Foreday morning jam is one of the biggest events of the Crop Over Season. Starting in 1995, Foreday has become one of the most popular segments of the Crop Over festival.Tourists come from all over the world to take part in Foreday.
This night-time street party has proven to be one of the fastest growing events in Barbados.The question therefore is what makes this event special and stand out from the others. In this article we will discuss what Foreday Morning Jam is, and why you have been missing out.
What Does Foreday Morning Mean
Foreday Morning basically means the early morning hours before sunrise.
What is Foreday Morning Jam
Foreday is a night-based event that is a precursor to Grand kadooment. It starts after the announcement of the winner of the Calypso competition ‘Pic-O-De-Crop’.This is a street party with revellers partying behind bands covered in mud, paint, powder or water. It is similar to J’ouvert in Trinidad.
The route starts in Bridgetown, parades along Princess Alice Highway and finishes at Spring Garden Highway. The distance is approximately 3km. Foreday starts in the early hours of Saturday morning around 12 am and finishes around 6:00 am. In 2019, Foreday will be on Saturday August 3rd.
The bands for Foreday Morning Jam have paid packages, which include a costume, drinks, paint, powder and other accessories depending on your band. Some of the more popular bands for the season are Colorz, Spektrum, Flair, Lynx, Native and Chocolate Army.
Why is Foreday Morning so Popular
People that have been to Foreday Morning can agree that the atmosphere is electric. It is estimated that as much as 20,000 people participate in the jam.The experience you get at Foreday is incredible.
At Foreday Morning everyone parties as one. You get a range of age groups and ethnicities, fat or slim it doesn’t matter it’s a party without division. The soca music is infectious and gets everyone dancing. The throwing of paint, powder and water gets everyone involved and is overall fun. It is nonstop partying and action.
Over the years many have chosen to play mas Foreday Morning instead of Grand kadooment. There are some reasons for this that include:
A Sense of Freedom During the Night
Foreday Morning is the opposite of Grand Kadooment. Kadooment is glamorous with expensive costumes, feathers and elegant accessories. However, at Foreday, people wear simpler costumes, old shoes, pants and are covered in mud, paint or powder. Both are also held at different times of the day. Foreday is during the early hours of the morning while it is dark while kadooment is in the daytime.
Due to these reasons some people tend to let go of their inhibitions and party harder at Foreday. Partying at that hour of the night provides somewhat a veil of secrecy. Most people feel comfortable partying in the darkness of the night.
Therefore, not having to worry about how you look or not as much people seeing you because of the darkness allow people to party to the fullest.
Cheaper Costumes
A costume for kadooment can cost anywhere from $350-$750 for the smaller bands and around $750-$2000 for premium bands.Foreday Morning offers a much cheaper alternative to Grand Kadooment as costumes typically range from $100 to $280. This price range makes it affordable for the average person.
One of the main reasons for the price difference is that Foreday Morning costumes have simpler designs. Many of the bands are T-shirt bands.Those who have traditional carnival costumes do not have the feathers and accessories you would see on Kadooment Day.
In these harsh economic times, the reality is that many people simply cannot afford to spend that much money on a costume. Some people start saving from the end of Crop Over the previous year to be able to afford a costume for kadooment. Others take out loans not only to be able to pay for the costume but to go to all the events for the season.
To each his own but I am very sorry I cannot see myself spending an arm and a leg or taking out a loan to afford a costume. There is nothing wrong with saving your money to afford the season but not everyone can do that.
Some of us adults have rent, bills, children and other commitments. It may sound like I am complaining however; I just do not believe it should be this expensive to take part in the season.
The bottom line is if you can afford it buy the costume and have a blast, if you cannot go with the cheaper alternative.
Shorter Route
The route for Grand kadooment is roughly 10 km (6 miles). It takes roughly 6 to 7 hours to complete the jump. As stated earlier in this article the route for Foreday is 3 km which is about 1.8 miles. There are some people who are not able to handle the longer route and take the shorter alternative.
In addition, both Kadooment and Foreday are nonstop partying with soca music blazing constant wukking up and dancing. While both last roughly the same time not everyone is able to handle the distance.
Cooler Alternative
At the end of the day, Grand Kadooment takes place between the hours of 9 am to 6 pm. During the climax of the day at 12-3, the sun is blazing hot. However, Foreday takes place while it is dark which offers a much cooler alternative to partying in the hot blazing sun.
Please note I am not stating in this article that Foreday Morning is better than grand kadooment. However, I am stating that it has become an alternative to some people for the reasons I have stated.
