Called "the world's most colourful festival", the Carnival Of Trinidad is a spectacle of dazzling costumes and gaiety. Hundreds of bands of masqueraders parade through cities on the Monday and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, bringing traffic to a standstill. The island seems to explode with music, fun, and dancing.

Some of the Carnival costumes cost hundreds of dollars. "Bands" might depict the birds of Trinidad, such as the scarlit ibis and the keskidee or a bevy of women might come out in the streets dressed as cats. Costumes are also satirical and comical.

Trinidad, of course, is the land of calypso, which grew out of the folk songs of the African-West Indian immigrants. The lyrics command great attention, as they're rich in satire and innuendo. The calypsonian is a poet-musician, and lyrics have often been capable of toppling politicians from office. In banter and bravado, the calypsonian gives voice to the sufferings and aspirations of his people. At Carnival time, the artist sings his compositions to spectators in tents. There's one show a night at each calypso tents around town, from 20:00 to midnight. Tickets for these are sold in the afternoon at most record shops.

Carnival parties, or fetes, with three or four orchestras at each one, are public and are advertised in the newspaper. For a really wild time, attend a party on Sunday night before Carnival Monday. To reserve tickets, contact the National Carnival Committee, Queen's Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad (868-627-1358).

You can attend rehearsals of steel bands at their headquarters, called panyards, beginning at about 19:00. Preliminary band competitions are held in the grandstand of Queen's Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain and at Skinner Park in San Fernando, beginning two weeks before Carnival.

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