Origins and evolution of carnival in French Guiana
The origins. Several hypotheses have been put forward as to the origin of the word carnival. The one most widely accepted today is that it comes from the Italian word carnevale or carnevalo, itself derived from the Latin expression carnelevare, composed of carne (meat) and levare (to remove), which can be translated as "to remove meat" or "to remove flesh". In fact, the expression refers to the period during which the consumption of meat is banned in the Christian religion. Meat is eaten for the last time on the three fat days (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent lasts for 40 days, during which followers eat very frugally. As for the practice of carnival itself, as we know it today, it has had and continues to have many incarnations throughout Europe, but also and above all in America, where it was imported by settlers over the centuries. This Christian celebration, which was initially attended only by those of good society, became part of Creole culture. Gradually, however, the slaves made it their own, with the result that the entire Guyanese community came to adopt the carnival custom during the 19th century.
Inthe past, carnival inFrench Guiana was organized with great pomp by wealthy families and carnival associations in ballrooms or casinos. The celebration began with either a cake ceremony or the christening of dolls. For the former, it was customary to prepare a cake with up to four beans hidden inside. The cake was then cut up over the weekend and the slices distributed to the participants: whoever found a bean in his or her slice would then choose his or her queen or king from among the guests, and together they would prepare the following week's draw, with each person having a clearly defined role: the kings were in charge of the drinks, and the queens of the cakes. The draws took place early in the day, and were followed by balls from 5 p.m. until midnight. Doll christenings worked differently: bouquets of flowers were given to three couples formed at a dance, and the chosen dancers were in charge of organizing the next ball. These balls were not open to the public: they were attended only by invited guests who paid a membership fee. At the same time, family balls were held in the strictest privacy: great respect for propriety and politeness was the norm. These balls enabled young boys and girls aged 15 to 20 to get to know each other, and mothers often accompanied their daughters.
Towards the end of the 1950s, after a period of relative dormancy, carnival celebrations found a second wind. Many Guyanese, impressed by the exuberant celebrations in Rio de Janeiro and the election of the Brazilian carnival queen and king, breathed new energy into the Cayenne carnival. Major carnival themes flourished: old-fashioned and innovative costumes were polished and competed in a battle for prestige the likes of which Guyana had never seen before. In 1968, the first Miss Carnival was elected: Colette Ho Yeng Wa won the grand prize with her Indian theme. 1970 was a special year, offering a rich array of costumes for the Cayenne parade. In addition to the title of Miss Carnival, many other prizes were awarded: the exoticism prize, the audacity prize, the flexibility prize and the comedy prize! The evenings are held at Guyana Palace, Balidéo or Karfour, and are true moments of creativity and fantasy. Today, carnival remains the high point of Guyanese social life, and useful information can be obtained from the Comité Carnavalesque et Festival de Kourou.
The rules of the carnival game
In 1885, to institutionalize this popular event, a municipal decree (decree no. 13 of January 22, 1885) defined the orderly measures to be observed during carnival entertainment. Among other things, it was forbidden to appear masked before noon, or to wear a disguise likely to disturb public order. Carnival is a time for festivities and respect. Here are the rituals and highlights.
The big parades. The most impressive costume parades are undoubtedly those in Kourou and Cayenne. They take place on the two Sundays preceding Mardi Gras (Kourou first), and are true moments of celebration and dance. Along a pre-determined route, groups of dancers, costumed according to a common theme and having rehearsed their choreographies at length, parade through the town to the rhythm of sound systems blasting saturated music. The group that causes the most sensation is declared the winner of the carnival.
The vidé. The vidé is the logical conclusion to any major indoor event, and is the apotheosis of a night of dancing. It usually begins around 5 a.m.: at this point, in the 1880s and up until 1950, the orchestra, after playing into the night, would leave the hall or dance hall to walk the main streets of the city, followed by a furious crowd. Today, the morning or afternoon vide retains its traditional character, except that the parade takes place on board a truck fitted out for the orchestra to bring together the groups of touloulous who have paraded through the streets in the afternoon.
Nou maye kan menm. Shrove Monday is the day for burlesque and mock weddings. The simulacrum is complete, requiring a mayor, a priest and offspring. These couples, who parade through the streets, are made up of men disguised as brides, dressed, made-up and made-up as women, while the women are dressed as men! This is also the day when Vaval's wedding is celebrated!
Djab'la ka pissé. On Mardi Gras, Satan is personified by his red devils, who rule the town. The touloulous are dressed in red and black, sometimes with horns and tails.
Vaval ka kité nou. On Ash Wednesday (the day after Mardi Gras), the she-devils march in mourning the death of Vaval, the king of carnival. He was executed to punish him for his shameless fun, for his singing and dancing in the streets, for his excessiveness and effrontery, for his knavery and irreverent refrains. Vaval is traditionally cremated at Place de Palmiste in a rather cacophonous atmosphere of mourning. But his resurrection is already scheduled for early January of the following year.
