BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THERE will be seven J’Ouvert Troupes parading through the streets of Basseterre on December 26 for this year’s National Carnival.
All the troupes will be providing food and drinks, T-shirts as well as music from various sound systems or bands that are hoping to capture the interest of the people.
J‘Ouvert Animolz will be presented by Bary Cranstoun and will feature music by Celebrity Sounds, body paint, drinks, breakfast and lunch and a T-Shirt. According to Cranstoun, a party will be held at Bary’s Bar & Grill at Bird Rock from 12:00 a.m. before the troupe moves into Basseterre. Cranstoun said that he would also be singing his recent Carnival release ‘One More Day for Carnival’ as the troupe make their way into town.
The Love Parade J’Ouvert Troupe has been around for five years and targets people who are not familiar with the carnival culture of St. Kitts but still want to get involved. The troupe is being presented by John Francis of DanceBeat Records, who said that this year they would do things a little different.
“So those who are here on vacation including students, ex-pats and tourists, this is a special troupe where we are going to start from Godfathers at South Friars with a Bonfire then journey to the Strip at about 2:00 a.m. “We are going to recruit persons who are there and would like to participate in J’Ouvert. And we will be there until 4:00 a.m. then travel to the lawn by Central Bank on the Kim Collins Highway,” he said.
He said that they would have breakfast at the lawn and at 5:00 a.m. and move into town for the J’Ouvert. When the J‘Ouvert is over they will journey back to the beach. The cost to join this troupe is EC$50. according to Francis, DJ Jon Black would be providing two types of music - Tribal House and the best of last year’s Road March contenders, along with those he feels are contenders for this year.
Francis said that they would also be distributing condoms as they work closely with the HIV/AIDS Secretariat.
The Nu Vybes Band will be providing music for the Blue Devils J’Ouvert Troupe that is being presented by Khareem Cabey and Rawlston Rankin. According to Cabey, the Blue Devils Troupe already has a reputation in islands such as Antigua and Trinidad as one of the best experiences on J’Ouvert.
He said that his business partner Rankin is from Antigua and thought that the Blue Devils idea would be a hit in St. Kitts. Cabey said that the troupe plans to party at the Newtown Fisheries Complex with the Nu Vybes Band from around 2:00 a.m. and then journey on the streets from 4:30 a.m.
There will be free food, drinks, body paint, T-shirt, noise maker, and the troupe promises to be a whole new and exciting experience. The cost to join this troupe is EC$55. The back-to-back Road March champs, Grand Masters Band, will also be presenting a J’Ouvert Troupe called GM ADIXX.
This is the lowest costing troupe, only EC$25, and will offer persons t-shirt, bandana and a bubble blower. According to the Manager of the band, Wingrove Hicks, this is the second time they are presenting a troupe and are organising it especially for their fans, as times are hard and they want to make it affordable for everyone.
“The people will be jamming to our Road March contender ‘Buss U Bubble’,” Hicks said. The Young Pamites will be presenting a troupe entitled Golden Warriors and Kollision Band will be providing the music. According to Al Wilson, there would be a pre-J’Ouvert party at PAM Headquarters starting around 11:00 p.m. before they make their way into town.
This will be the first time in years the Young Pamites will be presenting a troupe that includes T-shirt, yellow body paint, noise maker, rags, bandanas, free calendar, drinks and food. Packages can be collected at Pam Secretariat. Known for his participation in Green Valley and Culturama, Garfield ‘Sobers’ Jeffers, for the first time, will be presenting a troupe for J’Ouvert. Jeffers said that every year he jams with Ronnie Rascal but this year he has decided to do something different.
“It will be about four of us dressed in pajama suits and drinking out of potties. “There will also be two dollies dancing along with us, and the troupe is called Ronnie Rascal Troupe. We will join in with DJ Ronnie Rascal who will be presenting his Xtreme J’Ouvert Troupe,” he said.
“This is just for fun. Last year I had a potty drinking my drinks out of and people said that they liked it, so I decided to do it again this year and include more people,” he added.
And finally, the mother of all J’Overt Troupes, the Xtreme J ‘Ouvert Warriors, who have been winning the Largest J’Ouvert Troupe award for the past ten years.
According to one of the organisers, they would be presenting LIME Xtreme Jungle J’Ouvert. The cost to join this troupe is EC$100 and includes food and drinks, T-shirt, bandana, noise maker, body paint, sport bottle and a party starting from 12 midnight at the TDC Staff Complex. The music for the troupe will be provided DJ Ronnie Rascal.
The troupe also features a Wet Down session on Bank Street, where persons can cool down after hours of dancing and sweating through the streets.
