Shortknee
Shortknee ’ s history talks much about Grenada ’ s carnival origins . In the 18th century , when carnival was celebrated by the plantation owners and their families only , one of the most familiar characters was Pierrot , a clown-like entertainer with a whitened face and a loose , fancy , white dress . The Pierrot character frequently performed at plantation house parties .
When slavery was abolished and the enslaved were free to participate in carnival , they mimicked the Pierrot character . Practitioners and players of this mas reported that carnival time this mas was used to get even with people in the communities , so weapons were hidden beneath their long dresses , and fights sometimes erupted between competing bands from nearby villages .
When the government eventually outlawed these long dresses , celebrators of carnival created a new costume of brightly coloured shirts with long , wide sleeves , a wire mask instead of the white face , and baggy trousers that reached just below the knee , hence the masquerade is called shortknee .
Other aspects of the shortknee costume and performance are the small mirrors attached to the clothes , bells attached to the ankles , and the white powder . The Shortknee performance is done without music .
Masquerades typically chant 4-line verses and a chorus that tells a story about their life or village , social and political commentary in a call-and-response fashion led by a senior of the band .
Shortknee bands are most prevalent in the western and northern parts of Grenada . The parishes of St . John , St . Mark , St . Patrick , and St . Andrew are homes to Shortknee bands such as Waterloo Shortknee , Coast Guard Rebels , House of Justice , Rose Hill Shortknee , Mt . Rich Shortknee , Hermitage Shortknee , Tivoli Veterans Shortknee , Telescope Shortknee , Soubise Fishermen Shortknee .
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