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A Vistors Primer for Jamaica Carnival 2005



Jamaica Carnival 2005 can be divided into two parts, you can do either or
both:

Part 1...De North Coast Kickoff

Carnival in Jamaica kicks off on Easter Weekend, this year thats March
25th, Good Friday to March 28th, Easter Monday, a Jamaican National
Holiday. Thats a big four day holiday weekend centered in the Ocho Rios
area on the North coast. That weekend the somewhat quiet small town of Ocho
Rios comes alive with visitors from throughout Jamaica and especially the
capital city of Kingston.

Friday Night...Mainly Dancehall, big names like Elephant Man, big name
Sound Systems like Black Chiney in town. The town is booming, and the
streets are filled.

Saturday Afternoon-Early Evening...Bacchanal Jamaica Beach J'ouvert at
James Bond Beach. Big name soca stars, last year it was Rupee, Atlantik,
Destra and Imij & Company just to name few, also Point Fortin Engine Room
bangin on de iron. Lots of paint, lots of free drinks, lots of fun in a
great location with first class everything. Cost around $45. Attendance
about 5000.

Sunday Evening...Big festival in Chucka Cove a few miles west of Ocho
Rios...This is a Jamaica Carnival or Byron Lee affair. Note, two groups put
on most if not all the carnival events, thats Byron Lee's Jamaica Carnival
and another group called Bacchanal Jamaica. Last year had pretty much the
same lineup as the above Beach J'ouvert with the addition of Byron Lee's
band. Cost is like $30 and attendance is big, like 15,000 or more.

There is also a semiprivate fete that night put on by Bacchanal Jamaica,
Frenchman, at a Villa right on the ocean just a few miles east of Ocho
Rios...All-inclusive, last year maybe 500 to 1000. About $35. DJ music,
very nice fete.

Monday...Holiday for Jamaicans...One year we went to Dunn River Falls Beach
just outside Ocho Rios. Sound Systems at the falls and on the beach,
Bar-B-Q-ing, lots of fun, no hoards of tourists at the falls that day for
sure.

Part 2...Kingston Carnival Bashments/Road March

Off to Kingston on Tuesday or Wednesday. Taxi ride about $100.

Wednesday...This year it looks like a Soca Beach Party in the afternoon put
on by Bacchanal Jamaica and a Pan Night put on by Jamaica Carnival. See
websites below.

Friday Night-Saturday Morning...Big Friday night J'ouverts starting at
midnight and going till dawn with a road march through the streets of New
Kingston. There are two events that night in the same general area...I
prefer the Raiders J'ouvert at the Mas Camp venue...Lots of paint at about
4am...attendance about 5000. There is also the much bigger Joker's Wild
J'ouvert with a younger crowd...about 15,000 for this one. More big name
soca stars like Machel Montano and Xtatik at this one. Pretty much the same
format for both, cost is about $25 to $35.

Saturday Night...Fete night. Frenchman fete is the mother of all-inclusive
fetes, first class everything and I mean everything. About $60. Attendance
about 1500.

Also, a fete poolside at the Pegasus Hotel put on by Byron Lee. Top guest
artists always appear; Both reggae and soca. Cost about $25.

Sunday...Road March by both groups, Jamaica Carnival and Bacchanal Jamaica.
We have always done the Bacchanal Jamaica Road March. I highly recommend
the Frenchman Section which is called Illusions, a premium all-inclusive
section, cost about $115. Costumes shown at Bacchanal website, see link
below.

Fetes after the road marches at the mas camp and elsewhere till about
midnight. See event listings in websites below.

Accommodations:

For Ocho Rios accommodations, I suggest a deluxe room at the Hibiscus
Lodge, $125 or about $100 for regular room...Rooms are totally booked for
Easter Weekend in Ocho Rios, so reservations have to be made early, like
now.

For Kingston accommodations, I suggest the Pegasus Hotel, the center of
carnival activities. Ask for carnival rate, about $145 includes taxes and
breakfast. Also good is the Hilton and Courtleigh and Knutsford. These
hotels are located in a safe secure area of New Kingston.

Websites for costumes and events schedule are:

http://www.bacchanaljamaica.com/

http://www.jamaicacarnival.com/

Carnival in Jamaica is one of the best in the Caribbean, we've played mas
in carnivals in Trinidad, Barbados, and Grenada and we have as much fun in
Jamaica as anywhere.

I wrote that up and posted it here about a week ago, but thanks for posting it again. People seem to dismiss Jamaica Carnival for one reason or another, but I think they missing out on a good thing without realizing it.

It relatively cheap and easy to get to Jamaica, and the events in Kingston are close to the main hotels and they are safe and secure...This will be my 7th Jamaica Carnival and I have yet to witness a fight or any kind of negative incident.

