For TT nationals living in other countries, trying to convey the essence of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival can prove challenging, especially when trying to separate it from the more commercialised and internationally recognised Tuesday pretty mas. As this aspect of Carnival has been exported and adopted by other countries like Canada, the US and, most recently, Japan, traditional characters are almost unrecognisable to most foreigners. This was the dilemma TT national Yoshoda Seelochan, currently living and working in Japan, attempted to address in her first children’s book, 1, 2, 3! Watch Mas With Me! The Indian Walk, Moruga native wrote the book as a stepping stone for anyone, local or foreign, to delve into the world of Carnival through the lens of TT's traditional mas characters and the people who portray them. Seelochan has been living in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme for three years and has been teaching for 13 years.
In a video call with WMN, Seelochan said when it comes to the spirit of Carnival, as curious as people are about the culture, there are some stereotypical images of the festival to navigate and many people are unaware of traditional characters.
“According to my African friends (here, in Japan), Carnival is only nyash,” she said with a laugh. Nyash is a common West African slang for a woman’s behind. She said since she has been in Japan she has noticed a steadily increasing number of Caribbean Carnival events, including Soca in Japan, an annual weekend of Caribbean events in Tokyo held in September, which Seelochan has participated in since her arrival. She said she has also observed this year, at Kochi’s Yosokai Festival – another Carnival event in Kochi Prefecture – a Japanese masquerader dressed as the Dame Lorraine.
“I know when Japanese people see the Dame Lorraine they would be confused, so I thought it would be good to have some relatable material for them to get to know the characters and what they mean to us…I want (foreigners) to know that these characters mean the world to us and to remind people back home to be proud of our culture.”
Seelochan’s book, aimed at young readers, introduces nine traditional mas characters including the Moko Jumbie, Midnight Robber, Baby Dolls and Blue Devils, as well as pannists for a total of ten characters. She said although pannists are not traditional characters, as an instrumental aspect of the culture, she felt the need to include it. The self-published author said she worked closely with Miami-based illustrator BB Park, whose parents are from TT, in order to ensure the characters accurately conveyed what would typically be seen in TT. The book is now available internationally on Amazon and was launched in December.
“The book reads like a poem,” she said.
“It’s ten verses, with each verse dedicated to each character. I also have a glossary at the back of the book with information about TT culture.”
Beginning with the Midnight Robber in the cover of darkness, each page vividly reve
