(Photo from the Valley Boys Facebook page)
By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE VALLEY Boys have been declared the unofficial champions of the 2016 New Year's Day Junkanoo Parade, edging second place finishers One Family by .61 points.
Flying through Bay Street early Friday morning under the theme "Birds of a Feather March Together”, the Valley Boys left spectators in awe of their performance.
With Friday's colourful and spirited performance, the Valley Boys secured their third consecutive parade victory - the 2015 New Year's Day, the 2015 Boxing Day and the 2016 New Year's Day parades.
According to unofficial results, the Valley Boys won the category A division with 87.78 points, beating One Family (87.17), Roots (85.43) and the Shell Saxons (84.47).
The Prodigal Sons were disqualified for the second consecutive parade after "failing to meet the fundamental requirements of a category A group".
Additionally, the Music Makers were disqualified for failing to complete the compulsory third lap (second lap on Bay Street) during Friday's parade.
In category B division, the Genesis "Warhawks" delivered on their promise to leave the with the hearts of the Bay Street crowds; finally surpassing the Colors Junkanoo group to win the B division.
Comments
Emac 8 years, 3 months ago
Simply beautiful! And my team at that.
Honestman 8 years, 3 months ago
Well done Valley Boys and well done to the organisers.
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 3 months ago
The prodigal should not have only been disqualified, they need to be AUDITED. They received 30,000 dollars of our money to bring 5 bellers, 6 brass, maybe 6 drummers to Bay and only one of them in costume???? Not to mention the broken down malformed plane they called a banner. Where did that money go? The government needs to start releasing this money in phases and have the groups' progress checked against the money dispensed.
In fact all suspect groups should be audited. If you come to Bay with the same costumes every year, you should not be receiving any money for a Junkanoo performance, you are simply pocketing free money. In addition, the government should not be giving money to any group who's only function is to display public drunkenness. We set these precedents then cry when they get out of control as if we couldn't see total disaster in the making. No group should be allowed to display drinking liquor along Bay as entertainment. Let them do that at the private party, it has nothing to do with Junkanoo. There was one group giving spiked drinks to spectators, what is that????
Congrats to Valley, Genesis and the best group ever Colours!:).
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 3 months ago
I noticed two things about tourists at Junkanoo, they don't like the long parade and they don't like the noise. I sat near the barricade on Boxing Day and when One Family passed I thought my ears were about to explode (good job Family). If I thought it was loud I can only imagine how the poor tourist with fingers plugged in their ears felt. But that's because we had crappy seats sitting right on top of the drummers. Rawson square was far better
Junkanoo needs to move from Bay St, plain and simple. This it ain't Junkanoo if it ain't on Bay is craziness. The only proper seating is Rawson Square, up to maybe row10, that's it. Everything else is robbery.
If as a tourist I came out for an hour and I saw prodigal and five groups pass just drinking liquor my impression of Junkanoo would be pretty dismal. Prodigal should not have been allowed to parade in their state.
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