Despite its violent climax – carnival day began in the usual spirit of festivity. The party started in the wee hours of Saturday morning when you and most other people were still sleeping. But at 4 am well over a hundred people were wide awake and dancing in the streets. They were participating in the jouvert and our Keith Swift and Paul Munnings were up at 4 am to capture it. Here’s the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Only 7NEWS was up at 4 am, before even the sun rose, with carnival revellers who in the pre-dawn hours had let go of their inhibitions and were dancing in the streets - spreading mud and carnival fervour.
Darwin Frazer, Participant
“It is the first time I am doing this brother, first time in my life and I enjoy it. I was in there last year and I liked it and I decided to take part this year again.”
Keith Swift,
What do you like about carnival?
Darwin Frazer,
“I like the dancing and the fun. I have fun whenever I am in carnival.”
Keith Swift,
What motivated you to get out of your bed at 4 am for this?
Alice Roches, Participant
“Oh my son, he wanted to see the jouvert.”
Keith Swift,
Are you having fun?
Alice Roches,
“Yes.”
Keith Swift,
Will you dance in the road march later?
Alice Roches,
“No, no. I was at the City Center last night so I just got changed
and came and enjoy the jouvert.”
Participant #3,
“I just come to enjoy myself, it is carnival.”
And while for most the jouvert was a prelude to the road march, for others carnival couldn’t get any better than this.
Participant #4,
“It is the first time and I am enjoying myself. Crazy is fun.”
Kareem Foreman, Participant
“We tired ah hang out on the street and thing so this is real fun and thing. I want to tell the guys to come and party just like us because we are off of the streets too and this is fun. It is fun man, really fun. It is a really nice feeling for the first time.”
Carla Thompson, Participant
“We will party until carnival done.”
And about 7 hours after the jouvert, those masqueraders traded in their mud suits for carnival costumes. The carnival road march kicked off at 1:30 pm from Caesar Ridge Road. On Channel 7 you had a front row seat to the march and Keith Swift has a recap.
The bands were dancing in lockstep before the road march began.
Child #1,
“This is my first year, just to have fun.”
Keith Swift,
You think you’ll make it to Marion
Jones?
Child #1,
“Yes sir.”
Keith Swift,
How long have you been looking forward to today?
Child #1,
“Long time…and I feel good.”
Keith Swift,
Why did you want to be in carnival?
Child #2,
“Because it is so much fun.”
Keith Swift,
So you ready to dance all the way to Marion Jones?
Child #2,
“Yes.”
Keith Swift,
You think you’ll make it?
Child #2,
“Yes sir maybe.”
But with the adults it was no maybe –
they were sure they would make it.
Woman #1,
“Hi Belize this is Mother Nature’s Creation. Our theme this year is the myth of fire and water and we have two queens and two kings, more 150 people altogether and we are just hype and just ready for carnival this year and hope you guys are enjoying it at home because we guys are.”
Women #2,
“Eternity Mas Band, we feel excited and we will take it all. This is my second year and I came back because of the fun and the excitement. We like to bash and go on bad.”
Woman #3,
“I’m Jam Jam and we’re feeling good. I just hype and I enjoy it. Jam Jam is hype. I am feeling good and Jam Jam will take it.”
And all that talk was put to the test when the road march began.
And because of the melee at the end – the winners were not announced on Saturday night but here they are. First to the juniors, where Jump Street placed first, followed by Pickstock Carnival Band and Black Pearl, last year’s winner, in third place. Black Pearl won junior king and Jump Street won junior queen.
For the seniors, Southside Masqueraders placed first, Erotic Mas Band second, and Eternity Mas Band in third place. Last year’s champ, Mother Nature’s Creation placed fifth. The senior king went to Erotic Mas Band and senior queen went to Mother Nature’s Creation.