Saturday night universities. Nana in Cayenne, Polina in Matoury, Grand-Blanc in Macouria and Matadò in Kourou are legendary venues for carnival festivities. These institutions only operate on Saturday evenings during the carnival period, as well as on fat days, and host the "paré-masqué" balls. The principle is simple: touloulous choose their date from the crowd of men present, who are entirely at their disposal. After two or three dances, it's customary to refresh the touloulou with a drink. But be careful: you must never try to unmask her, as her anonymity is her most precious asset. As the carnival days go by, the atmosphere gets hotter and hotter. The good dancers, generally well-known, are the object of strong covetousness, which sometimes leads the touloulous to use the hard way to win over their rivals... Like all self-respecting legendary places, the Saturday night universities have their heroes: the indefatigable musicians, they are the soul of the dancings. The most famous are called the Mécènes or Blue Stars. To the rhythms of the mazurka and the biguine, the rumba and the waltz, novices and experts alike engage in increasingly frenzied corps à corps until the end of the night.
The emblematic characters
Often linked to the history and legends of French Guyana, traditional carnival characters are highly codified. Without them, Carnival wouldn't exist. Here are the main ones.
Touloulous. A priori feminine characters, mystical and guarantors of the carnival tradition. Fully masked, touloulous compete with each other in the imagination of their shimmering outfits. According to some linguists, the term "touloulou" derives from the name given in jest to the marine infantrymen (stationed in Cayenne in the 19th century): the trouloulous, which in Creole became "touloulous". A sacred rule dictates that touloulous remain anonymous, mute or disguise their voices, and that their reign is nocturnal only. Queens for an evening or a season, they are the emblematic figure of Carnival. Their beauty, their charm, their seductive powers and their mystery sometimes make them the source of marital scandal at Saturday night balls..
Jé farin. Bakers in tall white fairy hats, wearing aprons laden with flour, they happily dust children who challenge them, provoking laughter and sometimes fear. Ahead of the band of touloulous, they symbolize purity, the renewal of nature, joy and gaiety.
Bobis. Born of popular imagination, they look like wild bears. Dressed in beige rice sacks, they are often accompanied by a trainer, held back by a rope and sometimes whipped if they refuse to dance to the rhythm of the music. Like Jé farins, bobis both amuse and frighten children.
Sweepers. Madras scarves on their heads, dressed in blue dresses, the sweepers go around town with a traditional broom in hand.
Bef volo bef. Born of the sacrifice of the fatted calf, the bef volo bef wears an ox disguise, with a black dress and menacing horns. It roams the streets accompanied by its master, who keeps it on a leash. Its serious, impressive appearance contrasted sharply with the cheerful costumes of Pierrot, Domino, Harlequin and others.
Cane cutters. With a sabre in one hand and a cane in the other, they are reminiscent of their ancestors in the days of slavery in the cane fields. Like them, they dance and sing to the beat of the drums.
Anglé bannan. An amusing caricature of the costume once worn by the English in Cayenne (frock coat and tailcoat). This very elegant burlesque character still roams the streets during Carnival. He wears a top hat, a tailcoat, a frock coat or a levite.
Nèg'marrons. A symbolic representation of the slave, they parade every Sunday and form the touloulous' internal service of order. Their job is to make room for the slaves on the city streets. Dressed simply in a kalimbé (a red Amerindian loincloth), these Nèg'marrons smear their bodies with a mixture of soot and oil, and eat roucou (powder from a seed of the same name) to make their mouths colorful. Holding the fruit of a black-spined palm tree, the aouara, between their lips, they run and dance in all directions.
Drainers. They represent the characters of Guyanese life that appeared during the time of the penal colony. In those days, between midnight and dawn, the "privileged" convicts used to empty the toilets of the middle-class houses in Cayenne. The emptiers walked alongside a cart pulled by an ox or a zebu. During Carnival, these emptiers are dressed as convicts.
Sousouris. Characters disguised as bats. Their triangular heads and colorful costumes give them a cheerful appearance. Bats used to be dressed entirely in black, but the Guyanese bourgeoisie loved shimmering satin costumes for their balls and receptions. This is how the underdog adopted the Harlequin costume.
Lanmò. Symbolizing the souls of the dead who wander the earth, lanmòs wear a disguise representing death, a skeleton on a white suit. They wrap their cape around the spectators as they dance, as if to suffocate them.
The big heads. Seen as silent Martians from outer space, they are an illustration of the intense struggle for prestige between modern carnival and its rival, traditional carnival.
Dirty Touloulous. In improvised groups or on their own, they dress in their own style and mingle in the parade between the structured groups. Their originality is much appreciated by the crowd.
Djad dan bwet. These represent men disguised as ugly old women, a kind of witch allied with the devil and messenger of bad omens. They walk around with a small box containing a secret concerning someone in the crowd of spectators, which they threaten to reveal.
Zombi baré yo. A character from Creole legends, the zombi is a devil who haunts houses and streets. This spirit takes on the appearance of a human being and disturbs the living. During Carnival, these zombies, in disguise and in gangs, surround crossroads with a rope around which they whistle in circles.
