Krystel Brown, draped in purple, blue and silver jewels, feathers and cleverly placed pieces of straw jumped in the line with Bahamas Masqueraders, the same group she had her first Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Road Fever experience with. (Photo: Krystel Brown)
The sun was scorching, my blood was pumping and yes, I was ready for the road.
I woke up at quarter to six on the morning of May 7 -- and I am definitely not a morning person. But I had been looking forward to this day since I played mas in Trinidad back in February. In fact, I could barely sleep on Friday night because I was so pumped for the Road Fever.
Draped in purple, blue, and silver jewels, feathers and cleverly placed pieces of straw, I jumped in the line with Bahamas Masqueraders, the same group I had my first Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival road fever experience with. My section -- Purple Reign -- paid tribute to music legend Prince, who died last month. The theme for that section played on his hit song "Purple Rain," a love ballad about Prince's devotion to a woman. So, I channeled my inner Prince, the side of him that sang "Let's Go Crazy" and "1999," and let go of my inhibitions.
In true Prince form, I stepped out in front of the truck and performed as I would if I were in Rawson Square on Boxing Day morning. But enough about Prince for now, because let's be honest, I came to fete with my people and I just wanted to carry on!
Trinidad soca artist Lyrikal's song Freedom was blasting over the speakers that were loaded on the "big truck." I lifted my drink above my head and whined. Sweat dripped down my forehead as spectators pointed their camera phones in my direction. They cheered me on as I as danced through the streets and motioned for me to come closer.
With most of my face hidden behind my oversized shades, I smiled and waved at the excited children who lined the sidewalks but for the most part, I looked past the faces in the crowd and zoned in on one thing -- the music. And the music was sweet.
The deejays played a mix of Bahamian and soca songs and a few featured artists joined the Masqueraders for live performances. I was reveling in the moments and I loved it. Two friends joined me on the road march -- Kelsie, the energetic one, and Jayde, the road warrior. Although we didn't stay together the entire time, I couldn't have chosen better feting partners, besides my husband (but he stayed home and binge-watched his favorite show).
This year the road march was longer and there were no breaks but I was up to the task. I'd been exercising off and on for months leading up to this day and I wasn't about to get tired and retire in the air-conditioned buses that were provided.
The seven-hour trek took us from Tonique Williams Darling Highway onto Baillou Hill Road, west on Poincianna Avenue and north on Nassau Street. Finally we danced onto West Bay Street before we arrived at the carnival stage at Arawak Cay.
Carnival is about freedom. It's about people coming together and celebrating life, love, music, or whatever makes you feel good. It's about fun. It's a place where strangers become friends, if only for the day.
As the group wound through the streets, the crowd got thicker and became more engaging. Many of the bystanders eventually joined the line. By the time I turned onto Poinciana Avenue, I was kicking my legs in the air. It was under the shade of the Poinciana trees that I had the most fun. In those moments I remembered the lyrics to one of my favorite soca songs, which expounds the view that during carnival, "getting on bad is the golden rule." And get on bad, we did.
When Masqueraders was crossing the stage, Bahamian artist Bodine "Be" Johnson was belting her new song "Good Feelings". It was exhilarating. My feet were aching, my stomach was protesting because of a lack of nourishment and my eyes were a little grainy, but my adrenaline was still pumping -- so I did what any self-respecting bacchanalist would do, I continued to fete... until the morning came.
By Krystel Brown
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