Carnival in Grenada a Trinidadian Perspective with Harmony

*Carnival & Coastlines with Harmony Farrell | Nutmeg Nation*  
Carnival is heart, heritage, and home. This week on Nutmeg Nation, *Harmony Farrell* joins me to talk mas, music, and what Carnival really means in Grenada — and how it connects to Tobago too.  

We also chat beaches 🏝️ From the white sands of *Grand Anse, Grenada* to the calm waters of *Pigeon Point, Tobago* — the islands, the culture, and the vibes.  

If you love Carnival, Caribbean culture, and island life, press play.  

Nutmeg Nation is not producing new content at this time. The focus has been on Diva Tonight Podcast! If you're looking for a new show Diva Tonight is it. We are focusing on women in their 40s and sharing experiences for women of all ages. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Hi, I'm Carlene, and this is not Magnation. I have with me a fellow Caribbean. She's from Trinidad and Tobago. She lives there. I found you on social media looking on Instagram and I saw your video on Carnival in Grenada. And it was very interesting. You gave like a great review. And I was like, let me follow her and see if she would be a guest on the show. So thank you, Harmony. Thanks for being Yeah. Yeah. So, Harmony Farrell, you are a, I guess you call it content creator, an influencer. And you also have a nine to five, but your background is in theater. So tell me a little bit about theater. Like, you know, what got you into that?

SPEAKER_02 0:55

I think since I was a little girl, I always knew that I wanted to be a star of some sort. I don't exactly remember how I got into a performing arts. Well, I mean, I do because um I know you were saying before that you also used to dance. So I started dance at five, at five years old, and then I still dance up until now. Definitely not as frequently as I used to before, but I spent my entire school life in very rigorous dance training. I started off my theatre career in musicals, and then I went to university in England to study theatre and creative writing. But my focus has always been more on the academic side of theatre. In as much as I like being a performer, I never wanted to necessarily be a performer by profession, just because I'm not a very competitive person. I don't like the industry, I don't like having to fight and perform for my supper. So yeah, I I then went into theatre education and now I'm in marketing where I be doing a lot of theater, but for social media, if that makes sense. But what being in theater exposed me a lot to is culture and cultural studies in a sense, uh, which informs quite a lot of my content, a lot of my perspective, a lot of my writing when I do get to write, everything that I do links back in some way to culture. And a lot of it has to do with that kind of bridging between traditional culture and contemporary culture, and just that really rich knowledge of things about our culture that the average person wouldn't know all comes from my background in theater. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Yeah. And even uh some of your videos, like you keep reinforcing how to how the trudin Trinidadian way is. You know what I mean? I think I've seen some of your references where it's like, no, it's not this. It's that, you know, like I think a lot of mistakes are made in the Caribbean or just assumptions, like a stereotype is what you call it, right? But linking back to everything you said in the arts and marketing. So I guess as a digital, like as a content, do you consider yourself a content creator? Like for the amount of things that you do, right? And so they are linked to each other, right? But so tell me about, I mean, this is back in August, right? Carnival has long passed, but getting back to that, right? It feels like yesterday. Okay, great. So what made you decide to go down to Grenada in the first place?

SPEAKER_02 3:33

I always, I've always, always wanted to go to Grenada's carnival. My best friend is from St. Lucia. I met her in England, and when we were there, we started kind of carnival hopping. We started off with Berlin Carnival because we were in England already. I went to St. Lucia Carnival with her, and then I've been kind of wanting to make my way up the islands. But Grenada's Carnival is so distinct. Those images of jab just always felt like they were calling me by my name. I just felt like I need to be there, aside from the fact that my family has roots in Kairiku. So, you know, it's a kind of going back home in a sense and in three to come as. But it just all seemed different. Like it seemed raw in a in a sort of way, and it really did feel like that when I was there. The experience was unparalleled, like it was unlike anything that I've ever experienced anywhere else. And you know, being from Trinidad, the the mecca of Carnival or the Mecca of contemporary commercialized carnival, but somebody who really appreciates and and I aim to find spaces in our commercialized carnival where I can get that connection with the root and the connection with the soul of it. And I've been lucky enough to find that in Trinidad, but I just feel like if you go to a place where it you don't have to necessarily look for it, it just is, I think that's really beautiful. So I had it on my bucket list for a long time. I've been wanting to go to Grenadiers Carnival every year. We would plan and plan and we'd start a group chat, and then the plan doesn't make it out of the group chat, and then the tickets are sold out uh or the tickets get too expensive or whatever. And it was just by complete luck, like I wasn't even gonna make it last year. It was by complete luck that I ended up there, and it was just it, it was literally like a dream come true. I I have a photo on my vision, well, on my older vision board, because I've had to update it now. But I had a photo of some girls on a rainy Juve morning in there covered in black, wearing the job helmet, walking through St. George's in the rain. I had that photo in my vision board, and I used to visualize it like myself and my girlfriends heading to well, I mean, you know, finishing up job. So it really literally was like a dream come true to be there for me.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Hearing you talk about the jab, jab, I think they've really transformed the culture, like the whole I watched a documentary on like some preview of it. So they're actually making it so popular with that. And I think it's gaining a lot of interest for sure. And hearing you talk about the fact that it was on your vision board. So eventually it was gonna happen. And it was amazing. I think you kind of with your social media presence, I think you've made Grenada highlight in terms of like this is something that you know you want to do in that sense. So I think it's amazing that you're able to experience it. Like, so for you, would you go back again? Definitely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

