Devil
As the three graces and the three musketeers were four Young black beauties daubed in molasses strike the pose Tradition dating back to the dark times of the slave trade Emancipated slaves celebrated with the masquerade Thanking the devil rather than the god who had failed them And warning the masters of their impending doom […]
In the purest Masquerade tradition Two fit guys properly daubed in molasses Wearing the ‘Jab’ horns, parading their abs So we know now which side the devil is on And so do all the girls around… Photo Hugh Ardoin The Notting Hill 2019 Carnival Gallery
The trending Asterix or Viking helmets to impersonate the Jab The history of masquerade is about the representation of Satan Jab is a creole phonetic version of the French ‘Diable’ (Devil) As opposed to Christian religion at the centre of carnivals Masquerades were celebration of emancipated slaves Disguised with horns, chains and molasses like devils […]
The sky unfurls its clouds like the standards of a huge marching army Erratic tropical moods draw patterns of shadows and light on the tarmac White stripes invite fleeting memories clad with music, a Seven Nation Army Long haul-long vehicles speed along the road from Accra to Lomé The devil is never far away, he […]
Every year the Notting Hill Carnival brings together over a million people They come from the world over although the majority is Afro-Caribbean A celebration of masquerade as it was performed by emancipated slaves Slaves were not allowed to participate in masquerades and Carnival It was the initiation to freedom and a warning to the […]
Missionary conversions never erased the spirit of Animism Sharing the “Jab” mythology of the horned god called devil Hope of justice in the after-life helped survive the pains of slavery But was it no more than another pie in the sky to rein in anger and hunger Looking at the world from the cloud of […]
It starts as a trickle, a two man army walking down the street Then comes the flow of the devil’s (Jab) legions, blacker than black Daubed in molasses and wearing horns and chains according to tradition It was not a devilish cult, but a warning to the former masters of emancipated slaves Photo Hugh Ardoin […]
Borrowing the horns from the “Jab” and the molasses from the cane A beauty celebrates the emancipation of her forbears In a grand style to remind the masters of the Judgment Day They will go where they belong with chains, molasses and devils May they unrest in un-peace… Photo Hugh Ardoin The Notting Hill 2019 […]