Mic check, 1, 2...1,2.
Carnival season is back folks.
You heard me correctly!
After two long years of operating through a pandemic; experiencing health scares and struggles, lockdowns, social distancing, seeing our anticipated celebrations and festivities from birthdays to weddings, to cultural events like Carnivals shut down for two whole years across the globe; this year, 2022, we are finally back!
This year, the Caribana season kicked off in early April with band launch season.
For anyone unfamiliar with Caribbean carnivals across the globe, a band is an organized group you **play mas with when you buy your carnival costume (costumes that are designed by various designers and/or section leaders) and the band launches are essentially where the carnival bands display their 'Costume catalogues' or 'options' for the upcoming Caribana Parade. It's typically that first Saturday in August (or last Saturday in July as it is this year.)
If you want a look at the band launch for one of Toronto's popular bands, the Toronto Revellers, take a look at this TikTok I made here!
**Playing Mas, which is short for "masquerade," is the official term we use back home for the Carnival season, which involves getting dressed up in the costume you chose and paid for, and joining together with all the other persons, or revelers in your band, who like you, came out to jump up, wine, chip (which is basically walking to the beat of the music with some extra pep in your step, eg. chipping down 'd road) and shout the soca lyrics to the top of your voice as the bass blasts from the music trucks, as you're simultaneously engulfed in the weightless bliss that is Carnival.
Along with the band launches, as things begin to slowly warm up as we finally enter into the summer months in Toronto, lots of parties have been coming back that were put on pause, and one of the most anticipated events to kick off the summer season is J'ouvert in June.
In this post I'll be highlighting:
* Tap any of points above to be directly taken to that section of this semi-long incoming post!
J'ouvert and Carnival - A quick history lesson and its cultural significance
Before I go into discussing the party, I feel like as a Caribbean, Trinbagonian (Trinidad & Tobago) individual, born and raised in the West Indies, I have a duty to explain the cultural significance of these globally celebrated events, that were put on the map by my island.
For those interested in learning about the cultural significance; J'ouvert (pronounced "Jou-vay," derived from French patois that roughly translates to "Day opening" or "Day Break") is an annual cultural carnival celebration that originated in my sweet dual island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, which essentially signifies the official start of Carnival.
To understand J'ouvert, one must also understand the origins of the Carnival celebrations we know and love today.
J'ouvert, and Carnival, are said to be rooted in post-emancipation celebrations by the newly freed slaves in Trinidad, who sought to take over the Camboulay and Carnival festivities that they were once forbidden from taking part in, where the white upper class would engage in masquerading and dancing.
To delve a little deeper, Camboulay is derived from the French term, "Cannes Brulées." which translates to "burnt/burning cane."
Pre-emancipation, whenever fires broke out in the sugar cane fields, the enslaved would be rounded up and sent into the fields, forced to harvest what was left before it was entirely destroyed. The white ruling class would mock them, dressed up in costumes and carrying lit torches.
However, following Emancipation in 1838, the freed Afro-population took over Camboulay and made it their own.
They turned it back on the colonial authorities and ruling classes by mocking them instead, carrying lit torches to recognize, and even reenact the events of "Cannes Brulées" and other scenes of past enslavement.
They would parade through the streets, celebrating their freedom against the background of early morning darkness, donning masks and smeared in paints and oils that provided a layer of anonymity, so as not to be recognized, allowing them to behave freely without judgement.
They also re-introduced elements of their culture they were once forced to stifle, such as their African percussion instruments, and folklore characters; celebrating in ways that the colonial powers would label as "immoral," "obscene," and "barbaric."
There were various attempts to pass laws to ban music and percussion instruments, such as drums, as well as the lit torches, sticks and stick fighting, and nearly all aspects of Camboulay from the Carnival celebrations.
Authorities even tried to end Camboulay once and for all, which led to the Camboulay riots of 1881 where locals had to fight for their right to celebrate how they saw fit; displaying yet another instance where much of our culture is rooted in rebellion and resistance.
Some argue that this is where we first start to see the evolution of Carnival into what it is today, as more individuals, notably from other cultures, races and classes began taking part in the Carnival celebrations after the riot solidified Camboulay's rightful place in the island's annual festivities.
While some of the more traditional Camboulay elements may have passed on, the spirit of the festivities still lives on today in our Carnival celebrations, which have transcended the globe.
We still see some traditional elements today for instance, in the globally recognized celebration of J'ouvert, which is celebrated in other islands who share in our history, notably Grenada with their Jab Jab characters. Jab Jab are displayed through persons coating themselves from head to toe in materials ranging from tar, mud and oil.
Presently, back home in Trinidad and Tobago J'ouvert is known to symbolize the start of Carnival, taking place on the first of two Carnival days, Carnival Monday morning.
On day 1, revelers gather with (or without) their bands at about 2am - 3am in the morning. Here we parade, dance and have a blissful time until sunrise (sometimes beyond), where we throw paint, powder, mud, even chocolate and oil on one another, dancing while the Soca blasts in the background, until it's time to get ready for Monday Mas.
On the second and final day of Carnival, Carnival Tuesday, we get dressed up in our costumes, before entering the Lenten season the following day on Ash Wednesday, concluding the Carnival season.
Carnival celebrations, with the spread of the diaspora across the world outside of the Caribbean, have led to the emergence of global carnivals, such as in America, the United Kingdom, and right here in Toronto, Canada, with the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, or Caribana as it's popularly known.
These celebrations bring a little taste of home for those of us born and raised in the islands, and an introduction and welcome environment to celebrate our Caribbean culture for those who have not yet been, but are hoping to experience aspects of home that we as Caribbean people know and love.
While there isn't a specific Monday morning J'ouvert celebration in Toronto, there are a number of J'ouvert parties that still bring an essence of this part of Caribbean culture we seek to celebrate, and there are two very anticipated J'ouvert parties here in Toronto: J'ouvert in June, and Jab Jab J'ouvert.
One of the best parts of attending these J'ouvert parties in Toronto, is that you're not only getting a taste of the J'ouvert experience from Trinidad and Tobago.
Instead, you're also getting a taste of how J'ouvert is celebrated on other islands, especially Grenada, who, in addition to Trinidad and Tobago, have one of the largest annual J'ouvert Celebrations as part of their SpiceMas celebrations in August.
Here ends our little history lesson. I hope I've been able to teach you something new that you may not have known before!
If you want to delve even deeper into Carnival and J'ouvert's history, here are some good reads that break it down furthur. Read up more on the Camboulay riots here, and more on J'ouvert's history here.
Now, lets dive into the main star of this post: J'ouvert in June!
What is J'ouvert in June?
J'ouvert in June, as it's name indicates, is a J'ouvert party, held in June.
As it happens in June, this party is one of the largest to kick off the summer and Caribana seasons (beyond the band launches, as the place starts to heat up.)
It usually happens the weekend of the first week of June, on a Sunday.
When I went for the first time in 2019, it was held on Sunday June 9th, and this year for the first time back in June following the global ease of COVID-19 restrictions, it was held on Sunday June 5th.
They usually announce the date and ticket prices with an early bird drop around Mid-late March, which tend to sell out quickly. This year the early birds were $30.00CAD.
A regular ticket leading up to the event this year cost $50.00CAD, and they even had some tickets selling at the door for $60.00CAD, but note that this isn't likely to happen each year, so make sure to secure your tickets early if this is an event you're looking to attend.
Aside from regular admission tickets, J'ouvert in June also offers revelers the option to buy a package. This is really similar to back home, as when we play J'ouvert, we tend to play in (or storm, meaning to crash) bands where the price covers a package that typically comes with admission, a t-shirt with the band's logo and other 'freebies', breakfast, free drinks, paint and more.
