ghostwritten by Candi Licence for SpiceMas Corporation Carnival Article

November 2019, for Truly Discover Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit Martinique (Annual Visitor’s Guide)

Are you going to be in Grenada, the second week of August?  Lucky you! SpiceMas, Grenada’s week-long Carnival extravaganza, showcases the best of Grenadian culture and traditions.  Plan to be enticed, enthralled, and engaged in non-stop fun.

This annual celebration, filled with many unforgettable events, is designed to make you want to be part of the action. Dance along with masqueraders costumed in feathers and sequins as they parade through the streets.  Cheer for your favorite artistes as they compete in fierce Soca, Calypso, and Steel Pan competitions to capture their Monarch crowns and bragging rights for the next year. Witness the enthralling and nail-biting beauty pageant to crown the National Carnival Queen. If you dare, step out of your comfort zone and join J’Ouvert, an over-the-top, raucous pre-dawn street parade.

Carnival in the Caribbean islands originated in the 18^th century when French colonial masters held extravagant feasts and elaborate masquerade (Mas) balls before Lent. Slaves, prohibited from participating in the festivities, created their own celebration combining their master’s events with African traditions and disguised themselves to avoid being recognized for some of the mockery they preformed.

Today, you can watch Traditional Mas bands preserve the historical roots of Carnival. The Jab Jab players entrance everyone. During slavery, plantation owners would often kill uncooperative slaves by throwing them into a boiling copper of molasses for refusing to work. Jab Jab players portray spirits of murdered slaves who return to haunt their masters. They cover themselves with molasses, tar or used motor oil, carry torches, whips, and chains.  They are present throughout Carnival, and they are the highlight of J’Ouvert, an early morning street parade filled with costumes, blaring Soca music, and rum.  You will never forget seeing these characters emerge from the darkness carrying torches and engage in outrageous antics.

Grenada is known worldwide for our amazing J’Ouvert, and it a highlight of Carnival.  Some dress up in their most outlandish costumes, while others use the opportunity to evoke the spirit of their ancestors, cover their faces and bear placards with thought provoking messages, all while dancing down the boulevard to pounding Soca music. Bumping against each other, they end up covered in oil, paint, or even famous Grenadian chocolate. You can safely watch from the sidelines or jump in, join the fun, and become part of the tapestry of color.

Traditional bands play essential roles in Carnival.  Wild Indians portray the indigenous people of Grenada. The magnificent Moko Jumbies are costumed characters who strut on 10 to 15-foot-tall stilts and tower over the crowds watching for evil. Maypole Dancers create intricate designs with their streamers. The Vieux Corps dress all in black and conceal their identity with painted masks. They are silent except for their tapping wooden shoes, portraying the loss of identity, status, and the complete invisibility of slaves. Short Knee bands are brilliantly costumed, masked characters with short pants, mirrors, and bells. They dance in intricate patterns, chant, demand loose change, and throw powder in the air to bless the crowd. Which traditional band will be your favorite?

More recent Carnival events join the Traditional Mas bands. You’ve seen pictures of Fancy Mas or Pretty Mas bands. Brimming with scantily clad dancers wearing elaborate feather headdresses and covered in sequined outfits, masqueraders saunter down the street in a dazzling parade. Be sure to take pictures of this spectacular display of costumes and dance moves.

Masqueraders parade through the streets after dark wearing neon headdresses and holding glowing torches during Monday Night Mas. Row upon row of players perform intricate patterns with their colorful props and fill the night with waves of pulsating colors. You will be dazzled by the masses of people, lights, and routines.

Music is an integral part of Grenadian culture. Original songs and melodies are composed specially for the SpiceMas competitions. If you love Soca, Calypso, and Pan, you are in for a treat.

Dimanche Gras is a fierce Calypso contest where lyrics highlight political and social issues that the country faces.  Calypso is sometimes called the poor man’s newspaper. The artistes leverage their songs to give voice to controversial topics like healthcare, education, or domestic abuse that may otherwise get ignored.

The Groovy and Soca Monarchs are awarded their coveted crowns based on specific judging criteria as well as crowd appeal.  Soca, sometimes called Power Soca, has the thumping, fast-paced rhythm that everyone associates with Carnival while Groovy has a slower-paced beat, and sweeter sound. The artistes stage extravagant spectacles using lights, smoke, dancers, and special effects to work the crowd to a frenzied fever. Sit in the stands to observe the action or be on the ground to be pulled into the madness of hundreds of ecstatic fans to scream and move to the music.

The Steel Pan competition, Panorama, is an explosion of sound and movement.  Bands with 40 to 100 players pound metal drums of all sizes and shapes to create intricate melodies usually based on the most popular Soca songs.  With braids flying and bodies swaying in time with the tune, these talented musicians fill the stadium and the surrounding areas with triumphant sounds.

