 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Each year the primary schools and the high schools have a festive parade through the middle of town. They dress in the old cultural garb with all the pomp of island flavor and exuberance. The children love the parade and they work hard throughout the new year to prepare for Junkanoo.
This year Micah was part of his school’s “rush” and he was playing the whistle. Each of the kids play an instrument or dance (usually the girls only dance). Instruments include the bells, whistle, tambourine, occasionally brass, and most especially the drums and cymbals.
As we were preparing for the event, it was clear that there was a lot of confusion in who belongs where as all the children from all the schools combined in the same small area to prep. Some students were showing up very late, and trying to get them all dressed and they wait while they’re dress was almost impossible.
The crowds were huge for the event. There were various street vendors and the crowds made it nearly impossible to get to anything quickly. I was shocked (not pun intended) to see how the electrical wiring for the booths were set up – LIVE WIRES EXPOSED – everywhere! With hundreds of children running all about, it was hard to believe that this could pass for legal. Thankfully no one was injured, and I’m sure that whoever set it up spent considerable time trying to make it safe… but seriously – exposed wires!
As the event began, Micah was growing very tired. We arrived to set up hours before the actual event, and once it did start, poor Micah started to cry. It was heartbreaking to see everyone around him dancing and having the best time, while he was just beside himself in tears. Turns out that the whistle was hurting his ears!
Despite the chaos and loud whistle, Micah did have a fun time, and so did we. Back in the US we would have a similar event and we’d call it homecoming, but here with Junkanoo all the schools participate together.
At the end of it all, Micah’s school won the competition for the best performance and best floats – this was their 13th annual victory over all the other primary schools. Maybe next year, he will get to beat the drum!