The Cape Minstrel Carnival switches 2014 on for us
Cape Minstrel Carnival, 2014. Photo: Portia Butler Hooray, 2014 has now officially been ushered in. Yes, how could you miss the 35,000 colourful - in dress and name - troupes of The Cape Minstrel Carnival? They have been around for some 200 years, you know. And even if you and I were not there on the streets of Cape Town, we were surely represented by the thousands who made it their business to camp out, along the roadsides, to support and cheer on the marching, dancing, singing entertainers. Inevitably, whenever it is time for the Kaapse Klopse, there are many people whose backs start arching like feral cats. No purring... Just stifled shrieks: "It's really ridiculous, humiliating." "This is giving the criminal element free reign.." Blah...blah...blah. Uh huh? Is this really the 'home for all", then? Why don't we just embrace the Cape Minstrel Carnival, like we embrace the CDFA Mardigras, warts and all, with its crowd-puller, the beauty p...