George Town was transformed by a sea of colour punctuated by exuberant energy as more than 300 kids danced through the streets for the 22nd Cayman Carnival Junior Batabano on Saturday, 25 May.
Junior Batabano, originally set for 20 April to kick off Cayman’s carnival season, was initially postponed due to “circumstances beyond our control”, explained committee chair Donna Myrie. Issues with a local shipper, she said, left her disappointed and dealing with damaged and missing costumes. But on Saturday, the event returned with gusto.
Hundreds gathered on the grounds of the old Glass House in George Town. Schools from across Cayman celebrated the theme, ‘Dis is Cayman’, through costumes showcasing the rich culture and heritage of the Cayman Islands.
A colourful cultural display
School groups celebrated different aspects of Cayman’s beauty in the parade. The ‘Dreamchasers’ portrayed the sunny, summer days of the Cayman Islands with a display of bright yellow, orange and red costumes.
‘Bioluminescence’, from Pinnacle Mas, showcased the sparkling plankton that light up North Side waters at night. Another Pinnacle Mas group took inspiration from the brightly coloured parrotfish that frequent Cayman’s reefs.
Pinnacle Mas comprises students from Prospect, Red Bay and Joanna Clarke primary schools.
St. Ignatius Catholic School portrayed Cayman’s butterflies in their costume ‘Flit-n-Flutter’ as well as the Cayman parrot, the national bird of the Cayman Islands.
John A. Cumber Primary students paraded in two costumes, the first representing the Swanky Kitchen Band, a guardian of Cayman’s indigenous genre known as kitchen dance music. The second group, ‘Snorkel and Marvel’, portrayed snorkelling in Cayman.
Young artists on display
The annual Junior Batabano T-shirt design competition, sponsored by CG BritCay, attracted more than 100 entries from primary students, including from Kristina Salazar, 7, representing Cayman Brac’s Creek and Spot Bay Primary School.
Local artist Al Ebanks selected 6-year-old David O’Kelly of St. Ignatius as the winner in that competition. The artwork was developed into the official T-shirt for this year’s Junior Batabano.
The family-friendly festival day also included a fun day with food and activities for kids, as well as magic tricks from local illusionist Erikson Herz.
Myrie said the Batabano board is now making plans to lobby government to have costume-making included in the arts curriculum in schools.
“It has been proven that this art form garners [camaraderie] and also teaches us to embrace our culture by the various portrayal of our national treasures,” Myrie said. “By understanding our culture, we can accept other cultures that now live and interact with us. We can, through Batabano junior carnival, put aside our differences and learn acceptance.”
The festival is “extremely important to our society,” Myrie said, adding, “it is not just about playing mas in the streets. It’s about the impact the costume-making classes would have [on] our youth. It is undeniable that our youth need an outlet and a focus. Why should we not use this proven cultural tradition to our advantage?”
She added the Batabano committee is dedicated to continuing the Caymanian carnival tradition as a stand-alone artistic outlet for the youth of the islands.
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