Middle School Classroom Chronicle
Carnival Revelers and Resistance
Guy de Chalus, Grades 5-8 Music
The history of Carnival in the African diaspora is rooted in protest and resistance. Due to the conditions created by enslavement, rare periods of leisure became opportunities for people to speak out against their living conditions. Through costume, music, and dance, Africans and newly created Caribbean and South American people created a world of parody and critical resistance against the colonial rulers of the day.
Brazil and Trindad & Tobago, among other nations, emerged as vibrant carnival cultures showcasing extravagant costumes and rich musical traditions that continue to draw millions from around the world to join in the revelry.
Our middle schoolers are learning aspects of this carnival tradition for our upcoming African American Cultural evening in February 2026. Music of the ancestors of Haiti and the Calypso of Trinidad & Tobago will be featured numbers in the upcoming concert.