Is Ole Mas A Dying Artform?

During the just-ended Saint Lucia Carnival season, the debate as to whether the event described as the island’s main cultural showpiece was losing its cultural flavour was high on the agenda.

The issue was discussed in public spaces, on Social media, and on radio talk shows.

Over eighteen thousand visitors attended the annual summer festival, and several events boasted greater participation by visitors and Saint Lucians from the diaspora than locals.

However, some have argued that the event does not highlight enough of Saint Lucia’s culture, while others contend that Saint Lucia’s carnival still features activities such as panorama, J’ouvert, calypso, and Ole Mas, aspects that form the roots of the event.  

Saint Lucia’s carnival is said to be steeped in African culture and born out of slavery and later the emancipation of the enslaved people.

Originally held as a pre-Lenten event culminating on Shrove Tuesday or the day before Ash Wednesday, our carnival became an organized event in 1947.

The cultural showpiece moved to July 1999 to attract more visitors during the summer. Later, this resulted in greater commercialization and a heavier emphasis on big concert-type events or fetes. Some cultural aspects, though not as prominent, still remain, and one of these is “Ole Mas.”

If Calypso is the voice of the voiceless and “the people’s newspaper”, well “Ole Mas” can be described as the visual imagery, the pictures, to accompany the Calypso text.

Someone once also said that “Ole Mas, like parliamentary privileges was used by the early revelers to taunt the Colonial rulers”.

“Ole Mas” portrayals are often immersed in social commentary, political satire, and wit and are perhaps one of the earliest forms of memes.

The participation in this year’s “Ole mas” competition was not vast, raising questions about its future.

Nevertheless, participants were still able to draw the attention of spectators. They first paraded the streets during J’ouvert morning and again on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

Cuthbert Modeste, aka “Twa ti Nez”, won this year’s competition. His portrayal, “Jars on the Square,” was a visual representation of glass jars on a square, a tool used in construction. The reference was the once popular Jazz on the (Derek Walcott) Square.

In second place was Fiona Compton & Sherene Gonzales “Helen of The Malpwop.” Their depiction brought to light the indiscriminate disposal of garbage, replacing the slogan of “Fair Helen” to describe Saint Lucia with “Helen of the Malpwop,” “malpwop – a Kweyol word for nasty.

Veteran “Ole Mas” player Carlton Ishmael placed third with “Attention: Men Beware Cause if You Getting Horns Next is Gros Pwel and Bowtins. His satirical depiction centered on cheating, illegitimate children, and heartbreak. 

Dressed as the speaker of the house and adorned with two pairs of reading glasses and binoculars, Julian Calderon, another veteran, portrayed “Mr Speaker Trying to See Oppositions Light.” Calderon placed fourth.

The participants will get their awards at a carnival prize-giving ceremony at a date to be announced.

While participation may have dwindled this year, organizers are thankful that those who participated are keeping this aspect of Carnival culture alive.