And when I was there, people kept asking me, would you come back? Of course. Um, I absolutely, definitely 1000% would go back. And you know, just the hospitality that I experienced there as well. Uh, it it was one of my most and I was there for a long time because of the flight situation. When I say a long time, longer than people normally would go for canball. I was there for a good few days after, enough days before that I got to really see and experience the country as well. So it just felt like I belonged. Uh there's I can't think of any reason why I would not go back. And I mean, we're talking about job, but even um the pretty matter for me was also excellent. It was I mean, it was tough tier. A lot of it has to do with like the topography of the island itself. The weather is a different story. But um because I mean it happens in August, it's a rainy season, right? It rained every day, it rained on the road.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

It rained every day. That's new. Well, you know what? I think this year, Grenada's had more floods than they normally have. Like, even a couple months ago, my aunt sent me a video with like another flood. I'm like, what is going on? Because that's not the norm. And and we can say maybe it might be global warming having to do something with that, but it's really not supposed to like rainy season is now in Grenada, like from December and January, not August. So the fact that you got a lot of rain was maybe not the norm. Like you get a little rain, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:20

Yeah, I think the rainy season, doesn't it start in like June and come up to like January-ish?

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Historically, yes. That's what they say. Like, I mean, her when you when you talk about rainy season, they say even hurricane season is from June up till November, from what I've read.

SPEAKER_02 8:40

So hurricane barrel was not too long before Grenada's carnival as well. Right, right. A little bit concerned about that too.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Yeah, I mean, that was a a serious category hurricane, like a category three, that's not the norm either. So the fact that Caracou's been hit with that, you know, and you said you have family in Caracou.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

So from, oh, from sorry, let's emphasize every at least from what I've I've found out, everyone who almost everyone from my family who's from there now live abroad. Right. So they still have some, they still maintain some strong level of connection there. So we've done like some family reunions going across the Kairiku. I I haven't been because I'm a little young. Um yeah, that's that's that's where my grandparents and my great grandparents are from when they came over to Trinidad from Kairou. So wow.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Oh, Zamou. Yes, yes. Yeah, I left Grenada when I was young. I was six when I left, and I'm from Grand Aunt's and my grandmother's house still there right by the beach. She has like, yeah, I I always say she has the best view because you literally see the beach from her house, um, which is beautiful. But from your experience, because Trinidad is the Mecca of Carnival, like even I haven't gotten to experience. I've been to Tobago and I spent a day in Trinidad. And I do, it's on my list too of places to go back and experience it because Trinidad is on another level when it comes to Carnival. Like you guys plan ahead. Like, even from when you go to the airport, like I was just like, well, if there's nothing else, like this is it. Because like even down to like sitting in the airport, like I was waiting because I had an overnight flight when I went down there. And I'm like, wow, they are like they're serious about Carnival. Like, you know, for me. Like, I mean, as someone who lives in Canada, like carnival is a thing here in Canada. A lot of brings a lot of tourism in, but we don't advertise it like the way you guys do. Like, this is your baby, it feels like when you're sitting in the airport, there's video mannequins in costume, like you know, yeah, yeah. I guess it's different for you because you live there.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Yeah, I and I I think because I'm so deeply involved with culture, you know, there's always room for improvement with the airport. I do think they they do a a pretty good job and they've been improving year by year with how we have carnival on display for people arriving into the airport. But I mean, that being said, Caribbean Airlines did a really amazing activation. As I touched down in Grenada, as I came out of arrivals, like I have a story with it on Instagram. There's a job in my face. Their guys and still see Moko Jambis, they're like characters and they're like somebody covered in old oil from head to toe telling me, Welcome to Grenada. I just like this is it, this is it. This is where I'm supposed to be right now. It was fantastic. Um, I think a lot of the corporate entities uh and there was a steel band as well, but I was stuck in in security. So I heard the steel band from inside. But yeah, I think the corporate entities across the islands are really doing a better job at making that a holistic experience, literally from off the plane for the foreigners when they for anybody, you know, coming into the carnival to really feel it.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Right. I haven't been in so long. So for me, my favorite thing when I went years ago, this is like over a decade, was Monday Night Mass. I love that. I was like, this is unreal. Like the lights and I mean the costumes are not pretty mass or like day carnival. And it's more, it's simple, right? But it's more about like the the trucks. What do you call it? I keep forgetting the name, but not really emphasis on the masqueraders, but more on the lights and that kind of vibe and the music, right? So just hearing you talk about your experience from a landing at the airport and feeling so welcome. That's that's an improvement in itself.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

