Easter signals bacchanal carnival in Jamaica
Charlie Simpson being feted recently on his 77th birthday.
Charlie Simpson
Caribbean Life, A BQ pril 19–25, 2019 11
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Unlike neighbors in the eastern
Caribbean that revel with
abandon prior to 40 days of fastidious
sacrifice and dedication
to their Christian conviction
related to the Lenten season,
the end of the period and the
arrival of Easter, Jamaicans are
ready for Bacchanal Jamaica a
high energy, national soca celebration
in the land of reggae.
It kicks off from Ocho Rios
on the day recalled to be one
of Resurrection of Jesus Christ
and moves into high gear to
the capital city of Kingston
where the largest and longest
fetes dominate until April 30.
Although towns and parishes
observe aspects of the global
carnival traditions, Kingston
and the second city of Montego
Bay claim the lion-share of
socaphiles seeking the annual
thrill from calypso, steel pan,
Roadmarch, jouvert, masqueraders,
live stage shows and also
integrate local home-grown
traditions into the celebration.
Regarded as the newest
arrival to the Caribbean carnival
circuit, many on the island
regard 1989 as the premiere
year of revelry when bandleader
Byron Lee introduced
Jamaica Carnival to soca lovers
at Chukka Cove in Ocho Rios
and Port Royal and the Camp
Grounds Kingston.
However, that theory has been
disputed by Charles “Charlie”
Simpson, a local promoter and
community activist who said he
first invited Duke, Rootsman,
Baron, Bally, Lady Venus, Gypsy
and Shadow and other calypsonians
to perform on the island
in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
According to Simpson, he
staged his “calypso tents” in
the rural parish of St. Mary
where he launched Soca Madness
at Albion Farms. He later
staged a Downtown Carnival in
Kingston.
The latter was broadcasted
live on WLIB-AM, with heavy
support from Inner City Broadcasting
Corporation, the then
owners and operators of the
only Black-owned radio stations
in New York City.
Simpson explained that the
impetus for his carnival was
that “there was an Orange Carnival
in Kingston” that catered
to privileged, uptown residents.
Organized by a group of
uptown residents who called
themselves the Oakridge Boys,
Simpson said, “it was exclusive
to society folks” to white
and fair-skinned patrons willing
to pay in excess of $100 for
entrance.
Back then the gate fee seemed
exorbitant to average Jamaicans.
Due to the fact Simpson
spent part of his time in Brooklyn
— where he was exposed
to the pre-Labor Day carnival
— and Jamaica, he recruited
like-minded expats who shared
his vision of an inclusive mas’ to
band together as AFRIJAM.
With the union soca filtrated
the reggae-dominated landscape.
The fact Simpson had frequented
Trinidad’s annual and
was part of the annual delegation
there, the notion of a carnival
in Jamaica seemed a doable
and lingering task waiting to
blossom.
Jamaicans had long dominated
the immigrant tourist populous
that travelled to Trinidad
for the pre-Lenten celebration.
Reputed for attracting favorable
notices, delegations of supporters
and fun filled revelry, it
was only a matter of time many
would remain home, delay their
revelry and add reggae to the
mix.
Catch You On The Inside!
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
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