Ainsworth Mohammed and Peter Minshall showcased costume options to their 2018 Carnival contribution The Eyes Of God, Soul Food: Black Eye Peas and Rice, at Kaiso Blues Cafe, Newtown, last Friday evening.
Essence of Mohammed’s and Minshall’s The Eyes Of God, is to return to a pure idea of mas which was steelpan, sailors and a flag-bearer (Flag Woman) as opposed to what we see now; beads, bikinis and feathers. The band is black and white with no frills
It was after a religious event where someone said to Peter Minshall: “All men are equal in the eyes of God” and he responded, “Would that mean ‘all gods were equal in the eyes of man’.”
Our national anthem states: “Here every creed and race, find an equal place” and Soul Food: Black Eye Peas and Rice plans to visually depict such. Imagine seeing a sea of white, a sea of pureness, above it flags and wings with eyes (of God) looking back at you, the people, and down on the masqueraders coming on the road for carnival. That is original carnival in it’s purest sense. The eyes are the window to the soul therefore the band celebrates the soul as well.
After 50 years, Minshall aims to portray a vision of our true selves that we don’t see anymore as American cable news, reality TV, and TV boxes with foreign programming has changed our people’s mindset and the original purpose and meaning of carnival.
The Eyes Of God, Soul Food: Black Eye Peas and Rice aims to bring us back to the original essence of carnival that is “pan, mas, and flags.”
A quote that has driven Mr Minshall, according to Kathryn L Chan is: “You may give your island, which regards itself rich on the dregs of Western culture, something of itself.”
The band is being produced and brought out by a committee in keeping with the meaning behind the band, “All ah we is one.”
SOURCE: Trinidad Guardian
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