By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE Shell Saxons Superstars were named the unofficial champions of the 2018 New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade, ending a four-year drought which saw major changes within the group’s senior command.
Committed to delivering the “greatest performance downtown had ever seen” from the start of Monday’s parade, the Saxons, under the theme: “An Expression of Love: Feel the Rush, Junkanoo” finished the parade with a score of 88.66, a full 2.12 points ahead of One Family, which finished second.
The group, much to the delight of its supporters who turned up in droves at Arawak Cay for the reading of the unofficial results, scored first place finishes in the music, banner and overall performance categories.
The group also secured second place finishes in the overall costume and best Shirley Street performance categories.
“We had blood in our eyes; we saw the eye of the tiger and we had to get it done this morning,” said Kendenique Campbell Moss, the group’s public relations officer. “Having lost parade after parade, sometimes within a four or five point margin, it was very difficult for us. We had to go back to the drawing board. We have a team of young professionals that decided that we wanted to bring something different, something new, something innovative to the table.”
The last time the group won a Junkanoo parade was January 2013.
She continued: “We had not won the parade in an extremely long time and it showed. The morale of the group was down, but we banded together as a group of people (and) we did what we had to do.
“(Our theme was) a combination of all the things that are indigenous to Junkanoo, from whence came. You know, Junkanoo is still on the books as a noise ordinance, so we put everything in to that, from Maureen Duvalier to John Chipman. We wanted to make sure that everyone was on the line this morning. Of course, Maureen Duvalier is of course dead, but we had a memorial for her, in terms of representation in the group.”
The Saxons also displayed several pieces that paid tribute to other Junkanoo pioneers and historical moments for the art form.
Mrs Campbell Moss added: “It was an extremely difficult task to make sure that everything came together. We had to line up the group properly, meaning that you had the proper era with the proper group section, it was extremely difficult, but we got it done this morning.
“And everyone that sat around the board this morning are new people, when I say new people, new creative energy. I think when you saw us line up this morning and when you looked down Bay Street and you saw the emblem of the Shell Saxon Superstars, the crowd loved us this morning.
“We are the people’s champions. You saw it in their faces. You saw the expression. We came alive this morning; the crowd came alive.
“The Saxons deserve this win this morning,” she concluded.
According to unofficial results for the New Year’s Day parade, the Valley Boys finished third with 86.04 points, the Roots placed fourth, which won the Boxing Day parade, with 85.90 points and Genesis finished fifth with 81 points.
The Prodigal Sons for a fifth consecutive parade did not leave the starting gate.
With respect to the B Division, Colours emerged victorious yet again, out pacing the Fancy Dancers, Original Congos, Redland Soldiers and Conquers for Christ, which rounded out the top five.
Comments
realitycheck242 6 years, 3 months ago
Finaly is looks like no single group will dominate Junkanoo again with all the major groups taking turns with victories rotating between Boxing day and new years day parade over the last five years.The major groups are finally balanced with their presentations. Thats good for all the fans. .
John 6 years, 3 months ago
Congratulations Saxons!!! Well deserved victory. That being said the time has come to revisit Junkanoo if only to make it less costly to produce and put on and more practical and 2018 oriented parade. The young millineals with their smart phones and quick agendas do not want to spend eight hours at a Junkanoo parade. And the merchants on Bay Street hates the bleachers going up and the parades being extended. And so Junkanoo, rather than evolving is being pushed into a tighter and tighter performance schedule with more and more restrictions. And with even more and more pressure being put on performers to get to Bay Street on time, get in line and hope everything else falls into place from there. But is this right? Should Junkanoo be rushed, cornered and hog tied in this fashion? Especially after Junkanooers spend almost an entire year and thousands of dollars (much of it their own) for barely an hour under the lights. And the spectators want nothing less than perfection. Attention to detail and costumes that jump out st the audience. Bet you couldn’t get even the most shrewd business person to market Junkanoo this n its present form and turn a profit. So there are two options: Try to keep Junkanoo as the art and historical event that it is and continue the painstaking and expensive art of designing, building and pasting costumes. But then give Junkanoo the time and space it needs to be performed properly. Then create an after market for costumes that can be sold or at least displayed for a period of time so the public can appreciate the artwork. Or fast forward Junkanoo into the 4 G-Lte age. Allow more mass production and less costly techniques in the making of costumes. Set the time frame for the parade. Let it happen and just walk away when it’s done.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 3 months ago
Junkanoo needs to be like NASCAR or Tennis ....... make it an all-year round series ....... New Years, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Emancipation, National Heroes and Boxing Day ..... Then you will have a real champion crowned every year.
John 6 years, 3 months ago
So while there’s concern about Junkanoo attendance, movie going is at a 25 year low. (That $40 million monstrosity on top of Gladstone Hill could have been a boutique hotel or a mix mixed shopping mall.). But a professor at a college almoy20 years ago was explaining why the student attendance in his class was so low. ‘ Young people are in the state of ‘not being ‘. So when they are at home or in their dorm room they are preparing to go to class. But when they get to class they realize they don’t want to be there so they Pluto go somewhere else. With the aid of the smart phones. , persons are more aided in their journey of ‘not being .’ As soon as they get a text or information that some other event is going on they leave with the attitude ‘ Chile I could watch Junkanoo on my phone while I at the party.’ And sometimes it may just be a simple matter of finding out that the rest of the posse ( friends) are home sleeping.
John 6 years, 3 months ago
Even casinos are having to adjust their marketing strategies and entertainment to appeal to this new generation. Young people don’t want to sit around playing black jack or dropping coins in one arm bandits all night. So casinos are not only creating mobile apps for gaming, but they are also providing high level entertainment and dining facilities in their properties. The truth is many young persons can only be out 3-4 hours partying at night compared to their parents or grand parents who spent 6 - 8 hours. So basically they want to do more in less time.
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