Despite the federative parade organized every weekend in only one town in Guadeloupe, some groups parade in some cities and towns on the island. To save money, carnival lovers take out again their old fancy dresses but the show is still very beautiful.
On Sunday, January 13, about forty carnival groups gathered in the commune of Goyave for the federative parade. After years of division and selfishness with parades all over the country and at the same time on the territory, the different groups on the island decided to become more responsible and show only one magnificent show (with beautiful costumes, choreographies, several competitions) every weekend in a town, until Mardi Gras.
But all groups do not have the financial means to pay the transport costs when they are not supported by the organizers. So, these carnival lovers parade in their commune. Other groups such as the “skin groups” who have a rebel spirit and who think that carnival is synonymous with freedom, do not want to be too much under the thumb of an organizing federation and do not really like it defines in advance their route to parade so they stay in their “stronghold” (most of them are from Pointe-à-Pitre/Les Abymes conurbation) and rarely participate in these federative parades of the weekend.
Saving, recycling and parading
Without breaking this spirit of gathering, every Sunday, in important cities like Basse-Terre, Pointe-à-Pitre or Les Abymes and big communes of Guadeloupe, the public is sure to see some groups parade.
Last Sunday, several groups – such as Toumblack, Prestan’s, Kontak, Klé la, Point d’Interrogation, Moun Ki Moun, Very Important Mas, Mas Wobè, Masko, Mass LaPwent, Tonshi Mass, ADN Mass… – went all over the streets in Les Abymes-Pointe-à-Pitre region, very late into the night in présence of thousands of spectators (residents and tourists). Unlike 2018, carnival will last more than two months this year so, there is no question of presenting a new costume every weekend! Very often, for reasons of saving, the groups take out again their old costumes which does not in any way detract from the beauty of the parade. Is it necessary to specify again that in Guadeloupe, the members of the groups pay with their own money their different costumes which can cost several hundreds of euros? However, carnival lovers more and more recycle objects and use old clothes as well as local flora and, thanks to their imagination and talent, they manage to make very original artistic productions concerning costumes and sets…