I didn't buy a package this year, but from what I saw, the packages cover admission to the event, and come with outfits (T-shirts, body suits etc.) water bottles, hats, food, waterproof bags and bottles of paint. This year, there were four separate bands to choose from offering packages.
Unlike back home, the packages are tiered. The cheapest package, the Novice Package went for $75.00CAD, mid-tier, Basic Package, went for $95.00CAD, and the most expensive, the VIP Package, went for $120.00CAD. Note that these prices are not inclusive of any add-ons or extras you may want.
If it's your first time and you just want to get a feel of the event, then I would say go with the regular admission ticket, but if you're looking to get more immersed into the J'ouvert experience, then I would say go with the package.
The package especially saves you one headache of not having to search for an outfit to wear to this event, because trust me when I say that looking for an outfit for a J'ouvert party can either be the easiest, or the most annoying thing to deal with regarding the party.
You either have no clothes you're willing to get dirty, or you have an idea of how you want to look in the party but nothing in your closet is matching your vision, or you couldn't care less, and just go in an old shirt you cut up, as is custom for the J'ouvert go-er back home (since lots of people cut or crop the shirts we get from the J'ouvert bands we play with back home.)
Where is J'ouvert in June held?
If you live in Toronto, like within the city where the TTC is your main means of transport and not within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), such as in Markham, Mississauga or Brampton, just know that these types of parties tend to be held within the GTA or even further outward.
The 2019 one was held in King City. Here's a map reference below, showing how far away it was from the downtown core, and with very few commute options.
This year it was held in Brampton, which is another pretty far location.
It took me over three hours to commute from within Toronto to my friend's place in Brampton (because of all the Go bus and TTC construction delays as usual) and it still took us a while again to then get to the final destination.
If you're planning to go to this party, in terms of getting there, designate a driver, or organize an Uber/Lyft with your friends to lower the cost.
It's not the easiest travel route if you don't have a car (like me.. for now) or none of your friends drive (also kind of me) or none of your friends who drive are going (also me) and the commute is not the easiest thing. Depending on the location, commuting via public transportation may not even be an option.
Luckily, the organizers of J'ouvert in June understand this frustration, and have shuttle buses set up to get attendees to, and back to their pick up spots from the party.
For an additional fee of $10.00CAD, they had a shuttle bus going from Sheridan Mall to the event, and back, which is in the Jane and Wilson area, which is still accessible by TTC.
For an additional fee of $20.00CAD, they also had a second shuttle bus going from a location in Scarborough, Twilight club, to the event, and then back, which is the east end, and also accessible by TTC.
Those shuttle buses can save you another potential headache aside from finding your outfit for this party, which is a way to get to and from the event.
The group I went with in 2019 had originally agreed to take the shuttle buses, so I did too, but when I got there, no one had even left home yet so I had to take the shuttle bus on my own to my first J'ouvert in June.
It wasn't all bad, because whenever you get Caribbean people together it's always a vibe, and the bus ride to the event was like a huge pre-game.
It was full of vibes and people excited to get stink and dutty (as we would say back home, with paint and powder of course,) so if the shuttle bus is a good, cost-effective and stress-free option for you, I say take it.
The event is from 12pm - 8pm, and the shuttle buses leave at 8:30pm sharp, so you don't need to worry about missing anything. Even this year nearing the end of the event, the DJs gave an announcement that the drivers were going to start boarding the shuttle buses soon.
There are limited spots on the shuttle buses, so make sure to book that spot early. You'll get a band to put on your hand to indicate you paid for the shuttle bus too, so not to worry.
Getting back home from a J'ouvert party is more of a hassle, especially if you didn't go in a friend or family member's car.
If you need to Uber home, or take the TTC, my advice is to wear shoes you can easily wash off, like crocs, and if possible, stuff an extra shirt or bottoms into your fanny pack, or into a waterproof bag so you can easily throw those over your paint-covered clothes.
There's usually a big hose in these parties, so nearing the end of the event, you also have the option of making your way to the hose to have as much of the paint and powder washed off, at a much faster rate than if you tried hosing yourself down with bottles of water.
