“an act of [B]lack remembrance and a reminder to the white elite of the horrors it had inflicted on its slaves.”¹

Please note; if you’re looking for an in-depth, academic delve into this piece of history you’ve unfortunately come to the wrong place. This is a brief overview to help you understand the basics 

Canboulay – from the French cannes brulées meaning burnt cane; also from the Kikongo kambule meaning procession. 

Here’s a quick timeline of events;

• Aug 1, 1838 – the freed enslaved people of Trinidad took to the streets to participate in cannes brulées, to celebrate their emancipation. There was drumming, burning of cane, stick fighting (Kalinda) and general Black joy
• 1840s (exact year unclear, many sources agree it was 1945) – Cannes Brulées -now known as Canboulay- moved to Carnival Sunday night and becomes an official part of Carnival festivities (for Black people). 
• 1881 – The Canboulay Riots
• 1884 – The end of Canboulay as we know it

What is Canboulay?

Canboulay was a way for the newly freed Black people to commemorate, reenact and share their experiences during enslavement. People would dress up as jab-jab, a character portraying the slave master in satin shirts and knickers and masks, accompanied by Dame Lorraine – the slave mistress. There were other characters involved in the festivities, Governors, Attorney Generals, barristers – essentially it was a time to mock the middle and upper class. Show them how truly ridiculous they looked. Of course the white ‘elite’ took great offence to this and regularly complained about how lewd and disgusting Canboulay was, one paper even went as far as to describe it as an “orgy of every species of barbarism and crime.”², which just made the celebrations that much more enjoyable. The British colonial government tried many times to squash Canboulay but failed miserably.

The 1881 Riots

In 1881, there was a man named Arthur Baker, who was the Inspector Commandant of the police force. He decided he was going to do something about those pesky masqueraders. In the very early hours of February 28th he gathered up 150 of his fellow colonisers and planned to put an end to Canboulay once and for all. However, they arrived pretty early (allegedly on purpose) which eliminated the element of surprise. The masqueraders arrived ready for the confrontation with weapons of their own. After three hours of fighting, the masqueraders decided to retreat – probably to prepare for mas later that day. Despite four deaths and plenty more injuries, Baker and his crew declared victory.

What they didn’t realise is that they’d won the battle, but not the war! 

The riots received a lot of bad press, both in Trinidad and back in London. Although folks hated Canboulay and Black expression, what they hated even more was looking like they couldn’t maintain control. And so, in early 1882, the Governor General issued a proclamation that ended the illegality of Canboulay celebrations. Not that the topic of legality particularly mattered to those involved but it was cute same way. 

There were more issues and uprisings in the following years, police put more ridiculous restrictions in place and so in 1884 Canboulay came to an end. However, it was swiftly replaced with j’ouvert so, silver linings I guess. 

Canboulay Today

Today, the rioters of 1881 are commemorated every year in the early hours of Carnival Friday with a street performance reenacting that battle against Captain Baker and his men. It pays homage to those who fought for the right to express themselves freely and their contribution to carnival as we know it today. Traditional costumes, such as the jab-jab and Dame Lorraine, are still seen in the streets. 

The idea of the reenactment first came about in the early 2000s, suggested by the late, great John Cupid who dedicated his life to the preservation of culture and history in T&T. This idea was later developed by various creatives, including Tony Hall and Eintou Pearl Springer. The event has certainly evolved over the years, but at the core of it, the history remains the same.

Until next time,

Ri x

1. Martin Munro, Different Drummers: Rhythm and Race in the Americas (Berkeley:
   University of California Press, 2010): 53. ↩︎
2.  Trinidad Sentinel, February 23, 1860 ↩︎