Carnival 2011, a touch of everything

Curtis Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Carnival Road march 2011 did not fail to live up to its expectations as hundreds of revellers and bystanders turned onto the streets of St Andrew to indulge in a day filled with music and colourfully revealing costumes.

The road march started at 10:30 am at the Mona hockey field and ended at Mas Camp on Oxford Road. The march lasted approximately eight hours and gradually increased in size as persons joined in from different locations around the Corperate Area and the trucks were armed with refreshments as the day promised much. The huge crowd was not disappointed.

Rain dampened the initial stages of the road march but the weather improved.

With a tropical sun at their backs, revellers kept the Pure Country juice truck busy. Workers went into overdrive to provide water and juice as thirsty and animated revellers constantly fought off dehydration.

The security officials were out in numbers to maintain order and ensure that revellers in costumes where not interrupted by others who were not band members and just simply wanted some of the action.

"Mi nuh like the fact that the security dem a stop the fun enuh; everybody just a 'wholejoy'," Derval Barnett said, as security personnel pushed him back onto the sidewalk with a stern warning not to further interrupt the revellers with arm bands.

Duane Espeut shared a similar view, according to Espeut, he would have preferred if there was a band for general persons who could not afford costumes but would want to enjoy the carnival as much as those who could.

"Mi cyaah buy costume because it's expensive, but carnival a my t'ing so mi nuh like the fact that mi cyaah mix and mingle wid everybody," he said.

thick crowd

When the bands reached Half-Way Tree, the parade had to come to a halt to ensure that the thick crowd could pass through the narrow Papine taxi route.

Police officers could be seen on foot, motorcycles and horses doing their best to direct the flow of traffic so as to avoid challenges.

The day went well for the majority of the proceedings, with the exception of a few incidents where the police had to intervene and maintain order.

The carnival ended at about 6:30 p.m. as band revellers headed to Mas Camp for the after party, while hundreds of patrons were left standing on the road at emancipation park yelling "we want more music".

Dr Dre of Renaissance called down the curtains on Carnival 2011 saying, "That's it for the day come back next year."