I mean, I think it's interesting because a lot of Trinidadians seem to feel like we we have um we have ownership and authority and all things kind of all. So there are places in Trinidad that we have Monday Monday night mass, but it is nothing compared to what is happening in Grenada. I was and the thing is going there, I knew that the pace was at a different level. Like when I was planning with friends years in advance, months in advance, I'm like, you know, you had to you had to rest up, you had a time because it's space. When you go to Grenada, it's space. I hear it's party after party, but experiencing it, I said no, this could never complete real life. It could be gosh, yeah. Because I mean, Trinity can do that as well. But the thing is, we have a bit more mellow of a party culture, I would say. Grenadians will be so we will go fet after fet, but we we chilling, you know, we'll have our arguments and whatever. Grenadians are going all out full energy in all of these events, including Monday night mask. I was just dumbfounded. I was at a loss for this. I was like, why do all these people have so much energy still? Like, I thought at least it would be, you know, a little a slower pace. There was no stopping, and I heard that there's even Wednesday, like mass after the Monday and Tuesday. Like people commented on my video and they were like, Oh, you didn't go mass on Wednesday. I said, Oh, you're crazy. That madness, mass on Wednesday.

SPEAKER_01 14:37

Yeah, so you know why? I find I know someone from Guave, and she from the time she got down there, I was like, What? I talked to her on the phone like this was years ago, and she was like already starting. I was like, wait a minute, but you already just got down there, you know what I mean? So it's just crazy the events that happened.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

You're listening to Nutmeg Nation. Listen, learn, and be a part of Grenada.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

It sounds like you did a little bit of everything, though. Like, what were your favorite events like that you went to?

SPEAKER_02 15:09

Um, so I actually am not a huge fetter. Um for the majority of the events, I was not really by myself, but I was my own crew. So I was rolling with uh the C4 vibe vibe mask um people. So there are people there who I knew, but I'm not acquainted enough to say, well, I will I'll be my regular fetting self. Like a lot of it, I was just kind of up to the boat ride, rumboats, which are again is um c4 events that was on Carnival Sunday. That was amazing. That was so much fun. So I'll probably have to say, yeah, rumboats was my and I I not even remembering some of the things it felt like a blind remembering somebody, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um and it did you do King and Queen show? No, oh I did um I did uh mono. Tokamona. Oh incredibly interesting. Again, it the rain was insane, it was crazy. Uh what is happening? Oh my gosh. People were rooting, uh root. Wow, I have I just remembered I have a Sokamona video editor that I never posted. Maybe I'll post it sometime soon. But yeah, that was really interesting. Uh again, comparing it to Trinidad's culture, where of course we had Sokamonach. Some we don't have it anymore, but Sokamonach was a huge thing for us, you know, many years ago, and now it's not. And just seeing how pivotal it is for people there, like people from all walks of life, people from the communities are uh supporting their artists so hard, you know, the the level of production and creativity, any performances, all of that, that people will literally run out in the rain to to check on their artists. It was really interesting as well. So I think those were two highlight moments for me, events. Right.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

So for those who don't know what Ahsoka Monarch is, can you elaborate for just anyone that's like, what's Ahsoka Monarch?

