Carnival came and Carnival went. But, was it the bomb or a flop? Is it just a niche uptown thing or is it gaining traction with the masses? Will it dwindle away or is Carnival here to stay?

I went to a few events and then the road march. Blocko was a pretty good warm-up with nice vibes. Kes and the Band was excellent and enjoyed by all. Wifey dubbed Bacchanal J’Ouvert “the party of the season”. It had a full-house turnout and maximum excitement, especially when liquor overcame inhibitions and paint and powder started to fly. Sunnation Breakfast got a good turnout, with women dressed to the max — but maybe more interested in profiling than following Bunji Garlin’s advice: “‘I ain’t come here for no stand up. I come to party with meh hand up!”

Wi Fete at Sabina Park was a bit of a mixed bag. Nailah Blackman, Skinny Fabulous, Bunji Garlin, and Machel Montano were great. Busy Signal gave a good performance, but Valiant almost killed the show. He is a very promising artiste, but his kind of music just does not blend with Carnival. Road march with Jamaica Bacchanal was the usual well-organised affair, full of fun and frolic. But wifey and I were perhaps not as fit as we were in Trinidad, and were unable to get the not-so-young bones back on the road after lunch.

Mine was, however, perhaps an older uptown experience. So I turned to younger folks who were completely immersed in both UWI and Jamaica Carnival to get a full engagee on-the-ground perspective, and here is UWI student Devanee Hird’s Carnival 2023 Report From The Road:

“With over 30 events being held since the kick-off of the soca season in late January, I cannot possibly thoroughly score them all, but here are my overall impressions.

“The start of my soca season was UWI carnival, which I can safely say was a hit. The band launch of the students was a testament that the future of Jamaica Carnival is in good hands. J’Ouvert was most definitely the highlight, an amazing night of paint and powder, with purely soca music. UWI’s Ring Road March was a fantastic experience, being a first for a majority of students in attendance. The after-Mas fell a bit flat due to inclement weather and the jarring performances of dancehall artistes at a soca event. The beach carnival was also a hit for those in attendance, although the numbers were scantier than J’Ouvert.

“What remains a concern is the safety of the students throughout the season. There was little or no security presence at the events, which takes points off for me as a young woman. Hiccups with band costumes also brings down the score, with bands such as ROK delivering completely different costumes without notifying masqueraders. Still, the overall experience ranks very high, at a 7/10, and it can get much better with better organisation.

“For the older crowd that had no business at a college carnival, other events were being held leading up to the big event. I can only review the most notable. I Love Soca is a must-attend, and one of the highest-ranking events on this list. This was their best party yet; the energy of the crowd was palpable. Wi Fete and Kes the Band got similar reviews, immaculate vibes and great performances. Ambush, one of the most-anticipated events, had mixed reviews with logistics setbacks ruining the experience for some. Then came the day we were all waiting for: Road march!

“I am typically not an early-riser, but on Carnival Sunday I was up by 6:00 am to start the process of preparing for the day. My friends and I made sport of it; getting ready together, tying costumes and smoothing feathers as we went. At 9:00 am we took off to join our band for breakfast and start what would be an awesome day.

“For masqueraders who jumped with Xodus tensions were high, as the band had left some with a bad taste in their mouths due to an abrupt cancellation of two costume sections on the day before Carnival. Those who did complete their route say they had a good time, though the evening route ended in traffic and left masqueraders to fend for themselves.

“GenXs was quite the step up, and by far the most star-studded band. They were joined by the likes of Winnie Harlow and Chance the rapper on the road, and majority of the Jamaican social media personalities who jumped also played mas with them.

“Yardmas carnival was one for the books. After COVID and the Xaymaca band experiences they can claim redemption. They had the biggest crowd, as masqueraders left both Xodus and GenX to join, and the most quality service, with breakfast, lunch, and Popeyes for dinner. Massages and cold damp towels were also offered in the band yard.

“The Campari Boulevard after party was the perfect end to the night. What cemented them as my winners for carnival 2023 was their Fort Clarence beach fete.

“My top songs: Come Home, Engine Room, Hard Fete and Mental Day.

“This was my first Carnival experience and I would score it a 9 out of 10.

“Band Scores: Yardmas, 9; GenX, 8; Bacchanal, 7; Xodus, 5.5”

So what is the outlook for Carnival in Jamaica? Well it’s clearly no longer just an uptown thing. While some parties are still almost a corporate Jamaica affair, more and more ‘regular’ Jamaicans are getting interested, as they should be. There are few more joy-filled experiences in this world than jumping up to soca and playing Mas on the road.

The obvious way of making Carnival a fully accepted part of Jamaican culture, instead of an exotic niche spectacle, is an infusion of dancehall. Some are trying to do this, as seen at Wi Fete. However, perhaps a little more thinking through is needed.

In simplistic terms, dancehall has two main streams: Bounty ‘consciousness’ and Beenie ‘girls dem sugar’. This duality is perhaps what has made it so influential and popular worldwide. It addresses with social reality like few other music genres: There is practically no aspect of the Jamaican experience that dancehall does not address in the most graphic detail. But, as the name says, dancehall is also about dancing and having fun.

Social commentary was always a huge part of Calypso, and soca sometimes addresses serious issues of life in songs like Hulk and Famalay. Carnival, however, celebrates three main themes — women, rum and wining. So, if you are going to inject dancehall into Carnival, it has to be the right mix. For instance, while Valiant at Wi Fete seemed a fish out of water, someone like Ding Dong would have been right at home. A song like Look Into My Eyes would have left the audience cold, but Rum And Redbull would probably have mashed Sabina to the ground. My bet is that a Carnival fete with Nailah, Benji, Machel, Ding Dong, RDX, and Beenie Man would sell out the venue in advance.

At any rate, I’m personally already looking forward to Carnival 2024. Life is short and you have to enjoy it while you can. As Machel Montano sings:

“Happiness in the measure of success…

That’s why we go live we life,

Drink ah rum and play a Mas and jump around

The happiest people alive…”

Kevin O’Brien Chang is an entrepreneur and public commentator. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or kob.chang@fontanapharmacy.com.