GRENADA CARNIVAL 2023 Review

This Spicemas was a special one for me because I had not been since before the pandemic. In addition to that, this was my first ever solo trip. Since I am an introvert, I was extremely scared but I was also determined to break out of my shell and socialize. Regardless of that, I was still super excited to be back on my second favorite island. I called this trip Grenada Round 3. I was ready to play a wicked Jab and that I did. I was on the road with ORO Luxury Carnival band and it was amazing! Oro has made this year my favorite spice mas and my favorite carnival road experience ever. Grenada has the best mas by far!

Events

STRUT (by Millo Ent) - Saturday August 12th. This was the first event to start off my Spice Mas weekend. It was a boat ride. I believe Strut was also a first time event in Grenada. It had a nice, calm vibe. There was complimentary breakfast when you arrived on the boat. There was roast bake with either saltfish or sausage. It was delicious. We also received a complimentary glass of champagne which was a nice touch. I didn’t really turn up because it was really hot. The space was also tight due to everyone sheltering under the shade because of the heat. The djs were also too repetitive, but that’s small things. My friends and I bought a bottle and there were no buckets for the ice, so they gave us the ice in the box that the bottle came in. This boat ride definitely has potential. Perhaps next year, it should be on a boat with more shade or a boat with more space. Also, it would have been nice if there was lunch, in addition to the breakfast, because towards the ending of the boat ride, everyone was so hungry, but we were stuck on the boat for some more time. 

PURE WHITE (by Tropix Ent & Star Boyz) - Saturday August 12th. This event was in the country, about an hour drive away from where I was staying in St. George’s. From the moment I hopped out of the vehicle, the atmosphere had a real local feel to it. I loved it. There were locals just hanging out in the streets, vendors selling food, and music playing. Outside of the venue had its own vibe. There was a line for physical tickets and a separate line for online tickets, which made it easier to get in. When I got inside of the event, there were people in the stands and people on the ground in the mud. There were obviously more people in the stands than in the mud, so the space was tight in the stands. This event is known for the mud. People come dressed up and clean and they end up leaving dirty. The bar set up was very inconvenient. It was near the entrance and it was a battle to go to the bar to purchase drinks. It would’ve been great if there was also a cooler ticket option, so that people could have brought their own drinks, chasers, and ice. This would have made the bar situation less hectic. Additionally, the bathroom was very dirty and disgusting. It was slightly flooded and had some trash on the floors. I believe the flooding was due to the rain. It kept pouring off and on. I’m talking about really heavy, unbearable, cold rain! Other than the bar, the bathroom, and the rain situation, the fete was great! The performances were very entertaining. There were local performances and the highlight was Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons. Everyone in the mud was having the time of their lives. 10pm to 6am was the advertised time for the event. I arrived after 2am and by like 7am, the dj got on the mic and said that they were going until 12 noon. I had enough. This was like a never ending fete lol. There are two white events for spicemas, but I highly recommend this one if you want an authentic Grenadian experience.

BRUNCH & SOCA (by Yung Hova Marketing Group & Scratch Master) - Sunday August 13th. Brunch and Soca was an all inclusive event on a beautiful rooftop. The ambiance was incredible. The theme was “a taste of Dubai”. Folks had on some dope Dubai inspired outfits. The bar and food stations ran smoothly. There were two regular bars and a cocktail station. I never had to wait too long for a drink. I ate buss up and curry goat from the curry station and it was absolutely delicious. I also had some chicken alfredo from another station and that was good too. The music was perfect. Every DJ played well and it was not too repetitive. The vibes were really nice. Everyone was dancing and enjoying it. Even though this event was all inclusive and it was really good, I definitely think it was overpriced. It was $200 us for the ticket. Prices may have started at a little less than $200. Nonetheless, this was my favorite event for the weekend.

