The first year I played mas was 1995. Of course the costumes were cheaper and were made of more material.
My big sis Sabrina Harper was working at Almond Beach at the time and took me along to be a part of the BS&T [Barbados Shipping & Trading] band. It was $75 for that costume, drinks on the road and food after the jump. Yes, I said $75.
It was my 21st year on earth and my dear sis felt it the fitting way to welcome me into adulthood. I had a grand time. We went down the road to the sounds of big band Troubadors. On board with them was the sweet-singing AC and, boy, did we have a Nice Time.
I have jumped a few times since with my party mates Sharon Clarke, Lisa Denny and Tamar Waithe. Of course we jumped with whichever costume band krosfyah was on the road with. Krosfyah was large and in charge at that time; the music was infectious, making our jump-ups memorable.
I took a break for a few years.
Then after a rewarding but torrid time in Scotland when I went to study for my master’s degree in media management, my dearest Kathy-Ann Gilkes proposed I jump with her on Grand Kadooment Day. Her reasoning was that it was a way to de-stress and I should see it as a gift to myself having endured a year away from family and friends.
She didn’t have to do much convincing. At the time my other bestie Cindy Maynard was modelling with PowerX4 the same band Kathy was in. Needless to say we had a grand time on the road. I stayed with PowerX4 for a while before jumping with Contact. Last year I joined Blue Box Cart for the first time and had one of the most memorable jumps ever. Our costumes last year were the most beautiful and best-constructed we had ever paraded in. This year Cindy and I moved too late and Blue Box Cart sold out fast.
Having missed out on Blue Box Cart, we opted to go with Baje International – a wise decision. This year was a perfect year to join the masquerade. Our entertainers and producers did their part in creating some of the sweetest soca music.
Oh what a Kadooment Day it was!
There are certain things that make the jump great. The music, the costume and the company; we had that all in Baje. Both music trucks were blasting good music. The drinks truck was fully loaded in order to reload a thirsty body. And thanks to Ryan, Matthew and others – who were strangers at the start of the jump – Cindy and I made new buddies and jokes galore on our way down de road.
My day started at 4:45 a.m. I had a 5:30 a.m. appointment by my schoolmate Carla Mayers to get my make-up done. In previous years I had appointments at 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. with Renee Ifill and her Next2Natural team.
As skimpy as the costume may look getting ready for mas’ takes some time. This year Cindy overslept and we were racing against the clock. Thanks to my dear friend Roland Branker we got to the National Stadium just in time to parade with our band. We were bracing for a wet jump which never happened. The sun was out all day, so it was frustrating that I lost my sunglasses somewhere on Station Hill. The sno-cone man attached to Baje helped to cool us down . . . thanks Richard Haynes and crew.
Cindy and I have an unwritten rule that we dance on people we know along the route. We also get a kick out of dancing on tourists too. We make the most of the day. And when we get to Spring Garden we almost always have energy left so we walk back up and join another band and come right back down. We’ve done it countless times before and this year was no different.
Over the years we have unofficially jumped in Berger Boyz, Jump, Fantasy, among many others. This year Baje’s jump ended by Rubis Sports Club at the top of Spring Garden, so we ate and then joined Zulu for more fun. The security guys in those other bands usually welcome us with open arms or maybe the costumes look the same to them.
At the end of the jump I took a shower, changed my clothes and headed over to the office to do my part in putting together the next day’s paper. Every year I jump and I work directly after. It’s a tradition. Years ago I would have been working on the Crop Over Souvenir and getting home around 2 a.m.
For the past three years I have had the responsibility of managing the NATION’s Crop Over coverage so working on Kadooment Day is mandatory. I never leave until the paper is complete. This year due to technical difficulties I got home from work at 3:50 a.m. But will that deter me from doing it again next year?? NOOOOO!!!
But who or what made me a carnival baby?
Blame the ones who raised me, my mother Una and my aunt Joan. They are the ones who dressed me and took me to see the annual Donkey Cart Parade at the Garrison. Then on Kadooment Day with my hair in corn row and beads at the end, my sisters and I would head by my cousin in Olivies Gap to position ourselves to watch the bands. I was exposed to Crop Over and embraced it from a child. I see it as part of my culture. No one can change my mind about that.
So as long as I have life and I feel good in the body I will play mas.
I work hard all year round. I go through stressful periods like everyone else so I decided to take one day for me. And as fate would have it my daughter Toriann already shows an interest in the festival and has asked about her first jump. I assure you the cycle will continue. As my big sis took me, I too will take Tori to be a part of the “sweetest summer festival” parade when that time comes. (TTY)
