Today’s festival can now be associated with steel-bands, calypso, street dancing and various types of masquerading. The festival provides opportunities for mass participation, release of tension, release of artistry and social commentary, which is provided in costuming and in song such as calypsos.
Celebrated in the islands of Belize, St. Vincent, Jamaica and Bahamas the origin of the name Junkanoo is uncertain but there are, however, two popular theories.
- For some contemporary leaders its meaning is derived from the word junk. For many years the costumes and instruments used in the festival were created from cast-off items. The drums were made from old barrels, bells were constructed from scrap metal and costumes were designed from anything available.
-
Another theory is that the festival is in commemoration of a West African headman named John Canoe who is noted for his economic and political prowess during the 18th century. He commanded the Brandenburg trading fort in Axim in the early 1770s and dealt in the capture of Africans for the slave trade. This theory is authentic to the Bahamas.
- In Jamaica it is assumed that John Canoe was an African tribal chief who demanded the right to celebrate with his people during his enslavement in the West Indies.
Junkanoo is said to have begun in the 16th or 17th century. Around Christmas the slaves were given 3 days off. During this period they were allowed to leave the plantation to be with their friends and families and to celebrate this time with music, dance and costumes. In the early years, the participants wore fantastic masks. It was during this time that the slaves were allowed to move around anonymously and let off steam.
At its conception Junkanoo celebrated the first fruits of harvest….Today it is a joyous celebration of freedom. John Canoe cannot be seen as a single cultural event but rather as an intimate mixture of different elements, West African and European, which has emerged as a medium of creative expression.
- Canboulay (Cannes Brulee)
Accidental or premeditated burning of sugar cane serves as an introduction to another element in the evolution of Trinidadian festivals. At the time of a plantation fire, bands from different estates each with a whip carrying slave driver were assembled by the blaring of horns, to deal with the emergency. The field slaves who comprised the bands carried torches, for illumination, and drums, for rhythmic accompaniment to their work songs. In such cases, the gangs from the neighbouring estates proceeded to the estate which was ablaze, to assist in grinding the burnt canes before they became sour. The grinding went on until the canes were manufactured into sugar.
Cannes brulee has adopted many “meanings” in modern times, the most popular being the celebration at the completion of the concentrated manual harvesting.
Crop Over is one of Barbados’ most colourful festivals whose origins can be traced back to the 1780s when Barbados was one of the world’s largest sugar producers. As with most Caribbean festivals this festival is a merger of European and West African culture.
The early Crop Over festivals were not as centralized as they are today but were celebrated on the different plantations, where activities were concentrated on the mill yard (the first site involved in the crop harvesting).
At the beginning of the celebrations the very last load of canes to be harvested was brought into the mill yard as the basis of a procession of animal drawn carts. These carts were adorned with branches and flowers and the canes were tied with brightly coloured cloth.
The last cart of the procession carried “Mr. Harding”, an image made of cane trash stuffed into an old pair of trousers and coat, with a top hat on its head. The image symbolized the period between sugar crops when unemployment was high and money was scarce.
And then, there was the music! The tuk band played a very active role, with its accompanying troupe of 'shaggy bear' - a man dressed in a costume made of plantain sheaves; the 'mother Sally' - another man dressed as a woman with exaggerated bosom an buttocks and the 'donkey man' - who danced in a donkey costume with four legs, but which, in silhouette, looked like a man riding a two-legged animal.
Very popular too, was the art of stilt-walking, either in the form of competition or demonstration; which featured stilt-walkers stripping to their underwear during the performance! The captive audience was also thrilled by other competitions: catching the greasy pig - where the prize was the actual pig. Another game of skill involved climbing a greased pole, which carried the prize money at the very top of the pole, as well as stick-licking competitions.
The grand finale of the festivities was the burning of “Mr. Harding” to symbolize the fervent hope that the hard times to come would not be severe.
COMMONALITIES of the FESTIVALS
The festivities of each nation reflect its heritage, culture and uniqueness. But each of the Caribbean festivals, whether by the origins, music, costumes or the time of festivity, is intrinsically related.
On interviewing some of the Caribbean people who attend UWI I discovered that they had some of the same symbols of that I associated with Crop Over.
- Moko Jumbies: Found in the festivals of Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada and Barbados.
These are stilt-walkers or dancers. In some countries they may wear a skull mask and straw clothing. S/he represents the spirit of the dead. Its origins are in African stilt walking.
- Donkey Man: A man who wore a donkey costume with four legs but which, at a certain angle, looked like a man “riding” a two-legged animal.
- Maypole Dancers: These are of British origin. The dancers usually plait and unplait ribbons around a pole.
Another element which is common to the different festivals would be the music. Music is fundamental to all of the aforementioned celebrations and it encourages the singing, dancing.
Festivals were and still are essential to the development of the region’s musical traditions. Reports of topical themes in African songs range from slavery until the present. Calypso is a well-known example of this genre.
But you cannot mention calypso during the Caribbean festivities and not refer to the calypso tents. In the tents there are performances by local entertainers, comedians and calypsonians showcasing the latest talents and songs of the season. The songs vary from commentaries, which parody the issues and the gossip of the day, to the party hits encouraging “movemenations” of the waist.
- Kings and Queens of the Festivals
In the midst of all of this activity are the Kings and Queens of the Bands competition. Each band has a symbolic leader which takes its inspiration from the band’s theme. The band designers create these costumes out of wire, feathers, and anything that catches the eye and the imagination. The result is an image of great imagination and beauty and sometimes it is hard to believe that a woman or man stands at the core of the piece.
During the festivals the atmosphere is charged with energy. It is during these festivities that people irrespective of race, religion, nationality, class, age or sex come together and revel in the colours, culture, heritage and music of the season. This unity was not always present within the festivals. For example when Crop Over was first started it was a celebration for the slaves. The plantocracy only provided the slaves with the day off and the food and drink to be used.
CONCLUSION
Presently, the people of the Caribbean are of African, East Indian, Carib, European, Chinese and Middle Eastern origin. They practice many different religions from Voodoo to Christianity to Hinduism. All of the different festivals whether they are the ones mentioned above or otherwise, have drawn on the evolution of Old World customs, the union of different cultures, costumes and music to take on the sweetness and spice of many cultures. This authentic “mix and match” makes them what they are today…symbols of national and regional pride, strength and cultural unity.