The Road

JOUVERT - Monday August 14th. The feeling of waking up at 3am to rub your body down with vaseline, in preparation to go play a jab, is one of the best feelings ever! In Grenada, people cover themselves in black motor oil and wear helmets with horns for jouvert. They call it jab jab. The word “jab” derives from the French word for “devil”. People also have other props such as chains, frogs, snakes, strollers, coffins, … etc. The history of jab jab is still a bit unclear to me because different sources have different explanations. What I do know is that jab jab is a celebration of freedom from slavery. And, from my understanding, the props are a mockery of the evil actions done by the white colonists during the slavery era. For example, dragging the chains symbolizes the years of bondage and suffering. This is why playing a jab in Grenada is so huge and meaningful. When I got to the streets, everyone was covered in black. It was the most beautiful sight to see. Strangers rubbed oil on me and on eachother. I got behind the ORO truck and started chipping and dancing away as the music played. After jouvert, I took a water taxi to the beach where I purchased a bottle of dishwashing liquid for $5 ec. To wash off the oil, I poured some of the dishwashing liquid into my hand, took some sand, and started scrubbing the oil off.  It was supposed to serve as an exfoliator. The vaseline I put on before going on the road was supposed to make the oil come off easier, so they say lol. Anyways, I got in the water after scrubbing, but I had to repeat the process a number of times to get the oil off. If you come to spicemas, you have to play a jab! It’s the best part of the carnival! Did I mention that jouvert in Grenada is FREE!

CARNIVAL MONDAY - Monday August 14th. After jouvert, I got a little rest. Then, at around 3pm it was time to go on the road again. I looked fabulous in my custom monday wear designed by myself. Masqueraders had the option of wearing the band’s monday wear or their own. As soon as I got to the band, I got some food from the food truck. It was easy to get food. I had some macaroni pie and potato salad. I had to make sure I ate before I started drinking. It was also easy to get drinks from Oro’s drinks truck. The bartenders were definitely trying to get people drunk because they were making the drinks very strong. I had to ask for more chaser each time I got a drink lol. The music was on point and was very authentic. As a Saint Lucian, I didn’t even hear not one Lucian song lol. It was like 70% Grenadian soca, 25% Vincy soca, and like 5% trini soca, which I didn’t mind because I love Grenadian and Vincy soca. Carnival Monday was short and sweet because we also had to come back on the road later that night for Monday night mas. 

MONDAY NIGHT MAS - Monday August 14th. After Carnival Monday, I literally just went back to my hotel room to change and head back out on the road for Monday night mas. Monday night mas is what also makes Grenada’s Carnival unique. I have not seen this at any other island’s carnival. Every band has their own glow in dark / LED props and theme. Monday night mas is such a huge deal that the bands even get judged by judges. I arrived back on the road at about 11pm. The streets were lit up. It was absolutely beautiful. In my opinion, Monday night mas was more fun than carnival monday. This was probably because more of the locals partook in Monday night mas than carnival monday. I had so much fun at Monday night mas. I was drinking and waving my glow stick nonstop. I left the road a little after 2am to go back to my room and get some sleep for pretty mas the next day. 

CARNIVAL TUESDAY - Tuesday August 15th. The moment I had been waiting for. The day I got to put on the beautiful costume that I had been marketing for months, “Road March” designed by Shawn Dhanraj. Let’s rewind to Sunday August 13th when I picked up my costume. It was seamless. I walked in and went straight to check in. After checking in, I sat in the waiting area where my name was present on a screen. I didn’t wait long until I was called again to get my costume. The committee member went through the carnival pieces with me and showed me my cup and wristbands. Costume production was on point and of course there were lots of incredible goodies in the Oro duffle bag. However, I was really amazed specifically by the Oro Luxury Carnival branded bluetooth speaker, portable fan, keychain, and iridescent fanny pack. Oro is a luxurious band forreal. I got on the road about 5pm on Carnival Tuesday, even though the band’s meet up time was 12 noon. As usual, I like to start off the road with a meal lol. I went straight to the food truck and ate some pelau. Then, I got a drink and went behind the music truck. I had a blast. There was also enough space to move around and have a blast. In the previous carnivals I attended this year, the bands were too crowded and there wasn’t enough space to fully enjoy myself with all of the feathered backpacks. I didn’t have that problem in Oro. At about 10pm, the trucks pulled into a courtyard. Food was served again and we partied some more. It ended at midnight. This was the best road experience I ever had in my life. 

A solo trip that I was so afraid of taking ended up being one of the best trips that I have ever had. I ended up linking up with people that I knew from Ny and Saint Lucia for the events and I also ended up making incredible new friends. So, a word of advice for introverts like myself, get comfortable being uncomfortable. Take that solo trip and play a mas! If you plan on coming to Spicemas next year, make sure to play with Oro Luxury Carnival Band. And, make sure to play a jab. Otherwise, what’s the point of going to Grenada for Carnival. Grenada Round 4, 2024!