Tonight, Belizeans are no closer to a ram, jam, joyful Carnival than we were during the first leg of the pandemic in 2020, and that means that we won't get to enjoy any of the usual elements, no costumes, no parades through the streets and no Jouvert mawning.
But for Marsha Smith the self-styled J'ouvert lady, this state of affairs just wouldn't do and this morning she got to mixing up two buckets of that famous Jouvert mud which she says you can buy to use in your own quarantine style Jouvert. We got a look at how Marsha and her family did just that this morning.
September is here again, and right about now most Belizeans are more than bummed that Carnival, Mas Camp, and J'ouvert are still off the table in 2021.
But one family, the Smiths of Soca Moca fame, isn't letting the regulations get in the way of their favorite September celebrations.
Warren Smith, J'ouvert Bwoy
"Well in my yard it's all about Juve, Juve, Juve, and only Juve season, the Belizeans know that this is the Carnival season and there's no carnival without Juve."
"If you use the mud and just rub it on your skin and don't bathe yourself with the mud this mud could last for years."
But this mud didn't have to live up to its shelf life because no sooner could it be processed than it got smeared on and enjoyed.
Warren Smith, J'ouvert Bwoy
"It's just for us but then the people in the public want the mud so why not give them the mud but we can't go out on the street, So people you have a chance to buy the mud and actually party home with your family, have your own celebration for September. Juve, your celebrating our ancestors, the African ancestors, we are celebrating the breakaway from slavery, every year we're supposed to celebrate that, keep it going."
Marsha Smith, The J'ouvert Lady
"Juveey started 2003 and from then we carry it on and it got bigger and bigger. When we first started it was only like 90 add people in the parade and it was in the evening and we decided that the people didn't know about Juve but their throwing the mud, so I said I don't think it's like that, so I came up with more ideas and I tell them don't stone, because the stores are open and they will have to close the stores. I said juve and I ask what's its really about and they say it's in the morning and so I decide to start it in the morning and that's how it started to get bigger and that's the highlight for carnival from 2003 until now. I think everybody loves juve, because its the biggest parade throughout the September celebration."
And for all you skincare buffs, Ms. Marsha the mud-mix-master says there's an additional benefit to this J'ouvert mud.
Marsha Smith, The J'ouvert Lady
"By boiling it getting it processed and doing everything that I do in it. Oh, my i'm 53 it keeps you clean, because it cleanses your skin. Whenever you wash it off when you go there the mud really makes you feel like oh my god."
"The only thing we're happy about is when there's no problem so every time we take our mud out there we pray over our mud because we don't want any fight, no gunshot, no problem and most of the year its perfect. We try to make everybody live this life, because this life is one life to live especially under this pandemic, wear your mask not because there's no carnival and no Juve, we making you have fun at home, do your own celebration, enjoy Juve, feel carnival, feel 10th, feel 21st - enjoy home. We have to listen and learn and we not ready to die, a lot of people are dying."
Reporter
"What's the process like to make the mud?"
Marsha Smith, The J'ouvert Lady
"Well you have to go find your firewood to start with, find your drum, you light the fire and you start from there, get your mud, then we start do our colors, boil fr 2-3 days, you start to strain it and make sure its really clean, feel nice on your skin and we decide to put the colors in it. We have all colors. You are going to see it before Juve morning Friday, everybody just come out and get their mud. We will have beautiful colors."
And if you're longing for a celebration and looking to purchase some Jouvert mud of your own you can contact Warren Smith at 654-5238 or just stop by Ms. Marsha's yard on Magazine road.
