I didn’t attend the Irie Festival so there isn’t much else to say about the Caribana happenings. Looking at some other blogs, Americans were impressed with Toronto’s cleanliness and friendliness. People also seemed to be happy with the organization of the event, which is no surprise since it is being run by the same association that ran Caribana during its only profitable year to date.
Of course there were the usual trolls who used Caribana to vent their grievances with black people. I’ll spare you the lecture about tolerance and point out that Trinidad, the mother nation of the carnival, is nearly half South Asian. Moreover the steel pan bands are made up of many groups including local Caucasians, while people jumping up appeared to range from 16 to their late 60’s and appeared to cover every major ethnic group in Toronto (at one point I saw a Muslim lady covered head to toe pushing a stroller alongside a float).
Hence the “gangsta†image doesn’t apply. But I guess people believe the MSM only when it’s convenient to do so. Anyone who’s ever been to Daytona Beach for Spring Break or any Heavy Metal / Alternative Rock concert also knows that “scary†Jamaican guys don’t have any kind of monopoly on drug use or libidinous behavior. But of course some people rely on cultural double standards to boost their own stock. Those people have my condolences – they missed one hell of a party.
Since someone will eventually ask me to compare Caribana to the Trinidad Carnival … of course the comparison isn’t close. Caribana is, however, Toronto’s celebration and as along as it continues to be managed competently will continue to morph into something uniquely Canadian as people and experiences unique to Canada are added to the “Caribbean” festival. This is how culture is born.
Also see Caribana 2006 Jump Up (Part 1) and Caribana 2007 - The Pictures
http://maangchi.blogspot.com/2006/08/toronto-caribana-festival-2006.html