Jonkunnu band revels in the carnival spirit

They were almost as colourful as the revellers and definitely as energetic. The members of the Kayah Jonkunnu Band were in the thick of the merriment as they played mas with Yard Mas. The group from Port Maria which was formed in the 1980s was very much integrated into the carnival spirit and took every opportunity they could to dance behind every pretty girl willing to give them a ‘bly’.

For informal leader and spokesperson of the group, Elroy ‘Jack in the Green’ Brown, carnival is something they attend as much as possible because it is now a part of our culture, almost as much as jonkunnu.

“Jonkunnu is Jamaica and this goes back to our history tied to slavery, and now bacchanal has been incorporated into our cultural history as well . The older people appreciate jonkunnu, while young people enjoy bacchanal because of the colour and the organised chaos, but when you check it out, the similarities are striking,” Brown said.

He pointed out that carnival and jonkunno both feature fast-paced music that revellers can dance and gyrate to, and they also boast colourful costumes that onlookers find rivetting.

“When you see both on the road you just cannot look away. You just have to smile and appreciate them for who they are and recognise that they both have a place in making Jamaicans happy and entertained,” he added.

Brown has been with the band for eight years and has travelled with them overseas to perform. He shared that people are still amazed to see them, as most jonkunnu bands are now extinct. However, they have managed to survive by not just doing strictly jonkunnu gigs at Christmastime, but also dancehall concerts, soca parties, plus big events such as the annual road march to get the necessary exposure to build a brand, and, more importantly, a following.

“First time when someone wanted to get a hold on you they have to call you on a landline, nowadays it’s all about your social media handle. This tells me that entertainment is evolving in a way we would never have dreamt 10, 15 years ago. For me, change is good; jonkunnu may not be as popular as when I was a kid, but it will always be relevant and Kaya Band will always strive to be inclusive as possible. We nuh scare children any more, we lift dem up and dance with them. So we will always have a place in the hearts of Jamaicans,” Brown declared.