J'ouvert in June: the experience after a 2-year wait.
Anyone who knows me, knows I loveeee two types of fetes (aka: parties) in particular, a J'ouvert fete, and a water fete.
I had an amazing time at J'ouvert in June 2019 and I didn't even really go with a set group of people, rather I bounced up familiar faces from school I ended up sticking with since the vibe was nice.
This year, I teamed up with one of my closer friends and we went.
I think these kinds of events are always a little more fun with a larger group of people, but for me it's also still been a bit strange being in a setting where everyone is operating as if things are 100% back to normal. I think I had a little trouble still shaking that feeling, but it didn't completely get in the way of me having a really good time.
We got there kind of late, on account of me being late to get to my friend's house due to all the construction and travel delays. Luckily for me, she was also finishing up some tasks, so we didn't get to the entrance of the event till about 5pm (mind you, the event ended at 8pm)
There, we were met with THE longest, winding, bending line full of people looking to get inside, and these were people with tickets like us, and not those looking to pay at the door.
You know how Caribbean, and black people love to show up a little later to an event? Well we ended up stuck in the line to get in for almost an hour with people who had the same idea as we did. We didn't end up inside the event itself until minutes to 6pm.
As far as June temperatures go, it's also been a pretty chilly start to the summer season, with the temperature that day being about 19 degrees, so there was some teeth chattering as we waited outside.
They were playing some good music inside while we were waiting that was keeping my energy up, because waiting in line can be a bit tiring, but by the time we got in, the place was packed.
Everyone already had paint and powder all over, people were drunk, shouting lyrics at the top of their voice, and all you could do in the moment was smile because it was so nice to be back.
As we walked through the crowd to see if we could find any familiar faces, in true J'ouvert fashion, people were throwing powder and paint on us as we passed through, since we were clearly looking too clean for being in a J'ouvert party.
It was such an amazing energy to be experiencing again. The vibes were nice, the music was sweet.. my only issue was the hose.
Near the stage, they had this huge hose that someone was using to spray into the crowd.
On an expected blazing, 30 degree summer Sunday afternoon, that hose, and that water would've been everyone's friend.. but on that chilly, cloudy, Sunday afternoon of 19 degrees.. that water was ice cold, and had people, including myself, running.
Maybe I didn't have enough alcohol in my system to be warmed up to brace that water, but anytime the hose turned in our direction, we were dashing to the back of the event, because it felt like being hit with ice every 15 minutes.
It was funny to watch those who were drunk enough, run right into the water though.
Aside from the hose, the event was such a nice transition into the summer, and the anticipated Carnival season.
They had some really good food selling in the event too, which is something I always lookout for as a girl who loves her belly.
I helped myself to some shark and fries, and as an avid bake and shark lover from back home, it truly hit the spot. Especially the home made garlic sauce. I can still taste it.
The party ended officially by about 8:20pm, but unofficially in the parking lot, someone with speakers, (with a bass that was even rivalling the event's speakers) was blasting music as people began leaving, stretching the party for a little longer.
In those last few minutes we said goodbye to everyone we could find, and then proceeded to my friend's car to spread out the garbage bags and blankets to make sure we didn't dirty it up with our paint and powder-stained bodies.
The best part after a J'ouvert party, is trying to wash all the powder and paint off, only to realize that some has stained your skin and probably won't go anywhere for another 2-3 days, but that's how you know, you went to a good J'ouvert fete.
That and taking a picture of your shoes to show the before, and the after, and then either throwing those shoes away, or avoiding cleaning them for the next few months, maybe not even until your next J'ouvert party.
I can't wait till next year, 2023. We on the road, outside, everywhere in everything!
Check out my J'ouvert in June in 60 seconds TikTok here!
Filming was not the easiest thing in a fete like this but I wanted to give you all a little taste, even though this doesn't even come close to the real thing, which is why it's definately an event I'd recommend to any carnival lover to attend!
Thanks for reading!
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