If you love beauty and pageantry, the National Carnival Queen Show captivates and entertains.  Each contestant, already their parish queen, competes on talent, Carnival costume, swimwear, eveningwear, and their interview. Loyal fans fill the audience and they loudly encourage their favorite queen. Still it is the judges’ difficult task to determine who will reign as the National Carnival Queen for the next year.

Don’t miss one of the most engaging and captivating parts of Carnival, the Children’s Carnival Frolic. Young children participate in their own event that keeps Carnival relevant for the next generation and teaches cultural traditions. You’ll delight in seeing children as young as three enjoying themselves as they  cross the stage dressed in either Traditional Mas or Fancy Mas costumes in this precious and cherished tradition.

Carnival is a special time where Grenadians come together to celebrate culture, showcase tradition, and engage in a spectacular multiday event that consumes the entire country. Join us for the best party in the Caribbean, SpiceMas – Many Events, One Carnival.

By Candi Licence

July 1, 2019, by Liat’s inflight magazine, Zing Caribbean

This is a photo reproduction of Liat’s Zing Caribbean article, An Insider’s Guide to Carnival.

To see the actual article, please visit: http://www.ta-emags.com/V1/Zing/Z50/ and go to page 66

Candi Licence, Principal Writer and Editor

70+ page glossy magazine published August, 2018

(The following article is one of 14 articles written for the SpiceMas 2018 Carnival Souvenir Magazine)

Message from the Editor, August 2018

SpiceMas – Celebrating Grenada’s Zest for Life, Culture, and Traditions

By Candi Licence

Carnival, the word itself invites images of pageantry, parades, fierce competitions and, of course, J’Ouvert, Calypso, Soca, Groovy, Pan, as well as celebration, laughter, and enjoyment.

SpiceMas is Grenada’s premier opportunity to showcase our culture, traditions, and friendliness to the world and we do it well with a reputation for friendliness and safety. Visitors from near and far join proud Grenadians to witness and participate in this spectacular event.  It’s a kaleidoscope of color, sound, and movement that is expressed in costumes, tradition, talent, and pageantry.

SpiceMas has made two significant contributions to the broader Caribbean Carnival culture – Jab Jab and Soca.  Other Carnivals have versions of Jab Jab, but Grenada has perfected it as an art form, and we are known internationally for our Jab Jab.  Soca may have originated in Trinidad, but again Grenada has been instrumental in shaping the sounds we hear today.

Starting in April, The SpiceMas launch kicked off a jam-packed calendar of both official Carnival activities and an extensive series of privately-run parties and events. Parish Carnival Queens appeared for the first time. The Traditional Mas bands and Pan orchestras performed and got everyone in the mood for Carnival.

Parishes began preparing for the final competitions by choosing themes and designing costumes for their Fancy Mas bands.  Artists wrote music and lyrics. They started broadcasting their songs and creating videos so the tunes would be familiar to everyone by August. Semi-Finals were held for Calypso, Soca and Groovy to narrow the field to the best performers to compete at the final competitions.

Each parish hosted a series of local activities including their own parish launch so that everyone can participate in the fun without traveling to town. The most significant events and final competitions happen in and around St George, but Grenville, Sauteurs, St, David’s and others also host major events like J’Ouvert and these events are jam-packed. Some people go back and forth so they can experience all the variety that Carnival has to offer and still stay connected to their parish activities.

The Miss Caribbean United contest, which originated in Grenada, celebrated its second anniversary. More countries participated, and the contestants were talented and intelligent as well as beautiful and poised. Panorama demonstrated Grenada’s love for steel drum orchestras.

When the second week in August arrived, there were non-stop events. Between the final competitions, the Queen show, J’Ouvert, Pageant, parades, and private events like White, there was little time to sleep.

It’s hard to believe that another successful Carnival is over.  For Spicemas Corporation, this is the culmination of a year of hard work that started as soon as last year’s Carnival ended. For the Mas players and attendees, it is the end of a fun-filled season and a final week teeming with extraordinary events. Over the next few days, everyone will be recovering and is already starting to dream about next year.  For Spicemas Corporation, after a few days of well-deserved rest, planning will begin once again to create an even bigger and better event for next year!

By Candi Licence · 

Published November 27, 2017, by Confetti Travel Cafe

Https://confettitravelcafe.com/grenada-jouvert-oil-paint-chocolate

As the dawn struggles to overcome night, shadowy visions emerge–men covered in pitch black oil and pulling heavy chains, technicolor bodies covered from head-to-toe in brilliant paints, revelers of all ages, shapes, and costumes–bumping and maneuvering down the shadowy streets, energized by pounding Soca music and rum. This is Grenada’s J’Ouvert, possibly the favorite part of Grenada’s Carnival. J’Ouvert is a wild and fun street party filled with music and color. It’s s a huge, raucous event that begins in the early morning twilight and parades until noon.

(Read the rest of the article by clicking here.)