By Staff Writer
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Feb 9, CMC -Whenever it is Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, there must be some form of controversy,
And this time, the Archbishop of Port of Spain, Jason Gordon, is urging the members of the public to make their positions known after one of the popular masquerade bands has decided to hand out an adult sex toy in the Carnival goodie bags given to women masqueraders.
The Archbishop, speaking at a daily service at the Archbishop’s Chapel on Monday, said the Tribe Carnival band has pushed the envelope too much, and that carnival has reached a level of “hedonism”.
He said citizens may have to call on the government to intervene. Watch video
The Roman Catholic Church leader said that two years ago, when he wrote the book “Rekindling our Carnival Rhythms”, tracing the history of carnival from before slavery,y it reflected the social history of the twin island republic.
“Whereas I started to write a rant about what was happening, I realised there were so many beautiful pieces of Carnival – you know, the Canboulay Riots, the Dimanche Gras show, the pan, the Moko Jumbies. There are so many amazing things about Carnival, so many amazing things.”
But Archbishop Gorn said that last year he wrote another book in which he selected seven songs from the 2025 Carnival to show how they tell a story of nation-building, unlike anything he said he had seen before in his life.
But he said that if there is a covenant of love between the people and the city, then society must also push back against carnival when it is going astray.
“The only times Carnival evolved into more artistic forms is when it got pushed back. For many years, two or three decades now, Carnival has been encroaching, encroaching, encroaching – not all of it. I want to be really clear: I’m talking about Carnival Monday and Tuesday, and I am talking about the fete industry, and I am talking about an industry.
“It is owned by one or two people, and most of our big bands that are pushing hard in the wrong direction are owned by one or two people. This is business. There are no longer places where people used to gather and make Carnival costumes as a community, celebrate as a community, and have a community. No, this is big business – very big business.”
The Archbishop said that this year, Tribe Carnival has gone too far, saying, “Just as I have asked the government to regulate social media for the sake of our children, if Tribe cannot pull back on its own, I think the government would have to regulate it. Hashtag Tribe gone too far.
“If you think that Tribe has gone too far, you know where their Facebook is and you know where their website is. Please – handing an adult sex toy to every female buying a costume – hashtag Tribe gone too far,” Archbishop Gordon said, adding that a small number of people were responsible for creating events that corrupt the youth.
“Our country is not for sale, and our young people are not for sale. We, the good citizens of this beautiful country, have to start putting guardrails for our children.”
The Trinidad and Tobago-born Roman Catholic Archbishop said he is a lover of carnival and “last week I was in Renegades (Steel band).
“I love Carnival. I go to all the pan sides. There is so much beauty about this Carnival that has come from the bowels and belly of our nation. But what we are seeing here is big business, like what happened in the newspapers, where you have to sensationalise to get people to come back again and again, and you have to take that sensation up and up and up. Hashtag has gone too far,” Gordon said.
But he insisted that the country has to stop this descent.
“We have to stop. We have to stop this. We have to dial it back. We have to bring Carnival back to what it has always been: a celebration of the life, vitality, and creativity of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Whatever happens in Trinidad Carnival goes to Barbados, it goes to Grenada, it goes to St Vincent, it goes all up the islands. We cannot be the people exporting this level. What we have now reached is hedonism. That is where we are. We have to dial this back, and if the company is unwilling to do so, then the citizens have to ask the government to put regulations in place.
“So one way or the other, we have to do something different. We have been heading down the wrong road here. Now let’s pull back. Let’s get back to safety for our young people who want to play Carnival, safety for our young people who want to enjoy this great festivity that we have. Amen,” Archbishop Gordon said.
But in defending the Tribe’s decision to include the adult toy in the goodie bag, the chief executive officer of Tribe Carnival, Dean Ackin, told the Trinidad Express newspaper, “You know Tribe— we’ve never been afraid to lead from the front.”
Ackin said the idea originated during a discussion about giving roses (the flower) for Valentine’s Day, coinciding with Carnival Saturday this year.
“We also recognise that in business, it’s the personal touch that matters.
“Carnival is about freedom, expression, fun, and a little mischief, and as pioneers of the modern mas experience, we’re always looking for ways to keep things fresh, playful, and memorable,” he said.
Ackin said that over the years, Tribe has built its reputation on innovation and pushing the boundaries of what a Carnival band can be.
“We don’t just deliver costumes and drinks—we deliver an experience. And if that experience occasionally comes with a cheeky surprise that keeps people smiling and talking, well… that’s very much on brand for us,” Ackin said, adding, “The reaction so far has been exactly what you’d expect: laughter, excitement, and plenty of chatter.” Our masqueraders understand that with Tribe, there’s always an element of joy, pleasure, and unforgettable memories—to keep them coming again and again,” he said.
The Rose is a palm-sized, clitoral suction toy that’s shaped like a flower.
Download video – Jason Gordon, Archbishop of Port of Spain
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