Private Jumps
In recent years, I have found that more people are gravitating towards private jumps. I myself have done this and I must admit it was awesome. The truth is that over the years there has been an increase of bands on the road for Foreday Morning. So much that some bands do not make it to the end of the route.
Some bands start in Queens Park and others start from the Bridgetown port. The increase in the number of bands has made it impossible for all to start at the same point. Splitting the starting points made it possible to have a more organised jump.
However, because of the thousands of revellers even with the different starting points for some bands it makes no difference. The police shut down many bands before they get to the end. This is because of time constraints; the jam has to finish for 6:00 am.
Therefore if your band has not completed the route by a certain time you are out of luck. In addition, some bands move to slow along the route holding up others on the road.
There are also restrictions on the design of costumes for Foreday. The main reason is to reserve the elaborate costumes for Kadooment day and leave the simpler designs for Foreday. While I understand, some band leaders feel this is holding back their creativity.
Another issue is the encroachment on revellers by non-participants. Too many times we have seen people slip under the ropes and disrupt the band. Many bands have beefed up their security to prevent incidents. However, these problems still occur.
This became distressing to many people who have paid their hard-earned money to party. Therefore, bands such as Caesars Army, Spektrum, Native and others have taken to doing private jumps.
Foreday Morning Costumes
You can see some of the costumes for Foreday here on our carnival costumes page under Foreday Morning Bands.
Spektrum Foreday Morning Band Private Jump
Spektrum is one of the bands that have decided to go the private route. As they stated in an article with Loop News ‘the regulations for the Foreday Morning Jam are somewhat of a glass ceiling when it comes to the experience we want to provide for our patrons’. Therefore, they held a private jump to provide a better service for their band members.
I along with another member from the IslandZest team did video for the band. The experience on the road with them was fantastic. The jump felt more intimate and the setting was a lot more relaxed. This may be because there was no need for heavy security as it was only the paying patrons there.
There were no police to chase the band off the road and no ropes needed to protect or confine us in the band. The location they chose in St. Philip was also great as there were no houses or residents near the area. Therefore, the loud music affected no one.
In addition, we were able to party longer as we finished around seven in the morning.The Dj selection was perfect as we had DJ Ras, Surf Rat, Level Vibes, Monstapiece and Vibe Nation. More importantly the crowd came to party.
The atmosphere was good and there was a certain warmth as everyone was partying as if they knew each other. Let me not forget to mention the women were gorgeous.
The only thing missing was music in the beginning for the patrons as they waited for the jam to start. Honestly, the experience was great and I would recommend trying the private jump with Spektrum. You can check out a snippet of how it went down in the video below.
Will Foreday Over Shadow Kadooment
The question to ask then is will the popularity of Foreday Morning eventually over shadow kadooment day. As more bands register and the patrons gravitate towards Foreday is it inevitable? Although Foreday Morning has gained massive popularity over the years I believe kadooment will remain on top.
Crop Over is a Premium Experience
While Foreday Morning has its benefits Kadooment offers a different experience. Kadooment offers the glitz and glamour that the closing of a festival truly deserves. The costumes are more elegant and give you the true carnival look. The event is also during the day which gives you a different experience opposed to Foreday.
The route is longer therefore you get more out of the experience in the band. You also get more in your package from bands for kadooment depending on who you go with. For example many bands offer free fetes for the entire season. Many of the bands offer air-conditioned buses on the road.
Tourists and Celebrities
Many celebrities travel to be a part of Kadooment every year. Celebrities such as Rihanna, Lewis Hamilton, Columbus Short and many more. Therefore, there is a certain level of prestige brought to kadooment. In addition; these celebrities have a huge influence on millions of followers who also travel to take part in the festival.
The partying experience is also cheaper for tourists. The Crop Over season is consistently bringing in more foreigners. Most Kadooment bands are marketed overseas. Sometimes as much as 40 percent of the revellers in the band are tourists.
Earlier in the article I stated that kadooment costumes can be costly. However, for an American whose dollar is two to one a costume would be cheaper. A costume that would cost Barbadians $1000 will only cost them $500.
To be honest you truly have to experience both events to get the full Crop Over experience. Both are incredible events and I merely showed the difference between the two. I believe you should attend both to get the most out of Crop Over.
In closing if you have never gone to Foreday Morning, make it your business to attend on your next vacation. Foreday is a party you will never forget. When you plan your next trip put this in your bucket list of events to attend. To stay updated on the Foreday Morning Bands and costumes check out our carnival page here.
What do you think about Foreday Morning do you believe it will eventually become the premium event of the season taking over from Grand kadooment? Which do you prefer between the two or are you like me and believe both are equally as good. What are your thoughts or experiences? Let us know in the comments below.
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