The Bacchanal Jamaica road march is really great in my opinion. They provide free shuttles to the starting point from the mas camp venue which is only a couple blocks from the hotels. And the road march ends up there where they provide food and the fete continues on till midnight.

Something unique I havent seen on any other road marches, they provide these small sealed plastic bags of ice water, fruit juice or rum and juice and everybody has a great time with the ice water squirting it on yuh friends...lots of fun.

We call it 'suck suck'

It's funny that we have to promote this....but for those of us who have attended in the past.... know it's a lot of fun...






My only wish is that they keep it Mo Bay

Kool thing!

I got it from Jamaican Joe in Maryland.

He talks about you alot. Of course he's going this year.

TEK ME TO ME YARD
am i de only person who tink elephant man, and beenie man, and buju, and shaggy is H-U-G-L-Y DAMN YARDIES

Jamaica Carnival does sound nice. I will definitely hit that up sometime.

I would love to check out JA Carnival next year. Travel for this year is already locked.

At the risk of sounding traitorous...Jamaica Carnival is nice, but the reason why some dismiss it is because after going to Trinidad or Barbados, it's very anti-climactic...

I went a couple years well (to the Kingston part) and was disappointed with the organization, the route, and overall "mas" participation. The bands seemed very confused when I inquired about costumes, which, in my opinion is inexcusable when the carnival has been going on for over 10 years.

However, I'll be back again this year, hopefully things other than the fetes will be worth it.

Of course, I will have to disagree that JA carnival is anti-climatic to Cropover and it goes without saying that all WI carnivals can't compare to Trinidad. Ive been to Cropover and played mas there, so Im in a position to compare and I would take JA Carnival if I had to choose between the two.

Which group did you play mas with, Byron Lee's Jamaica Carnival or Bacchanal Jamaica? I really don't know what goes on over there with Byron Lee's group, but I have a feeling they are not nearly as organized and efficient as Bacchanal Jamaica and inside Bacchanal Jamaica the Frenchman is the premium section and will sell out early. So, if you wanna play mas, I suggest you somehow signup and get your deposit in for the Illusions Section(Frenchman) of Bacchanal Jamaica within the next couple weeks or so, as I dont know when they sell out.

BTW, I have no ties or relationship to Jamaica or the Caribbean for that matter...Im just providing this info to smooth the way for my fellow carnival jumbies in case the're interested; I had to learn the hard way...by trial and error.

the costumes look pretty good to me. This may seem like a stupid question but is soca the primary music played like other carnivals? I said Primary not Only, dont be confused

Looking at the costumes on Bacchanal - they look pretty good. I am a Trini who has never been to Jamaica, but because of having a few really wonderful Jamaican freinds - now I know about JA Carnival.

Sad to say that I did not have a clue that Jamaica had a Carnival until recently.

I know this year I will not be able to make it but hopefully next year, I can go and get a taste of what the Carnival is like.

Do they have the costumes designed and made in Trinidad or any other place? Cause those costumes look familiar, nice but familiar.

What date is Machel, Byron lee, destra...showing up ? location or links thanks.

Soca is the primary music. In the Bacchannal Jamaica group, this is pretty much the upper-class of Jamaican society and they stick pretty close to soca with a song or two of dancehall once in a while...The other group, Jamaica Carnival has some dancehall trucks but since Ive never jumped up with that group, I cant say what the mix is...

Last year, in the Bacchanal group, we had Machel Montano on one of our trucks; I heard in the Jamaica Carnival group, they had Elephant Man and Beenie Man on a couple trucks, so I think they do a mix of dancehall/reggae and soca on the road. They also had an IRIE FM truck on the road...man, it had the loudest sound system I have ever heard on any truck, anywhere, including Trinidad.

In the past, the costumes have been imported from Trinidad but currently I think some sections are being made in Jamaica now.

The people that makeup the Bacchanal Jamaica Organization have been going to Trinidad for carnival each year for many many years. There were telling me they had pretty much their own Jamaican section in Poison last year and this year as well.

I havent seen anything yet on the lineup for shows, I think its still a little early. When I see something, I'll post it up.

Of course Byron Lee and his band will be at the Chukka Cove festival on Easter Sunday, thats his promotion and hes always there...Thats in St. Anns, a few miles West of Ocho Rios on the North Coast.

The biggest shows with several major soca artists are:

Beach Jouvert...Sat. March 26th, 2PM...James Bond Beach

Chukka Cove Festival...Easter Sunday, March 27th...St. Anns

Friday Night Jouverts (two)...Friday, April 1st...New Kingston