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🎭✨

The spirits of our ancestors walked the Piccadilly Greens this morning. Before dawn broke over Port of Spain, the air filled with the crackle of flambeaux and the thunder of the drum, as we witnessed the powerful re-enactment of the Canboulay Riots. 🇹🇹

For those unfamiliar, Canboulay (from the French cannes brûlées, meaning “burnt cane”) is the heartbeat of our modern Carnival. After Emancipation in 1838, our freed ancestors took their celebration to the streets, re-enacting the harvest of burnt sugar cane—a practice that once symbolized the brutality of slavery, but was reclaimed as an act of freedom and rebellion .

In 1881, the British colonial police, led by Captain Baker, attempted to suppress these street processions, banning drums, sticks, and lighted torches. But the revellers, armed with nothing but courage, bottles, and stones, banded together to defend their culture. Despite the violence and resistance, the people triumphed, forcing the government to eventually grant two days for Carnival to exist . This act of defiance is why we wine on the road today.

This morning’s performance was more than just a show; it was a visceral journey back to that moment of triumph. Seeing the stickfighters (kalenda), the chantwells, and the colonial actors clash in the fiery glow was a moving tribute to the resilience that defines us .

📸 A single photo doesn’t do it justice. I’ve captured the energy, the smoke, the rhythm, and the raw emotion of the morning in my full album. You really need to see the sequence of the battle to feel the story.

#TrinidadCarnival2026 #TrinidadAndTobagoCarnival #LookIntoMyEyesPhotography #RogerLewisPhotography #CarnivalCostumes #CaribbeanCulture #CarnivalVibes

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