Caribbean Beat — March/April 2020 (#162)

need to know
Word of Mouth
Kingston bacchanal
A true Jamaican Carnival lover, Vaughn Stafford Gray offers the low-down on
Kingston’s annual festival. Just don’t revoke his passport . . .
Carnival in Jamaica can best be
summarised by Oscar Wilde’s adage:
imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery. Well, I’ve opened the floodgates
now! I reckon some fellow
Jamaican is readying to report me to the
Passport, Immigration, and Citizenship
Agency, and demand that my Jamaican
“card” be revoked. To that person, I say:
fight me. Facts are facts.
It all started back in the 1950s, on the
Mona campus of the University College
of the West Indies — soon to be known
as UWI. Students from Trinidad and
Tobago and other eastern Caribbean
islands who missed celebrating Carnival
decided to bring their culture to the
halls and streets of the campus. Of
course, Jamaicans got in on the action
also, because Carnival is, in a word,
mesmeric. Cue the birth of UWI Carnival,
and the genesis of Carnival celebrations
in Jamaica — though it wasn’t until
1990 that notable musician Byron Lee
established and formalised Jamaica
Carnival as we know it today.
Comparing T&T Carnival with the
Jamaican version is an exercise in futility.
It’s akin to the iOS vs Android debate
— there will never be a clear winner.
The events are considerably different,
despite sharing soca music, bedazzling
costumes adorned with feathers, walls
of flesh, and taut, sculpted bodies that
haven’t consumed a carb since noon on
Boxing Day.
The differences start with timing:
Carnival in Jamaica takes place after
Lent, and despite being popular, isn’t
as universally embraced as T&T’s
Carnival, Barbados Crop Over, or the
grand dame of all Carnivals in Rio de
Janeiro. But, although it’s had its fair
Dwayne Watkins
share of battles, Carnival in Jamaica is
an extraordinary experience.
The celebration is one of the few in
the country that dissolves Kingston’s
socio-economic lines, lowering
the drawbridge over the moat that
separates “uptown” and “downtown”
experiences. For a few days, celebrants
come together without having to
overly obsess about postal codes and
skin colour. Whether you play mas or
not — there are three main bands:
Xodus, Xaymaca, and Bacchanal —
Carnival in Jamaica is a truly democratic
experience.
So, how should the uninitiated
make the best out of the Carnival
experience? Take a deep breath, jump
into those skin-coloured tights, apply
some baby oil and glitter — I’m taking
you for a ride.
Hot tip: don’t miss the breakfast
parties. The name on the tin says what
it does. These are some of the best
events of Carnival season. Whether you
wake up early to do a full face at dawn,
or do an outfit change after partying
all night, there are few other instances
in life where you won’t be judged for
having rum with your pancakes. Then
there’s Beach J’Ouvert. Each year,
attendees regale those who didn’t
make it with stories of the goings-on —
only to stop midway as the storyteller
realises that it was him- or herself who
did indeed bruk out. No need to selfincriminate:
what happens at Beach
J’Ouvert stays at Beach J’Ouvert.
On Carnival Sunday, the day of the
street parade — which Jamaicans
call the road march — it’s best, in my
experience, not to touch alcohol
until the parade culminates. Don’t
be that person carted away by event
paramedics forty-seven minutes in. Stay
hydrated with water, friends, and wear
comfortable shoes! Buy an inexpensive
pair of sneakers, and decorate them to
match your costume. Don’t get fooled
by the pageantry — Carnival is not a
catwalk. And if you don’t enjoy yourself
— you’re doing it wrong.
Carnival in Jamaica 2020 runs from 15 to 20 April. For more information,
visit the Jamaica Tourist Board website, visitjamaica.com
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