The Canboulay riots were a series of disturbances in the British colony of Trinidad in 1881 and 1884. The riots came about in response to efforts by the colonial police to restrict aspects of the island's annual Carnival festival. In Port of Spain, San Fernando, and Princes Town, angered Trinidadians rioted in response to the actions of police. New musical instruments and styles were created in reaction to these prohibitions,
Background
The annual Carnival in Trinidad dates back to the 1780s, when an influx of immigrants from the French West Indies emigrated to Trinidad in response to the Cédula de Población. These immigrants included French planters and 'free coloureds' (free people of mixed race), as well as enslaved Africans. and imitating or mocking their masters' masquerade balls.
Traditions were introduced to Trinidad by enslaved Africans during the 18th century. These include the calinda, a form of martial art involving stick-fighting. The calinda is likely of African origin, and is accompanied by music and dancing. The term "Canboulay" comes from the French cannes broullee, meaning "burnt cane". the pre-harvest cane burning for pest control, or the burning of cane as an act of sabotage during the time of slavery. Cane harvesting was a labor-intensive process, involving forced marches of slaved Enslaved Africans from neighboring plantations in order to more efficiently harvest the cane.
Trinidad was captured by the British in 1797. In 1833, the British government passed the Slavery Abolition Act, with Emancipation taking effect 1 August 1834. After Emancipation, freed Africans first celebrated their freedom on 1 August the anniversary of their emancipation, and soon began celebrating emancipation during the Carnival season. As part of this transformation, they started carrying burning sugarcane or cannes brulees (French for "burnt cane")—in celebration of Canboulay. The carnival soon featured dancing by men and women in masks. The people would also gather in kaiso tents where a "chantwell" (or lead singer) would lead them in song to vent their feelings. Kaiso music has its origins in West Africa and was brought over by the enslaved Africans who (in the early history of the art form) used it to sing about their masters. Verbal confrontations sometimes started in song duels between the chantwells, they often worsened to physical violence. Carnival was often marred by clashes between groups of revellers carrying sticks and lighted torches.
The British colonial authorities disapproved of Canboulay because of its bacchanalian overtones, but the festival was popular with the majority of the population on the island. In the 1850s, colonial authorities attempted to ban or control Canboulay several times.
In 1884, the colonial government passed the Peace Preservation Act, It also established the official start of Carnival as 6:00 A.M. (the Monday before Lent).
Legacy
The Canboulay Riots are an important part of Trinidad's history. The reenactment is sometimes held in the summer, as well, during the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta).
Many new musical instruments were created as a result of the prohibitions of riots and the Peace Preservation Act. The tamboo bamboo was introduced in the 1890s as a substitute for the drums and sticks. Tamboo bamboo bands were formed, consisting of multiple different instruments, each cut from bamboo: boom, foulé, cutter, and chandler. The bottle-and-spoon joined drums as percussion instruments. Tamboo bamboo bands were a staple of carnival celebrations for many years, In the 1930s, steel pans became widely used, and remain an integral part of Carnival music contests, such as Panorama.
References
- 1984 article by Michael Anthony on the Canboulay Riot
- Article by Brian Wong on the history of Carnival including the Canboulay riots