There are many events leading up the Jamaica Carnival grand finale road parade on Sunday April 23, 2017. But Carnival would not have been what it is today had it not been for the late great Byron Lee, most popularly known as lead of the award winning band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires; a band that revolutionised the sound of calypso music in Jamaica and introduced the concept of Carnival in the 1990s.
This year, Carnival in Jamaica will be extra special, thanks to the return of the Jamaica Carnival band that started it all. After a long hiatus due to Byron Lee’s passing in 2008, Carnival will come to life once again on the road for Jamaica Carnival 2017. Byron’s daughter Julianne Lee promises to give the people of Jamaica a more authentic, inclusive experience her visionary father started so many years ago. In honour of her father’s legacy, Julianne has faith that she will be successful with this re-launch for 2017, under the theme “Out of Many, One Carnival”; the theme was inspired by Byron Lee’s original vision for Jamaica Carnival when he first introduced it in the 1990s.
“The inspiration for this theme all goes back to Byron Lee’s dream to see Carnival infiltrate all nooks and crannies, where people could enjoy a musical format that he really enjoyed. He was Jamaican to the bone but he also loved this genre called Calypso.”
Out of Many, One Carnival suggests this band is geared to all. Everyone is invited to be a part of the festivities. Arising from her observations over the years, Carnival in Jamaica has become more geared towards a niche market, thus the mission for Jamaica Carnival to cater and be accessible to all Jamaicans, as her father would have wanted.
“Dad believed that music belonged to all and he loved the fact that regardless of your race, colour, creed, socioeconomic background, education or sex, once you heard the music come through the PA system you were all equal. Music united people, it broke down barriers.”
As Byron Lee toured all over the world, he was introduced to many genres of music. Throughout the 80s he started popularising ska, reggae, and calypso, as well as instrumentals. He was the first foreign musician invited to play in Trinidad during Carnival festivities and he automatically fell in love with the pageantry and magic of the season.
“He would popularise Jamaican music. He used to have a repertoire that included a little bit of mento, ska, rock steady, and reggae at the time and a little bit of calypso which is now what is known as soca.”
The late Hon. Byron Lee, O.J., C.D. travelled worldwide to many different carnivals: Trinidad, Crop over in Barbados, Labour Day Parade in New York, Notting Hill in England, and Caribana in Canada; he was also one of the catalysts for Batabano Carnival in Cayman. Upon noticing the absence of such music on the radios in Jamaica, he knew it was his calling to share his passion for this new sound with the people in his home country. There was backlash from the Christian community as well as the Reggae Fraternity but Julianne made it clear that her father took note of the criticisms and was extremely mindfulof the way he presented Carnival to Jamaicans.
Jamaica Carnival has evolved over the years with costumes becoming moreextravagant, music styling changing and more tourists coming to take part in the annual celebrations. Back in the 1990s it was mainly about the music and the people. Nowadays it can be argued that the element of inclusivity and tradition has dwindled. According to Julianne, the most distinct difference between Jamaica carnivals now and back then is the musical component and the lack of a Jamaican identity.
To continue reading, purchase Vol.8 #10, 2017 Issue.
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There are many events leading up the Jamaica Carnival grand finale road parade on Sunday April 23, 2017. But Carnival would not have been what it is today had it not been for the late great Byron Lee, most popularly known as lead of the award winning band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires; a band that revolutionised the sound of calypso music in Jamaica and introduced the concept of Carnival in the 1990s.
This year, Carnival in Jamaica will be extra special, thanks to the return of the Jamaica Carnival band that started it all. After a long hiatus due to Byron Lee’s passing in 2008, Carnival will come to life once again on the road for Jamaica Carnival 2017. Byron’s daughter Julianne Lee promises to give the people of Jamaica a more authentic, inclusive experience her visionary father started so many years ago. In honour of her father’s legacy, Julianne has faith that she will be successful with this re-launch for 2017, under the theme “Out of Many, One Carnival”; the theme was inspired by Byron Lee’s original vision for Jamaica Carnival when he first introduced it in the 1990s.
“The inspiration for this theme all goes back to Byron Lee’s dream to see Carnival infiltrate all nooks and crannies, where people could enjoy a musical format that he really enjoyed. He was Jamaican to the bone but he also loved this genre called Calypso.”
Out of Many, One Carnival suggests this band is geared to all. Everyone is invited to be a part of the festivities. Arising from her observations over the years, Carnival in Jamaica has become more geared towards a niche market, thus the mission for Jamaica Carnival to cater and be accessible to all Jamaicans, as her father would have wanted.
“Dad believed that music belonged to all and he loved the fact that regardless of your race, colour, creed, socioeconomic background, education or sex, once you heard the music come through the PA system you were all equal. Music united people, it broke down barriers.”
As Byron Lee toured all over the world, he was introduced to many genres of music. Throughout the 80s he started popularising ska, reggae, and calypso, as well as instrumentals. He was the first foreign musician invited to play in Trinidad during Carnival festivities and he automatically fell in love with the pageantry and magic of the season.
“He would popularise Jamaican music. He used to have a repertoire that included a little bit of mento, ska, rock steady, and reggae at the time and a little bit of calypso which is now what is known as soca.”
The late Hon. Byron Lee, O.J., C.D. travelled worldwide to many different carnivals: Trinidad, Crop over in Barbados, Labour Day Parade in New York, Notting Hill in England, and Caribana in Canada; he was also one of the catalysts for Batabano Carnival in Cayman. Upon noticing the absence of such music on the radios in Jamaica, he knew it was his calling to share his passion for this new sound with the people in his home country. There was backlash from the Christian community as well as the Reggae Fraternity but Julianne made it clear that her father took note of the criticisms and was extremely mindfulof the way he presented Carnival to Jamaicans.
Jamaica Carnival has evolved over the years with costumes becoming moreextravagant, music styling changing and more tourists coming to take part in the annual celebrations. Back in the 1990s it was mainly about the music and the people. Nowadays it can be argued that the element of inclusivity and tradition has dwindled. According to Julianne, the most distinct difference between Jamaica carnivals now and back then is the musical component and the lack of a Jamaican identity.
To continue reading, purchase Vol.8 #10, 2017 Issue.
Share this post: