Hey y’all.
Crista here.
I haven’t done a carnival review in a long time simply based on the fact that I don’t get around to much carnivals that much anymore..basically because LIFE.
And I heavily debated offering my 5 cents about this years BJC (Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival) for various reasons:
1. Silly season (election year) and the heightened tensions of which of the Bahamas’ favorite stop light parties would be the incumbent government.
2. The constant argument regarding who’s monies is paying/paid for this years BJC as well as why it should be cancelled aka postponed aka privatized aka all the above.
3. A review is simply a personal perspective (not necessarily all fact depending on the person) and this being my blog –this review is my perspective, POV or opinion and as the saying goes , everyone has one.
But then goes that “kinda outdated millenial/ generation X or Y saying” (I’m on the cusp) ….YOLO! So here goes.
Preparation /Organization
I think one of the positive things about BJC this year and all years are the fact that it is VERY affordable to get to, whether you’re planning way in advance or the weekend before.
Flights from any major U.S. city can range from 250 -400 USD roundtrip; accommodations are affordable depending on where you’d like to stay (Paradise Island or Nassau). AirBnB also has some affordable and great options. Check out this post on apps I use to plan carnivals and trips.
Transport can be arranged with a local friend, car rental from the airport or a reliable taxi service. TIP: When looking for a taxi service, ask a local to steer you in the right direction.
Costumes for the average masquerader averaged 100 and up depending on what each band offered. I’ll leave a list of notable bands and their links below:
Disclaimer: This list does not reflect in any which way which band has the most vibes, best service etc. Nor does it have a complete listing of all Junkanoo carnival bands. It is created objectively for informational purposes. Got it? Good!
Information, dates as well as events appeared to be available months in advance on the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival website.
Dates Fiasco
It would be very negligent of me not to highlight the fiasco that occurred this year with the change of carnival dates. Whether it be due to negligence, ignorance or outright lack of empathy for dozens of visitors who invested their money, time and energy: it was just outright disrespectful. I mean I myself had said there was no way on God’s green earth I was going to change my ticket from the original dates and I am a local. Luckily for me I had family and other obligations to tend to in Nassau.
However , for the traveling masquerader it was a nightmare.
And thankfully one that lasted for just a few days. However, still a detriment to some who had moved quickly to cancel reservations to scrape back some of their monies.
Lessons we can learn from this:
A carnival junkie is a person that plans their life around carnival. True story. Unless it’s an act of God, don’t expect them to change their plans so willy-nilly.
Expect a backlash of obscenities, bad reviews, IG comments when you don’t consider your consumer who has taken their TIME & MONEY to invest in your cultural event.
And lastly, just don’t make such an uninformed decision EVER again.
Let’s just call a spade, a spade.
Road
The road this year was a lot better in my OPINION. It seemed to be a lot more organized and secure. There were a lot more spectators as well. I got the opportunity to jump in a few bands (aka storm) and I cannot deny I enjoyed myself.
Drinks were readily available depending on the band of your choice, the route was the same as last year and the only qualm I had and heard others comment on is the fact that there is NO rest stop for masqueraders. But other than that, it was definitely enjoyable.
The Most Magical Fete in existence
My only expectation or lack of expectation for this fete was..
How could they possibly top last year’s?
Like, no joke. Seriously it was THAT LIT in 2016! I contemplated hard on how they could improve but this year’s SUITS Bahamas was just indescribably EPIC, TURNT AF, LITTY, all of the above.
You know, I won’t go off into a tangent/long paragraph about how GREAT it was (because I’m selfish and I don’t want this fete to ever change based on the amount of people attending and this post is already past my ADD limit) but I’ll leave y’all with these few points as to why it was without a shadow of a doubt the BEST fete I’ve ever attended in life (and I don’t like cooler fetes due to personal preference and past life altering, traumatic experiences) but here goes..
- MUSIC (varied, not 100% soca but everyone was still enjoying the vibe)
- YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME (I saw so many friendly and familiar faces, no level of stush, everyone on ONE accord)
- MACHEL MONTANO (ahhhhhhhhhhh!)
3a. PERFORMING LIVE (ahhhhhhhhhhhh!)
3b. HE PULLED UP ON A YACHT, y’all! (he really did! and it was sooooo EPIC!)
4. ZERO VIOLENCE (none, pre during or post fete)
It was just everything aka the most LITTY lituation in life. My apologies if you never get to experience it in your lifetime.
So in closing, who knows if there will be a BJC 2018. For those who are curious stay tuned to the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival website and instagram and check out the highlights from the carnival and concerts featuring some of our homegrown Bahamian artists and world renown soca artists.
Here’s 8 minutes of my experience at the 2017 Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!
Thanks for watching!
Crista S.