SPEAKER_02 17:13

So Ahsoka Monarch is the competition, the major competition for soca artists. So they are buying for the prize of soccer monarch 2024, 2025, or whatever it is. So they will reign as the monarch for that year. So the finals, the finals of the soccer monarch is what the big attraction is, where everybody comes and does their live performance on stage. So these performances usually have some sort of dramatic introduction that will go with the theme of the performance, and then followed by the artists performing their song live. They'll have dancers, they'll have props, they'll have sets, stuff like that. What I found really interesting was the integration of the um multimedia. There was some really high quality, more or less like short films that were introducing people's performances. And you can look them up on on YouTube. One that I was really impressed with was um, and I think he won as well. An artist called Dash. Um his song was is called The Tape. Oh, okay. Yeah, his little short film is on YouTube, but just seeing the talents went into it was just crazy. So Tokamonark is still very important on the carnival Friday for Grenadian people. And what I learned is that a lot of these artists get majority of their support from their own community, so whatever community they're from will like send busloads of people down there to back them and and whatnot. So it's yeah, stadium environment, light crowd, just vibes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Yeah, yeah, great vibes for sure. You know what? I think because we're talking about Grenada, I think it's important for you to also talk about Trinidad because it is the Mecca of Carnival. And, you know, a lot of people go down for Carnival in February, you know what I mean? And and as someone who lives in the country now, I do have to ask you a question though. Two things. One, tell me about Carnival in Trinidad. Why do you think it's such a popular event in in comparison to other islands in the Caribbean? What brings so many people to Trinidad every year? I mean, it's coming up. Like we're in January in no time, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

So honestly, so there are a few practical factors and a few cultural factors that I think give um Trinidad's carnival its precedence. One of them would definitely have to be our cultural makeup. So, unlike a lot of the countries in the in the Caribbean, Trinidad is extremely diverse. So we all have some degree of diversity, but ours is just like on a different level. So everything that belongs to our culture, our food, our language is all, as we call a Kalaloo, just mixed up, mixed up, mixed up. So I think all those very strong different cultural influences just give us a very powerful, really, really powerful product. In addition to the fact that the very practical fact that Trinidad and Tobago is an oil-producing country. So our revenue, the standard of living, our class structure, things like that, I think are just conducive to a product, to the commercialization of a product to the level that it has been able to reach. So we are not a tourist destination. We tourism forms a, I don't want to say negligible, but a pretty small part of our revenue and our economy. But over time, I think just having and in addition to you know our population size being one of the so I I would I would safely say among the smaller islands who have French influence, because of course the French influence is what we kind of credit that that connection to Carnival with. We probably have the largest population, which is you know makes sense why we have the greatest show on us. But Trinidad's carnival is also an experience like no other. It's it's getting really interesting. The whole carnival industry is getting really interesting now because as um Trinidad influences the other islands and not just the islands, you know, the diaspora as well. A lot of the carnivals are starting to feel the same, but the size, the just the size, the proportion, the scale of what the magnitude of what we do down here, and the fact that the entire country is kind of pivoted or kind of centered around it, just makes it. really, really different. It's it's something that you you you just can't explain. I think a lot of revenue has been gotten out of it. So a lot of money is put into it, which just makes it this all inclusive, all-encompassing product that people really look look forward to to coming to Trinidad for. So I mean Carnival is my life. People ask me if I'm playing mass, I can't picture Carnival happening in Port of Spain and I am not there in a costume. Like something will have to be gravely wrong. And yeah it's it's similar to Grenada. It's not for the faint of heart. It's it's a different kind of paste as well. But very much about the aesthetics and the pretty and you know just playing yourself.

SPEAKER_01 22:43

Playing your your your true self I would say then yeah that is definitely a very detailed description of it. Like you know your stuff harmony. I'm impressed like I guess as someone who's been living there like you grew up in Trinidad and I guess as they say you are a Trini to the boon in a you know and so I feel like it's a cultural mecca like it's in your blood it's part of who you are and a lot of people celebrate Carnival and to you is carnival what does carnival mean to you is it is a is it a cultural thing like you feel like you're representing Trinidad and Tobago when you play mass like you know um so trin Trini's honestly because we are so self-contained we are notoriously just not really conscious of anything that happens outside of Trinidad so we I don't think we're often very conscious of being Trini.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

