For the third consecutive year, there were thousands to participate in the largest “skin group” parade in Guadeloupe. What started as just a parade that brightened up the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre on the Saturday before Mardi Gras has since become an unmissable event for all carnival lovers. For a day, anyone can join the “skin group” Point d’Interrogation and parade with its members. For the other Sunday parades planned in the carnival season, you have to be a member of the group, pay your dues and wear the appropriate costumes.
However, if taking part in Mas Maten Kongo-Karayib is open to all, it took upstream preparation with, in particular, the organization of a village on Friday February 21 where the participants (many young people) were able to choose one of the two compulsory outfits: Kongo or Karayib. It should be noted that part of the revenue was donated to the Saint-Vincent de Paul association, which provides care for disadvantaged and marginalised people. As materials, we find African fabric, rope, cardboard, calabash, natural flowers, achiote, “gwo siwo” made from sugar cane juice as well as face makeup… not to mention a good pair of sports shoes.
This Saturday morning, the cloudy weather was replaced by a radiant sun to allow this annual parade between the town center of Les Abymes and Le Gosier via Pointe-à-Pitre. The carnival lovers had fun even if they were visibly tired because of the kilometres covered on foot but stops had been planned by the organizers… The arrival on the Bas-du-Fort Beach was for many a relief…
Some negative sides in this gigantic carnival parade: a lack of synchronization between the front and the back because the number of musicians is not large enough to flood all the participants with the sound of Mas Senjan’s drum and too many participants without makeup for the beauty of parade.
