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BACCHANAL
JAMAICA 2009 COVERAGE
TJJ's Party Guru's Guide to Carnival in Jamaica First you need to understand that this is not your regular island. Jamaica is HUGE! At a size of 4,243 square miles; just a tad smaller than the state of Connecticut. Compare that to the major carnival countries of the Caribbean: Trinidad weighs in at 1,864 sq mi, about the size of Delaware (the second smallest state in the US) and Barbados a shy 166 sq mi, about 2 ½ times the size of the District of Columbia (not even a State!). Now this geography lesson is not to say that Carnival in Jamaica is also huge, but actually the opposite... that it’s not! With such a size and population, it is extremely easy to be on the island and completely miss all of the festivities that is Carnival. That’s where we come in!
Jamaica is the home of Reggae music, and as a result, Soca although very much played and loved, isn’t near the scale of reggae music and following suit, the Soca scene can be a who’s who kinda business. Soca lovers… let's get informed. Prerequisites:
Tuesday: Is usually Pan Night, but this year, the date was changed to Wednesday. Wednesday: Bacchanal Jamaica's "Soca @ de Sandbar" event is always held on the Wednesday before Carnival day at Kingston's beautiful Lime Cay beach. Socaphiles bring yuh coolers full of drinks and wine the day away till the sun fades behind the Caribbean Sea at this FREE soca fete. If you know Olly (or know somebody that know somebody), then his "Bottle Party" is the lick for Wednesday night. Thursday: Two words ... "Frenchmen Blocko"! If you have the time, definitely go to Hellshire for some fresh fish in the day. Friday: Bacchanal Jamaica does "Bacchanal J'Ouvert". Make sure and sleep before you come out and wear comfortable shoes, cause this one moves from a fete to the real thing... full J'Ouvert on the road until the sun comes up! A definite don’t miss. The Joker's Wild group also does a J'Ouvert fete. Saturday: Grassroots posse, "Wata Party" takes place besides the Mas Camp courtesy of Island Mas Jamaica. Uptown'ers, Frenchmen (Ambassadors Group) does an ultra all inclusive "Bazodee". It’s going to cost you (still by comparison about 1/3 of what you would pay in Trini and less than a similar fete in the US), but it’s worth every one of the thousands of Jamaican dollars that they charge. Get there early cause it’s going to end at 2AM as most Jamaican fetes seem to and there’s so much to see and do. But at 2, go straight home, do not pass go and do not collect $200. You need/want to wake up early tomorrow. Sunday (The Carnival Parade): There are 2 major Mas organizations. "Bacchanal Jamaica" and "Jamaica Carnival." Yes, "Jamaica Carnival" is a Mas band, so it's actually referred to as "Carnival or Mas in Jamaica" and not "Jamaica Carnival" for obvious reasons. Now the good folks involved in Bacchanal Jamaica have been doing this for sometime now (20+ years), so expect a well organized jump up. The parade called "Road March" starts around 10am and runs all day. *See Attire. There is a lunch stop and a final dinner stop (back at Mas Camp) that includes a Last Lap jump up (with drinks still flowing) around 7pm for masqueraders. Pay attention to the DJ’s, stay within the security ropes for your band and always look out for tractor trailer wheels. For Bacchanal Jamaica's road experience, the drinks will find you ... honestly! Final Thoughts: Carnival hunting is a grueling business. Take your vitamins, get sleep when you can and stay hydrated. Try to move in numbers, as well as, populated and well lit areas. Leave your valuables at home – Bacchanal Jamaica is an all inclusive mas band – walk with minimal cash and secure your phone and cameras. Wining on the same woman for too long (or too short) can send the wrong message. A Trini wine is very different from a Bajian wuk up, which is also different from a Jamaican wine .... Enjoy sampling the variety! Bacchanal Jamaica definitely gets TJJ's Stamp of Approval. See you guys next year!
Dr. Ram Dass, TJJ Fet-a-lot-athon® Party Guru Disclaimer: Professional and experienced TJJ Fet-a-lot-athon® Party Gurus have rigorously tested these Carnival grounds and are providing said recommendations based on the fundamentals that the audience is a healthy rum drinking islander. If while performing any of these actions you begin to feel any dizziness, fatigue or pain please stop and consult your physician immediately. |
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