by Susan Mains, artist from St Paul’s
Rarely is such a community-driven activity organised and executed so well. The thousand-plus people who came to enjoy themselves on Sunday evening, 5 February, probably never imagined the months and months of planning that had gone before, or the decades preceding.
A small indication of the longevity was evidenced in the honour of one of the sons of the soil, David Thomas. Teacher, principal, cultural worker, a man who demonstrated all his life a dedication to the people of St Paul’s. Leader of the Vene Wei Cultural drumming and dance group, he brought many young people into the traditional art forms.
The community centre is also the home of the steel orchestra the Comancheros, and they too beat their pans to bring some life to the event. A cadre of short knees from St Mark paraded their powered dance and chant, a display of cultural heritage. The Conception dance theatre demonstrated groups from young to old. The steps were vibrant and enchanting — twirling skirts and arms akimbo — one couldn’t look away. To top it off, books on sale written by Grenadian authors, were offered by the champion of Grenadian writing, David Ambrose.
And for the first time in St Paul’s at the community centre, players of Shakespeare Mas from Mt Royal, Carriacou played their ritual. Glenroy Boatswain and James Collins are young, but they know their Shakespeare. The words of Julius Caesar rang out across the yard, with their costumes sparkling with mirrors and bells. This was the real-life demonstration of the Art on display in the upper hall. The Grenada Arts Council had taken this display to the Biennale di Venezia, where Grenada was featured in its own pavilion in 2022. Over 100,000 people from all over the world had seen it. Now, bringing these players from Carriacou to the Community Centre in St Paul’s to perform alongside the art — culture had come full circle.
This was just a small warm-up for them for the main event, which will be on Tuesday, 21 February in Carriacou. Shakespeare Mas is always played on Carnival Tuesday morning. The history of it is shrouded in mystery, but for generations the villagers in Carriacou have kept it alive.
The most lasting impression from the Sunday in St Paul’s cultural display, the food, the drinks, the art and craft, and the crowd itself, is that this event was not merely a show put on for visitors. This was a celebration of true Grenadian culture. This was the passing of the authentic from one generation to the next. These are the stories that will last, those that give us a true identity, grown in the rich soil of St Paul’s in Grenada, under the watchful eye of Morne Gozo, our own personal mountain.
Some people may say that this kind of event is good for cultural or village tourism. While that may be the case, more importantly, this event is good for us as Grenadians. It is not watered down to make it more acceptable to anyone’s taste. It is good for the children to see us engaging with each other, improving dance steps, showing a new painting or craft, tasting a new drink concoction, admiring the many variations in dress characterised by red, green, and yellow; getting a bounce from a toddler in arms. We see ourselves at our best, and we like what we see.
