BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaTrinidad and Tobago Carnival: Blue devils breathe fire into eventPublished4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Anselm GibbsImage caption, The blue devils’ antics have been delighting Carnival revellers for a long timeBy Anselm GibbsParamin, Trinidad and TobagoThey are easy to spot among the rush of colour of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, their bodies covered in blue and their screams and antics somehow both frightening and fun. They are blue devil masqueraders and they are fighting to keep a tradition alive.It is a winding – and for visitors, at times, nerve-wracking – drive up steep hills to get to the remote village of Paramin, located in the north-western part of Trinidad. Paramin is the home of the blue devil, a traditional Carnival character, according to local man Curdell Gibbs.Image source, Anselm GibbsImage caption, Curdell Gibbs (left) says it is harder to find people willing to portray a blue devil”The only place in Trinidad and Tobago, and by extension the world, where you can find blue devils come Carnival Monday, is Paramin,” Curdell says.The Caribbean nation celebrates Carnival annually on the Monday and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday. Costumed revellers participate in street parades and there is also competition among different masquerade groups or bands.This year, Carnival organisers are expecting a high level of participation, but there is some concern.”A lot of the traditional characters appear in mini-bands and small bands, but there has been a decrease in the number of those,” the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Bands Association, Mark Ayen, tells BBC News. “They seem to be far fewer than what they have been before.”Image source, Anselm GibbsImage caption, Fewer people are portraying the traditional characters of CarnivalMark Ayen finds this alarming. He says that while the twin-island republic aims to develop its culture and Carnival, there must also be preservation.On Carnival Monday night, when the hills of Paramin come alive with the annual blue devil masquerade competition, rhythms ring out from villagers with wooden sticks beating discarded metal biscuit tins. It’s called “knocking a pan” and provides the soundtrack for masqueraders. Curdell says the energy provided by those rhythms is unmatched and describes how it can sometimes have unexpected effects on those visiting.”A lady from Germany held a banana tree and pulled it straight out of the ground and ran through the streets with it,” he recounts.But Curdell warns that even in Paramin, where villagers say the heartbeat of the blue devil resides, fewer people are taking on the role. He believes it is because traditional Carnival elements are not as accessible as before. He wants to see more young people involved and says more exposure will help.The origins of the devil masquerade – or “mas” for short – date all the way back to the days of slavery. The original term for devil mas is “Jab Molassie,” which is French patois for “Molasses Devil”.The name describes “the sticky black substance the character was covered in, which in the old days was molasses”, explains researcher, author and cultural activist Dr Rudolph Ottley. “Nowadays he could be covered in pitch oil [kerosene], mud, cocoa and come in a variety of colours like blue, red, green, silver etc,” he adds.Freed slaves chose the devil to portray how they viewed slave owners, according to Mr Gibbs, who made his first appearance as a blue devil when he was just six years old.Eighteen years later, Curdell and a group of friends are part of a masquerade group called Next Generation Underworld Creepers.The shiny blue coat covering their bodies is not paint. Image source, Anselm GibbsImage caption, Those who portray the blue devils cover themselves in a thick layer of specially made pasteThe colour actually comes from a process that starts with boiling water and grinding laundry bluing cubes, which are usually used to wash white clothes.”Put it in a bucket, pour the water and then you mash some lard into it,” explains Leonardo Joseph, another member of Next Generation Underworld Creepers. “You let it cool, let it sit for a little while, so it turns into a paste.”Mixing this blue concoction begins as early as two days before it is rubbed on to the skin, according to Leonardo Joseph.For him, there is a bit of irony involved, as he is an altar server in the Roman Catholic church, yet he portrays the devil.”You have your faith, but you are portraying the culture you love,” Leonardo muses.Image source, Anselm GibbsImage caption, Leonardo Joseph is an altar server, but also likes to portray the devilLeonardo and Curdell are trying to instil a love for that culture in the new generation. Their group has organised workshops, where youngsters can come to learn about blue devils and other aspects of Carnival, including wire-bending to make costumes.It is part of their preservation push to save the traditional elements of Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival.”They’re really interested, and if they can do it, it will carry on,” said Daron Felician, the group’s expert wire-bender.These cultural crusaders have their work cut out for them. “The mas has been slowly but surely dying, it’s sad to see,” Curdell says. “I really feel the initiatives that we’re taking now, to bring the community together, will increase the traffic we have with blue devils.”And the blue characters are something to behold: Accessories for devil mas include horns, wings, a fork, a tail and anything else the masquerader wishes to add.Probably the most outstanding trick a blue devil has up his or her sleeve is fire-breathing. It involves filling your mouth with kerosene.”Everything you imagine the devil would do, we try to incorporate,” Curdell says.Image source, Anselm GibbsImage caption, Masks and horns are often used to portray the blue devilsBorn and raised in the usually peaceful Paramin community, Curdell says he began fire-breathing when he was 12 years old.”You tighten your lips and blow a mist, you’ll get a small flame; if you tighten your lips and try to get a round opening, you’ll get a long flame, but still close to your mouth. “If you breathe in through your nose properly and you blow out as hard as possible, with tight lips as well, you’ll get a big ball of fire.” Image source, Anselm GibbsImage caption, Fire breathing is one of the blue devils’ showpiece tricks – but Samuel Thomas, who is pictured here, has had expert guidance to learn how to do it safelyRelated TopicsTrinidad and TobagoMore on this story’Our costumes are an empowerment tool’Published28 August 2023Top StoriesIsrael rescues two hostages in Rafah as strikes reportedPublished1 hour agoWater bosses’ bonuses could be blocked for sewage spillsPublished6 hours agoMarathon world record holder dies in Kenya crashPublished4 hours agoFeaturesWegovy, the weight-loss drug flying off the shelvesShapps’ war on ‘woke’ Army and King’s wave of hopeScherzinger leads winners at WhatsOnStage AwardsHow Carey Mulligan stamped feminist mark on MaestroCrime to buses: Wellingborough by-election in chartsXi Jinping’s never-ending hunt for corruptionThe fighter pilots hunting Houthi drones over the Red SeaDeath and Israel’s search for ‘total victory’ in GazaThe blue devils breathing fire into Trinidad CarnivalElsewhere on the BBCThe real, untold story of the Jack the Ripper victimsTold by historian Hallie RubenholdAttributionSoundsHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerCan you sniff out the fib among the facts?Put your knowledge to the test…AttributionBitesizeSwapping balls for bricks…Ex-Premier League star Darren Ambrose shares his love for LegoAttributionSoundsMost Read1Marathon record holder Kiptum dies in road accident2Shapps’ war on ‘woke’ Army and King’s wave of hope3Sealed with a kiss – the Taylor Swift Super Bowl lives up to hypeAttributionSport4Aircraft carrier fails to depart for Nato exercises5Schools in budget crisis as PFI charges soar6Four boys aged 12-14 arrested on suspicion of rape7Chiefs beat 49ers in overtime to defend Super Bowl titleAttributionSport8Israel rescues two hostages in Rafah as strikes reported9Inside Ukraine’s struggle to find new men to fight10Short-changed postmasters to get full compensation

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• February 12, 2024
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