Like there are moments for Carnival that make me feel like wow this is unique there's no other place on it that I could you know just make friends with with this person and never see them again on the road and just that feeling of bliss and whatnot. So for me it's it's really more about me. It's about that feeling of a complete uninhibition just absolute freedom and aside from just the experience on the road the anticipation of carnival is a massive thing for me as well. So from the time January New Year's Day like I just finished exercising and my my I find it very difficult to work out when it's not the carnival season but preparing for carnival the workouts hit completely differently have all the motivation in the world it's all the preparation of figuring out what your Monday wear looks like um what shoes you're gonna be wearing you look what events you're going to like just the the preparation and always having something to look forward to just excites me so much. Like I just feel I wake up and feel happy every single day in the canvas season because um you just know you're anticipating the road the days coming close to I I literally get anxious I'm like oh my god what if something happens to me and I will be able to play mass like I don't even have nightmares generally but my one recurring nightmare is that I miss mass like Monday reaches and there's something I can't find it banned like whenever I'm really stressed I have these dreams and it just goes to show you know how pivotal that that is for me. Wow feel like that like it's not just it's not just put on a costume and go and pose like this is a it's a spiritual kind of experience is something that's very evocative um and I I I can't compare it to anything else new I cannot imagine who I would be or what life would be for me if I did not know that feeling of carnival wow I feel like it's it's all about the preparation all about the lead up to getting there and this year when is carnival in Trinidad?

SPEAKER_01 25:52

It's on the third and fourth of March. So we have a long oh okay okay this time it's in oh yeah in March yeah it's usually is it ever in February? Why did I think that yeah yeah it is so it follows the um the liturgical calendar so whenever that will always be the Monday and Tuesday right before oh okay yeah so um season is really short um sometimes it's like as early as like the 14th of February yeah we just have a long season this yeah oh definitely and I think it's it's all the parties like I mean there's a lot happening it's not just like in Grenada it's a week I believe you know it's you know the lead up to it obviously I I know they lead up to Carnival as well starting in May and I didn't realize how much goes on with it because like once you try to connect with artists and stuff they're already busy with preparation shows coming up and just the whole atmosphere of it. So I guess it's kind of the same way the fact that you're already starting to work out for Carnival and you're something like oh God slap yeah I was just so busy with and it really changed me.

SPEAKER_02 27:03

Like that was a legitimate reason for me leaving my job. I said this is the first time in my life that December has met me and I haven't been able to go to the gym for carnival yet and I there I I just don't feel comfortable with any job consuming my life so much because carnival is it's so important to me and I think it's really symbolic. So anything that is keeping me back from my carnival prep I think is keeping me back too much.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

So I'm literally leaving my job to go to oh my gosh are we airing this part or are we taking it out?

SPEAKER_02 27:34

Yeah no sure I mean that that's you know that's just part of the reason but it just goes to show you it's a ritual part of my life and you know what anything so much that I I won't be able to enjoy something that's too important to me and and prepare you know I don't want to go out on the road and feel as though I'm I'm I I I I didn't really be do your thing.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

Yeah I know because some people have called in sick so I think there's something to be said about work life balance you know because it's either you work to live or live to work but you want to be able to do the things that you enjoy too that's the whole part of it.

SPEAKER_02 28:11

And so if your work is taking over your personal life and you can't really enjoy it that's really the hard part too if the work stop in the line I love it I love it it's good it's good girl the work time yes yes so one more thing did you already choose your costume you already know for sure for sure for sure for sure I'm with the band tribe on I'm on their committee we started registration from I think August last year I chose my costume I was there at the band launch I went into the showroom the day it opened so it was my costume I have it as my wallpaper on my phone.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

That's awesome it's exciting you know leading up to all the excitement and all the fun and and everything that encompasses Carnival you know so thank you for sharing your experience and for sharing your insight into Grenada like you know what I mean I hope you get to experience Carnival again and come down to the island of Grenada as you did before you know I do have to say that when I went I did really enjoy Tobago in your experience so for me I love the beaches in Tobago. Do you have an opinion on that? Because I've had this argument with my old roommate who's from Trinidad and she's like you know Trinidad has the best I'm like I don't know about that but in comparison to Tobago Trinidad and other you know other who do you think would Tobago has world class beaches like I think Tobago is absolutely a tourist destination.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

I don't think that Trinidad's cultural tourism is or eco-tourism or kind of tourism is developed enough that it makes sense to come here aside from Carnival I I know that's that's a real hot take but I feel like if you go to at any point during and you know enjoy what there is there our accessibility to our sites and stuff just makes it really difficult and Tobago's beaches are amazing.

SPEAKER_01 30:14

Trinidad's beaches good for what they are compared to yes we can okay well I'm Carleen and this is Nut Magnation thank you Harmony thank you for listening to Nut Magnation with Carlene Humphrey