Cayman’s carnival season is reaching a crescendo as CayMAS gears up this month for a full schedule of colourful parades and celebrations, including a new element – a junior and teen carnival.
The addition, CayMAS JT, is the brainchild of CayMAS board member Craig ‘Festa’ Frederick, explained Jermaine Sharpe, chairperson of the committee board.
“We want to ensure that the upcoming generations develop a love for the essence of carnival. We also want to produce a safe event for the juvenile people to enjoy carnival [separate] from the adults,” Sharpe told Cayman Compass.
“This [endeavour] would not be possible without the support of the volunteers on the subcommittee, that took this on months ago, and our sponsors.”
Kids and teens will inaugurate the new carnival event with colours, music and energy on 22 June at Camana Bay.
CayMAS growth
Sharpe said he is “extremely pleased” to see another year of the CayMAS carnival, which first touched the road in 2017.
“Most of the bands’ leadership have been sitting in meetings in person and virtually since October, and the board have listened to their feedback on how to improve elements of the carnival experience,” he said.
Seven years on, CayMAS has grown from six bands to 11, hitting the road and some 2,000 revellers as part of the festivities.
Sharpe said they’ve worked together with the bands to show mutual support and coordinate calendars to avoid scheduling conflicts, so people can enjoy all the festivities for the week.
A sizzling hot carnival
Sharpe confirmed this year’s parade will start at a later time to “minimise heat exposure for our mas bands and spectators”.
The event will include drink trucks, supported by Tortuga and Coca-Cola, cooling zones for mas bands and a dedicated water truck on the road to ensure everyone stays hydrated.
Despite the heat, organisers are hoping revellers will bring energy to match the music and parades.
CayMAS begins with its junior and teen parade, CayMAS JT, at Camana Bay on 22 June; then follows with Soca on the Beach (26 June); Tribal’s J’ouvert Boat Cruise and Sundown (27 June); _uck Work and Vibes with Voicey (28 June), Chicken Run Breakfast Fete and Swanky AfterMAS (28 June); Road March – Cayman adult parade and Soca Monarch (29 June); Swanky’s Tied-Up Boat Flex (30 June); and Kalabbra’s J’ouvert (1 July).
Parade route
The main parade, on Saturday, 29 June, will begin at Memorial Avenue and run through George Town to West Bay Road, culminating at Seven Mile Public Beach. Spectators who aren’t dancing with a band can still get a front-row view of the colourful event by staking a spot along the parade route.
Promoting local music with CayMAS
CayMAS director and Soca Monarch competition commissioner Brent McLean told the Compass that when CayMAS was created, the music and the celebration had to go hand in hand.
“Not only to create carnival with costumes,” he explained, “but also to foster the artistry of soca music, and get our local artists writing songs, and becoming part of the soca diaspora in the Caribbean.”
Since its inception, the Soca Monarch competition has been “growing by leaps and bounds”, McLean said.
This year, seven finalists for the competition have been selected from the 10 entries, all local artists who have entered original songs and have produced them professionally.
The 2024 finalists are Andy Blake, Madam Nirosa, Erica Assai, Skorch Bun It, Vassco, Jade Ashley and NellaLeah.
The top three winners of the Soca Monarch competition will be announced at the Swanky AfterMAS on Public Beach, following the parade. The first-place prize is $4,000, followed by $2,000 for second, and $1,000 for third.
Sharpe said that as Cayman grows, he hopes people will start to see that carnival is not just about the costumes and dancing.
“It’s a celebration of life and community,” he said. “And we get to share this with everyone both locally and internationally. It’s the time of year where the CEO and waiter are all equals in the celebration of life. We are all here in this melting pot and [with] carnival, we get to mix it up and serve it up.”
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