As the different bands get ready for Carnival in Jamaica 2025, GenXS says it’s ready to bring the heat.

With 10 sizzling sections to chose from, organisers say revellers will find much to match their tastes for April’s road march.

Tagyei Belinfante, one of the directors of GenXS Jamaica and GenXS Carnival Miami, said the Kingdom of the Sun theme was the result of a perfect blend of fantasy and creativity.

“We always want to challenge ourselves. Last year we did ‘Unleash the Dragon’ and that was a huge hit with revellers. This year we wanted to push the envelope of creativity even more but still staying true to our fantasy storyline because we believe our audience loves that,” he said. “Jamaica is a Kingdom of the Sun, and so we decided to spin into fantasy.”

Belinfante was speaking at the band’s official launch at the Clubhouse Brewery on Friday. The launch, a virtual one, saw the costumes being displayed digitally as opposed to being modelled live as was the case in previous years.

He explained that virtual launches are becoming more popular as they gives bands the opportunity to engage a global audience even more.

“Truth be told, a lot of bands are choosing virtual launches because many people from around the world who come to Carnival have to watch the launches online every year so we just wanted to test the virtual aspect,” he said. “And, like I stated before, we are big on storytelling and a virtual launch allows us to explore our creativity in unimaginable ways.”

Belinfante told the Jamaica Observer that the GenXS designers were so inspired by the Kingdom of the Sun theme they had to size up from an original six costumes designs to nine.

“The theme was so fire — literally — that the designers needed more. We had six costumes initially but our expert designers just kept coming up with ideas that suited the theme so perfectly, we kept adding,” he shared. “There are 10 costumes but there is also a T-shirt section and an all-male section, so there’s 12 different choices for our audience. Everyone will be able to find something that speaks to their energy and vibe.”

The bands include Eos, Skai, Ashur, Azula, Suhraya, Helia, Itoshii, Xova, Mezara, Lyza, and the all-male section Skoll.

“So there is Eos and her nine deities, all with a special power and attraction which is what we want our revellers to feel when they jump with GenXS,” he continued.

Pointing out that Carnival in Jamaica has grown significantly over the past few years, the GenXS director said competition among the different bands is at the highest it has been in recent times. He shared, however, that the GenXS experience keeps revellers coming back.

“We want to have an unmatched experience from you come to pick up your costumes to you being out on the road with us. We want to really improve customer service. That is our biggest commitment to masqueraders. We want to assure you that GenXS is the place for a great road experience,” he said.

“I think Jamaica has the infrastructure to deliver one of the best Carnival experiences in the world, and we want to be a huge part of bringing that to fruition,” charged Belinfante.

— Shereita Grizzle