with Taylor Christie
29JUL09

You Don’t Know What A Shortknee Is?

I will admit that I didn’t either until I attended the Shortknee exposé hosted by Jenny Gumbs, the Consul General for Grenada. The mask-wearing Shortknee is the iconic image of Grenada’s traditional carnival whose roots are traced back to masquerade traditions born in Africa and Europe. The word “Shortknee” is a reference to the brightly coloured costume that extends just below the knee of the wearer.

Some of Grenada’s Shortknees were in Toronto recently, warming up for the city’s 42nd annual Caribana festival. Jenny managed to organize some of them to come by the St. Lawrence Hall for a demonstration of their traditional song and dance. Had I not been preoccupied with the ubiquitous beef patties being passed around, I would have liked to join in and test my rhythm with some Shortknee-style dancing.

Caldwell Taylor, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the history of Caribbean culture, was also in attendance to speak about the very rich and often overlooked history of Caribbean carnival. The Grenadian carnival in particular, known as Spice Mas, runs all of July and ends on August 11th. The island holds its carnival during the summer months as an opportunity to entice visitors to Grenada during a traditionally slower period.

Check out www.grenadagrenadines.com for more information about Spice Mas and the compelling history behind Grenada’s Shortknees.

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