Carnival in Granada is called “Spice Mas Granada” and lasts four days. This year it was held from Saturday 8 August to Tuesday 11 August and we were here in Granada, located at the Port Louis Marina, in St George, the capital of Granada, where the main Spice Mas was held.
Carnival is a fun festival that is part of the island’s tradition and heritage, in deed, part of the tradition and heritage of the Caribbean. Every island in the Caribbean holds a Carnival at sometime during the year.
On Carnival Tuesday, the Fancy Mas parade takes place through the streets. This is the main feature of the Carnival. The Fancy Mas Parade is planned four months prior with the appointment of a Mas Band Leader. The Leader plans the theme which tells a story or conveys a message. The Band, which is the parade, consists of 250 to 300 masqueraders broken up into different sections of 20 to 30 masqueraders. Each section tells a different part of the story and wears different creations. The sections also has a King or Queen who is the leader of the section.
Once the Mas Band Leader has decided on a theme, sponsors are sought and material and accessories bought for the costumes. A Mas Camp is held where friends and volunteers get together to assist with the making of the costumes. Once the Band is publicised, masqueraders start to visit the Mas Camp to see the costumes and choose which one to purchase.
During the four days of the Carnival, trucks with huge loud speakers and DJ’s drove slowly along the main streets of Granada night and day playing calypso and steel drum music. This was intermingled with the main features of a steel band competition on the Saturday Night. A National Soca Monarch competition on the Sunday Night which was where individuals make up their own songs about events that happened throughout the year. It can be of love, life, politics or any other topic.
The music and partying continued in the streets until the J’Ouvert Carnival Pageant commenced at 4am on Monday morning. From dawn on Carnival Monday, the streets of Grenadas’ towns were filled with traditional masqueraders depicting Devils (Jabs-Jabs) and social commentaries of the highlights of the past year (Ole Mas). Spectators and masqueraders alike danced to the sounds of steelbands and DJs playing the latest carnival melodies, their bodies covered in paint, grease and oil.
On Monday afternoon, the fancy or pretty bands appeared briefly on the streets as they made their way to the big stage where competition was fierce in the fight for the Band of the Year.
The street party continued on in the evening as the Monday Night Mas bands made their way through the streets from 8pm onwards dancing and waving brightly coloured lights.
On Carnival Tuesday, the Fancy Mas parade took place. The King and Queen of the bands lead their band who then made their way through the various judging points. The party continued late into the evening until midnight when the official celebrations ended.
