Courtesy of: The Morning News
By: Rosalie Klein
Islanders love to get a jump on their favorite cultural and social event of the year-Carnival. Fifteen years ago, the ancient European tradition of November 11 festivities (11/11/11) as a precursor to the actual parades and jump ups, was instilled on the island. With the upcoming landmark Diamond Jubilee Carnival coming in 2014, the “official opening” of Carnival season was conducted with particular fervor and grandeur yesterday morning.
The auditorium of Oranjestad’s Cas di Cultura was packed for the event, as was the program filled with great carnival songs of the past, performed by the original artists, Inky Richardson and Robert Jeandor. The lively numbers were punctuated by the uninhibited glee of the young students of Reina Beatrix Elementary School, who demonstrated that the ability to shake one’s booty to the driving carnival beat is an inborn trait of islanders.
President of the Stichting Arubaanse Carnival, (SAC) Tecla Kelly-Hernandez, welcomed all present, recounting a brief history of the establishment of the carnival tradition, with the election of the first queen of a united, island-wide carnival, Evelina Croes, in 1955. A number of landmark events over the six decades since, are the addition of special jump-ups, such as Jovert Morning, the addition of pageants for children, youth queen and a Mrs. Carnival, and music contests and various parades, resulting in the remarkable spectacle that Aruba’s carnival has become. Past year’s have produced some memorable parades and dedicated music, and with this year, expectations can be very high for participation and creativity in costumes, lush floats and road pieces.
Aruba’s Minister of Tourism, Transport & Culture, Otmar Oduber, was on hand to participate in the opening ceremonies, devout carnivalista himself, he found this an especially pleasant task. The moment the season begins is with the introduction and “baptism” of the official jingle for the year, along with the dedicated logo. Media personality Ruben Garcia is always charged with the task of organizing this. The development and issuance of the carnival jingle “Carnival ta Dushi” was again sponsored by RBC Bank. Present for the introduction of the jingle was Managing Director and Vice President Business Banking at Royal Bank of Canada (Aruba) Pierre Rafini.
The actual “baptism” of the jingle CD by a goblet of “diamonds” was performed by veteran Caiso and Soca King and the jingle’s composer and arranger, Antoni Gario, known as “Black Diamond,” and the Soca King of 2013, performing as “Blacky,” Mervin Baptist. Singers of the jingle are “Blacky,” Antonio “T-Money” Mingo, Antoni “Black Diamond” Gario and Ashrock “Diamond Chip” Gario. Andre “Pedro Julio” Stamper. The “Madrina” and “Padrino” of the CD are Tecla Kelly-Hernandez and Minister Oduber, who shared in the honors.
The festive event ended with a parade of the 2013 Carnival royalty in all their finery. These are the various queens, princes and panchos will retain their titles for two more months and the first grand event of Carnival 60, the Torch Parade, which will take place on Saturday, January 11. The very next day, the new princes and panchos will be crowned, who will then rule over the remainder of carnival until its finish at midnight, on March 4, when it is laid to rest with the coming of Ash Wednesday.
