‘We have the best costumes by far’

With a total of eight sections, GenXs Jamaica brought the hottest costumes to the AC Hotel Kingston on Lady Musgrave Road for their band launch on Monday evening. In what was dubbed a ‘Return To Paradise’, local and regional designers displayed their A-game, showcasing creativity, inclusivity and variety for both men and women.

Boarding passes in hand, potential revellers were transported to an island getaway with steel pans blasting, men on stilts, tropical trees and plants, and, of course, complimentary drinks. When announcer Bambino signalled that it was time to reveal the costumes that GenXs would carry for the 2023 Road March, everyone glued their eyes to the stage, and that was when things got steamy.

Various hues styles and sizes hit the runway, much to the approving cheers of the watchful audience – all having a back story that connects them to the best that ‘paradise’ would have to offer. The eight sections seen were Chasing Waterfalls, Luminous Lagoon and Sunken Treasure by David Dewer; Coral Dreams and Summer Sunsets by Shawn Hanraj, Jewel of The Jungle by Jessica Campbell; Moonlit Orchid by Natalie Fonrose; and Mystic Peaks by Rhion Roman.

Standout pieces of the evening included the frontline costumes for Luminous Lagoon, with its larger feathered backpack, headpiece and rhinestones. The male costume for Sunken Treasures was also a standout. Jewel of the Jungle’s frontline ensemble, too, was among the pieces that made a mark.

CARNIVAL COMMUNITY

Matthew Waddell, one of the four GenXs chief directors, explained that their carnival band is about giving the Jamaican carnival community viable options.

“GenX is 20-plus years in Miami. It began sometime around the 1990s; that is the genesis of GenX in terms of carnival, in terms of existing, in terms of bringing something to the public. Because of the pandemic, we felt as if there [is] a certain lacking in Jamaica. [A] couple bands went away, some got eaten up, and we did not feel that was fair to the Jamaican people. Optionality is always key as a consumer. You want to make sure you are not being forced to make a decision, but you have a choice. We just wanted to make sure that people had a choice that was up to scratch,” he said.

As for the display of costumes specifically and the overall production of the band launch, he said he and his team are satisfied.

“It made everybody proud. We have a fairly extensive team behind it who put in a whole lot of hard work, and people take pride in it, so what it boils down to is, everybody is Jamaican. We have people, including designers from other Caribbean islands, but the nucleus of it [is] Jamaican, and we wanted to make sure that when we come to Jamaica, we bring a product that makes us feel good,” Waddell shared.

This is GenXs’ first time as a part of Carnival in Jamaica offering, and the director says that fans will receive the best of everything that carnival offers.

“They can expect liquor not running out, the music will keep on going, and we have the best costumes. I am not sparing any words; we have the best costumes by far. So if you want to look the best and get the most alcohol, you are with us. If you want to hear the best DJs and best artiste dem, you are with us. The biggest thing for us is establishing a sense of community where your culture can be experienced in different regions. That is what is going to set us apart from everybody else,” he told The Gleaner.

Carnival lover Lisa Sangster says she is very pleased with what GenXs has brought.

“Mi nah guh lie, the costumes dem nice! I like them so much, and I really loved that they came with a lot of feathers, [and] a lot of gems, and I cannot wait to see them on the road come 2023. I know Jamaica Carnival is going to ‘shell’, and thanks to GenXs Carnival, we have another option besides the other two bands that we had here, and I really appreciate them for that. Big them [up for] that,” she shared excitedly.

According to the directors, the prices for costumes are to be revealed today. Carnival in Jamaica is scheduled for April 2023.

aaliyah.cunningham@gleanerjm.com