The highly anticipated event that marks the end of the Jamaica Carnival Season was back in full swing as revellers could be seen chipping down the road after a hiatus due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The ‘band of choice’, for some, this year is GenXS, a Miami-based band that emerged out of a void in the Carnival community and the absence of an authentic Carnival experience for the Caribbean Diaspora in Miami.

GenXS launched in Jamaica in 2022, where patrons were invited to a band launch, where the costumes for Carnival 2023 were revealed.

This year’s theme ‘Return to Paradise’, paid homage to the reworked event and featured the beautiful colours of the costumes and intricate designs showcasing the band.

The revellers seemed to enjoy every bit of it.

Melisssa, in from Miami, Florida, said: “I’m visiting from Miami, where there is a lot of buzz about GenXS. I was actually born in Jamaica and wanted to come home to experience it to see what it would be like. It did not disappoint, the vibes and energy was right, and I will definitely be back next year.”

There was also a group of friends who deemed themselves “Carnival Veterans”, who were visiting from Qatar to attend the festivities.

“We joined GenXS this year and this is actually our 4th Carnival in Jamaica. We’ve tried other bands and wanted to try this new band. The thing that drew me in was the food options. I like that there was breakfast, lunch and even dinner! That’s enough for me to come back again next year,” shared Benson from that group.

Among this year’s revellers was dancehall artiste D’Angel, who though surrounded by doting fans, stopped by for a quick chat where she shared:

“The event is great and I’m having so much fun, especially since my son Marco Dean is here to enjoy the experience. It makes it that much more fun for me. The fans I met on the road have also made it a great experience for me. I saw the costume, didn’t even try it, and knew it would be the best fit for me.”

The artiste then went on to express that GenXS actually chose her as they felt she would be the best fit for their parade.

The end of the road march journey was at Barbican Centre, in St Andrew, where all the revellers gathered to continue the festivities of the evening while they waited for dinner served up by KFC.