Wherever you find a few people gathering together in Trinidad and Tobago, you have a party. It's Trinidad carnival!! Trinidad carnival is in our soul, in the way we move, in our music.  Trinidad carnival comes from the Latin "carne vale" - or farewell to the flesh. It's the period before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. It's about excess - getting it out of your system before the deprivation of Lent starts. In Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad carnival is officially the two days before Ash Wednesday - starting at approximately 4am on Monday morning. (Sometimes 2 am, sometimes 6 am) But unofficially Trinidad carnival starts in - or even before - October of the year before, when the masquerade bands (mas bands) launch their presentations for the season; the music for the season is launched on the radio stations; the gyms are full with people getting in shape for their skimpy (or not) costumes, and the parties start to build up to the big day. We take a brief break to celebrate Divali, Christmas and Eid, and then, in January, plunge full tilt into the breakneck pace of Trinidad carnival preparation. The season for 2006 Trinidad Carnival has already gone but there are some upcoming events. John Legend will headline the second in the bmobile concert series, which kicked off successfully last December with rapper Kanye West. This year’s concert is titled B2 and scheduled for August 26th at the Queens' Park Savannah, at least according to the EMA application. Rihanna will share the stage, her first appearance in T&T as a bmobile spokeperson.

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