J’Ouvert celebrations ramp up in rural communities

J’Ouvert is an integral part of the Carnival festival, and some argue part of its origin story in Trinidad and Tobago. While many people travel to Port of Spain to take part in the pre-dawn ritual, several communities across Trinidad host their own celebrations.

J’Ouvert is derived from French patois and means "daybreak." It marks the official start of the two-day Carnival celebrations and begins at 4 am on Carnival Monday. The event is characterised by people gathering in bands, covering themselves in mud, oil, paint, or powder, and parading through the streets.

J’Ouvert bands in different communities are formed for different reasons.

In Arouca, one J’Ouvert band was formed around the First Citizens Supernovas Steel Orchestra, beginning in 2016. The band’s route goes around Surrey Village, in Lopinot and through McDavid Trace.

Organiser Crystal Julien-Ralph said the band would normally go into Port of Spain with the steelband and a DJ. She said the steelband would play when the masqueraders were crossing the judging points.

“We had something small during covid19 as well. Last year and this year we decided to stay within the constraints of our village. Some people are not so keen on venturing into Port of Spain with everything that’s going on. It’s also economical as we don’t have to carry the band on trailers, and then we avoid the hassle of paperwork of getting the band into Port of Spain.”

She said the band is a T-shirt band, where people pay $150, and are provided with paint, a jersey, a band, and a cup.

“Our band usually has a theme based on the song the steelband is using, which this year is Wet Me Down. We’re catering for about 200 people.

“We go around the village. The village supports the band a lot, so it’s kind of like a give back. We go from 3 am to around 10 am, and then everyone will take a trip down to the river when they’re done.”

Julien-Ralph said while security concerns were not really a factor in the decision to not return to Port of Spain, the rise in covid19 cases was definitely a factor.

“At least in the community, you know the people around and you can distance yourself accordingly, because we basically live in the bush, so people can be separated from each other as much as they want. There’s a lot of space.”

She said there used to be traditional characters in the past, but these people had stopped coming out.

People bring out new J’Ouvert bands each year in their communities. In Mayaro, 21-year-old Aisha Allsop is the newest face on the J’Ouvert scene, as she’s the proud owner of the band New Town.

Mas-making is part of Allsop’s DNA, as her late grandfather, Errol Allsop, was also a mas-maker. She says that as a young entrepreneur, the challenge and excitement are what keep her driven.

Allsop says the band's name was carefully crafted, aiming to bring Port of Spain into the countryside. Her vision is to one day have her band compete in Port of Spain but for now, she takes great pride in creating reasonably-priced costumes for the people of Mayaro, saying her small band is a big hit.

"What sets the band apart from the others is its vibrant neon colours, feathers and rhinestones. You can tell we're coming from a mile away."

She said she chose to avoid the traditional T-shirts and mud for J’Ouvert because it didn’t appeal to her.

"I am not normal; I like things different. A T-shirt would not appeal to me, so I won't offer that."

Allsop said she makes all the clothing for her small band despite having no formal training. This makes her clothing less expensive and partnered with local businesses, including her father’s hardware store and sources some of her materials from there.

She also owns a clothing business in Mayaro. She jokes that her siblings forced her to start a band and since starting a year ago, she has fallen in love with every aspect of it.

Acknowledging the state of crime, she said, "We will all be together before and after J’Ouvert, and the directors will definitely be putting their best foot forward to secure everyone's safety."

Charles ended, "Whether mas, pan, or J’Ouvert, we have also had a very safe Carnival 2023 and intend to continue that trend."

Other bands stay in their communities because of security concerns. Organiser of the Beetham J’Ouvert Travis McIntosh said he took over running the festival in 2018.

“Originally it used to be in the streets, but we got too big, so the police moved us to the basketball courts in 2021. It’s free to come in, and it’s all about how you live with the community. People love when I throw things and will come out. We go from 3 am to 3 pm when the police come and cut us off.”

His main concern is that he is funding the event entirely out of his own pocket with any returns from the event being put toward the bar and the DJ.

“I don’t have any sponsors and would appreciate if anyone could help me with the expenses or in kind. The man with the bar, I can sometimes take $20,000 in liquor and pay half before and half after the event. The DJ charges $4,000 just to put down his set. The water truck is $500 a load and sometimes we take three-four loads. There are people who do help out but the majority of money comes from my pocket.

“Sometimes I get jerseys to sell to make back a little money. White is the favourite colour to wear, so the paint really stands out against it.”

McIntosh reiterated that any assistance would be appreciated.

In some communities, J’Ouvert retains the traditional elements of mas, with families, community groups, and individuals carrying on traditions of playing devils, fancy sailors, gorillas, and others. The Cedros Regional Carnival Committee hosts the third largest J’Ouvert in the country, according to the police service.

Committee secretary Coreece Wilson said in the last five-seven years, the band has hosted up to 10,000 people.

“In 2020, we had 10,000 people, but we declined to 8,500 in 2023, as people were scared to come out because of covid19. This year the advertising has been going exceptionally well and our intention is to make it better. We want to be the bigger and better J’Ouvert experience, capitalise on what we offer, and attract more people to come into Cedros.”

She said the Cedros J’Ouvert is one of the safer ones around, with families and children attending. She said the committee had worked with the police service, the defence force and the coast guard, to make it generally safe.

“Also, Cedros is love. It’s one of the few places you can go and be intoxicated and a random person from the community will pick you up, carry you home, and feed you, and you will be safe.

“We’re also one of the few communities where everyone fraternises with everyone else, regardless of what race they are, and there’s no racial thing. You have to be there to understand what I’m saying in terms of the love.”

Wilson said the main source of funds is the National Carnival Commission’s subvention, as corporate sponsors shied away from donating because the NCC was giving them funds.

“Funding has always been an issue. The costs are rising, but subventions don’t increase at the same rate. While we are grateful, and try to make funds work to our advantage, it’s always a challenge to get suppliers to wait for their payments.”