Original image via YouTube music video © Beach House Entertainment/Bunji Garlin.
As the Carnival street parade drew near, the islands of Trinidad and Tobago buzzed with excitement; a resurgence of Calypso, the emergence of new, sweet-sounding Soca, and Steelband competitions that began in 2024 culminated in stunning finales in 2025. Carnival costume makers bustled with activity and anticipation, showcasing beautiful costumes in rainbow colors. Calypso tents and fetes filled people's minds with endless options for their daily routine: 'Where should we go tonight?' The joyful laughter ceased abruptly! The party vibe, along with the echoes of jubilation and laughter, suddenly ceased. What happened? The carnival time ran out, and on Ash Wednesday, there was quiet in the land. People were coming to terms with what happens next—a phenomenon known as "Carnival Tabanca," a state of sadness and longing—and the feeling that something "is not right" takes hold of revelers now that the carnival is over.
We now shift our focus to Lord Kitchener, a master of Calypso poetry in action. Lord Kitchener, the iconic Arima griot who gave the twin island republic some memorable Calypsos before he transitioned, left us a Calypso gem, "The Carnival is Over." He wrote and sang this song in 1964, and in that song, he described the bittersweet feeling of longing experienced by carnival revelers. The song opens with the sweet sounds of brass, and then comes Lord Kitchener's haunting voice, describing the end of Carnival and the feeling of loss among the people of the land. What a brilliantly written song, all leading to, "An indication that the Carnival is over."
Then came the modern-day version that deals with the topic head-on, sung by Bunji Garlin. If you missed it, let's recap. This year, Bunji Garlin placed second and third in the Road March Competition, but let's reminisce about a time when he brought a modern perspective to the same sense of loss that Lord Kitchener described. We travel back in time to the year 2014 when Bunji Garlin delivered "Carnival Tabanca." Bunji tells the story of missing the sights and sounds of Carnival, the fever created by the loss, a sense of anxiety, and the big trucks of Carnival Day. His mind conflated a carnival band and a truck full of sand into a haunting carnival memory. The memorable euphoric visions of people in costumes, dance, and music provide the backdrop for this beautifully written and delivered song.
Both Lord Kitchener and Bunji Garlin are singing about tabanca, the loss of a loved one and the pain that comes along with it, but in this case it is the loss of our Carnival vibe, the loss of our beloved Carnival, and while the pain will last for a while, the people understand that King Carnival returns another year. People reference Trinidad as 'party city,' but Carnival is more than that, and Trinidad is not just a party city, and regardless of the negative news of crime, Carnival delivers the freedom to express our love for each other and express that joy through our music and overall beautiful culture. We grieve when it is over, but we rebound as the year comes to a close and new music starts releasing for the next year. The carnival may be over, but the passion lives on, and as we dance through the pain and experience the desire for more carnival vibes, we do know that in the not-too-distant future we can all rise and fill our hearts with pure carnival vibes that wash away our short-lived "Carnival Tabanca."
Let us promote the culture of the Caribbean diaspora.
Our mission is to advance music producers, performers, and Caribbean culture. Your support helps us celebrate and elevate the vibrant sounds and stories of the Caribbean. We can all work together to make sure that this rich cultural legacy continues to inspire creativity and connection while reaching a larger audience. You should always purchase music for sale but refrain from sharing promotional music, as it deprives the artists, producers, and songwriters of vital income. Please note that all our posts can be accessed online via social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and SoundCloud. We recommend exploring your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Songs: The Carnival Tabanca Musical Tribute
- Carnival Tabanca—Bunji Garlin
- The Carnival is Over—Aldwin Roberts aka Lord Kitchener
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Calypso
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-SA/4.0/.
♫ Please click the music player button below to listen now (a small triangle in the music player/TV frame).