Ludacris. The nightclub promises to be pumpin’ R&B, hip-hop, top 40 and some original mash-ups long into the night.

Caribana King and Queen Show
Lamport Stadium, 1151 King W. $15-25. July 31, 7pm
An integral aspect of Caribana is fierce competition. This doesn’t mean contestants are ripping the feathers off of each other’s peacock costumes, however. Expect to see men and women feeding off each other’s excitement, shaking their booties around and playing rhythmic beats in the hope of being crowned this year’s King and Queen. This lively show has the mas bands facing each other with such passion, you are bound to be on your feet cheering on your favourite.

Kassav
Sound Academy, 11 Polson.
$45-55. July 31
Zouk music, which translates from Creole into “party” or “festival,” is a perfect example of diversity because the rhythmic sounds of this genre are derived from French, Haitian, African and English influences. This year, the Martinique and Guadeloupian group Kassav is lending a hand to partygoers by performing their zouk music and showing Toronto how Caribana is supposed to be celebrated.

Caribana Pan Alive
Lamport Stadium, 1151 King W. $15-25. Aug 1
Everyone knows that Caribana parties get hotter and the competitions get fiercer as the weekend progresses. Check out Pan Alive to hear the sounds of the steel pan, the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century, as the province’s best panists compete for the gold medal in the T&T music talent show.

Toronto Caribana Parade 2008
Starts at Exhibition Place and heads west on Lakeshore
Aug 2, 10am-6pm
Caribana is really all about the parade, which highlights the colours and sounds of the Caribbean. Masquerade bands will be parading their original music while their avian-like dancers party their way along in costumes inspired by everything from pirates to tropical sunrises. Make sure you bring water — this so-called parade is more of a street party than a stroll!

Island Soul
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Aug 1-4
Family is a crucial part of keeping Caribana alive. “It’s about transmitting culture,” says Greta Best, event manager of the Junior Carnival, in the current issue of Sway magazine. “We’re training the children for the future. After I’m gone or step aside, the young people will carry on.” As part of their World Routes festival, Harbourfront Centre has put together an all-in-one fest that showcases Caribbean arts, cuisine and an array of entertainment (including The Abyssinians — see interview page 27) that the whole family can enjoy.

11th Xclusv Carnival Class Affair
Atlantis Pavilions, 955 Lakeshore, $45-$60 Aug 2, 9:30pm
If you still have energy after the parade, you’ll want to head over to the Atlantis Pavilions for a sumptuous party that promises to please. Be sure to visit all five rooms, which will each feature different vibes, and catch the anticipated performance by Flow’s Starting from Scratch. Remember to pluck the neon feathers from your dress and put on your black tie, as dress code is in full effect.

Soca Rave
Palazzo, 99 Peelar Rd.
Aug 3, 8pm-7am
Every great festival must end on a glorious cadence, and Caribana will conclude with none other than an all-out Soca Rave. Pace yourself at this Caribbean soirée as the music won’t stop until 7am Monday morning, just in time to head to work. This all-out blast features performances by Shurwayne, Maximus, Hunter and Kerwin to name a few, as well as two sound stages and a reggae room for the laid-back soul.

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