Lately, a colorful sea of Jamaican Bacchanal revelers make their way along Hope Road in St Andrew. (Photo: Karl McClarty)
The Jamaica Observer’s Entertainment Desk continues with the 58th installment of its fortnightly look at the key moments that have helped shape Jamaica over the past 60 years.
Although the carnivals originated in the Eastern Caribbean, the Jamaican edition has become a staple over the years – bringing thousands to the island with each staging.
Michael Ammar Jr, co-director of Bacchanal Jamaica, says the Jamaican experience is like no other.
“In the beginning, it was 95 percent locals in the costume sections. As it grew, it became more of a spectacle and more of a world-class production. Suddenly, people noticed the Jamaican Carnival product. When things split and Bacchanal , Xodus and Xaymaca were ex, we really had that core to make it the best. No other island in the Caribbean can beat us when it comes to value for money because the costumes are more affordable, the hotels are more nice…When you come to Jamaica, you get more. I love going to Trinidad for the Jamaican Carnival, but the Jamaican Carnival is something else. Our food, the beaches, the mountains…there’s so much more,” he told her The Jamaica Observer.
Carnival began at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus in the 1950s, as local students – influenced by their classmates in the Eastern Caribbean – engaged in festivities. This engagement became known as the UWI Carnival, an annual event that still exists today. Carnival, however, was not seriously established on the island until the late Byron Lee decided to establish it as an official event in 1990.
Lee was inspired by Ammar Jr along with Ricky Mahfood and George Hugh, who formed the Oakridge Boys and had introduced a small-scale carnival party just the year before. The idea was born after the men were forced to stay in Jamaica in 1989 due to political strife and one of the most brutal natural disasters Jamaica had ever seen.
“We brought Carnival to Jamaica in 1989 and the Jamaica Carnival saw what we did and decided to make it bigger. We started as the Oakridge Carnival and because the government had declared an election for Carnival Week, in those days whenever that had elections had a Just got out of the war [Hurricane] Gilbert [in 1988], we decided that we would not leave Jamaica that year and go to Trinidad for Carnival. It seemed like a far-fetched idea, but once the three of us looked at it, we decided it could work. We got more friends together and told them and they said they would attend. At the time there was a thing called the Orange Carnival and we talked to them through a gentleman called Garth Moodie and we got a deal to go to the Orange Carnival at the end of the Road March… so that would be the official after party. We started at Manor Park and ended at Hillel Academy. In that first year, there were only about 350 people,” Ammar Jr. said.
In an interview with watchdog at the 2019 Road March celebrations, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett revealed it was the most successful in Jamaica’s carnival history. On average, around 30,000 tourists visit the island every year to celebrate.
File photo showing a costumed entertainer enjoying a street parade. (Photo: Dwayne A. Watkins)
Ammar Jr says that the carnival has boosted not only the economy, but the social life of all who participate.
“It was a big plus because it put entertainment into a period where there was no entertainment. The only thing between Christmas and Easter was Valentine’s Day, so it gave young people something to do. All the sound companies and the bars had nothing to do during Even then. When Byron Lee started Jamaica Carnival, it exploded and Oakridge exploded with it. Even though it was smaller compared to Jamaica Carnival, it was a premium event,” he said. .
In addition to the Jamaica Carnival, there are bar side events such as the Downtown Carnival, the Ocho Rios Carnival, and the St Thomas Carnival.
