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| Cruiser getting into the swing of things |
Several intrepid early risers boarded the van for J'Ouvert (jhoo-vay) at 4:30am on Monday bound for St. George's. (Dave, considering them to be nuts, choose to stay behind in the peaceful realm of dreamland.) The main road was crowded with Jab Jab (bands of "devils") from different parts of Grenada. The Jab Jab, who traditionally covered themselves with molasses or tar, appear under the veil of early morning darkness to revel in the streets before the light of dawn. Nowadays old motor oil or paints are used. Needless to say, old clothes are the dress of the day.
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| Early morning revelers |
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| Jab Jab with horns |
Another name for J'Ouvert is "Dirty Mas." I think this implies two things: one, the oil and paint and the other, the dancing. A man will approach a woman from behind and the woman will start gyrating as the man slithers his hips against her. It sounds nasty, but most men are not pushy about it and the woman has the choice to dance or not. One guy came up from behind and, without touching me, asked me if I wanted to dance. I told him thanks but I didn't know how. He said OK and left with a smile.
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| Doing the dance, or "Winin" (wine-in) |
Each Jab Jab band used either oil or a paint color to signify their town or region in Grenada.
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| Chartreuse Jab Jab |
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| Silver Jab Jab |
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| Plum Jab Jab |
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| And oiled Jab Jab |
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| Linda getting painted by a happy Jab Jab |
In search of musical bands, we finally figured out that the "bands" were groups of people who banded together. Often they were accompanied by a large flatbed truck with a DJ and a humongous set of speakers blaring rhythmic tunes. I'll post a video clip that may or may not play. If it doesn't, hopefully the still photos give a sense of the din.
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