“It was definitely our year!” Playing Mas with the turtles in Grand Cayman

BY STEPHEN WEIR

On Grand Cayman Island, the sea turtle’s best friend is once again Tribal Carnival! The Toronto based Mas band was in the Cayman’s on May 4^th to supply costumes, and to take part in the 36th Annual Turtle Friendly Batabano Carnival Parade. “We won band of the year for the second year in a row, “said Tribal Carnival’s Celena Seusahai. “Cayman was phenomenal!! It was definitely our year!”

The Cayman Company newspaper estimated that Tribal Carnival, “Doubled in size for 2019, with more than 500 masqueraders in their band on Saturday.” The group included: Caymanians, cruise ship tourists and die-hard men and women who had jetted in from Canada to play Mas.” My dad (Dexter Seusahai) has been involved in growing Batabano for over 15 years,” continued Selena Seusahai.”This is Tribal’s fifth year as a band in Cayman, and my third year coming down here. We had 500 masqueraders on the road, and I brought down 113 people from Toronto to play Mas for our new Travel with Tribal initiative. We see a few familiar faces from time-to-time visiting Toronto from Cayman to play Mas. This year our entire Cayman committee will be coming up to experience Tribal in Toronto.”

Unlike the other Caribbean and North American Carnivals, which base their celebration on Emancipation, Lent or other Christian calendar events, Batabano is all about the turtle! Established in 1983 by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, Cayman Carnival Batabano is the National Carnival of the Cayman Islands. It is a salute to Cayman’s turtling heritage; “Batabano” is the native name for tracks left in the sand when sea turtles go ashore to nest! Batabano is symbolically held the first weekend in May as part of the celebration and awareness of the start of Turtle Nesting Season on the three-island British colony.

Many of the costumes worn by the estimated 4,000 revellers were made by Tribal Carnival, and look similar to what is worn in Canada, the US, and the Caribbean. It is all about feathers, and sexy, eye-catching tops and bottoms; there are also dancers in turtle and blue iguana costumes, which is another much-loved Cayman reptile.

Next year, Batabano is merging with a second Cayman parade and Festival CayMAS.  Last week the government decreed that the two events must be held on the same day! There is room for improvement when it comes to carnivals, but Batabano has proven that there is only one way when it comes to success, and that is up!