J’ouvert (Jouvay) Morning in Grenada; Spicemas is here for the next two days. Despite lightning and thunderstorms, the mas bands and DJ trucks are on the road and I can feel the vibe and energy even from in my warm and cosy bed.
J’ouvert is my favourite part of Carnival. There is something so wild, raw and uninhibited about the ritual of “oiling-up”, of greeting the daylight intoxicated on a high of adrenaline, alcohol, exhaustion, anticipation and music. Always the music. Not the commercial “fete” soca tunes, but the jab riddim chants; slower, heavy thumping basslines, conch shells, chains and whistles infusing you with the very soul of Jab Molassie, our anti-heroic, defiant, subversive ancestors.
Rackie Writes 