CD JAM

CD JAM is a group of 5 young women who have come together to form CD JAM. Over the past 20 years as individuals they have all played active roles in the customs of Carnival both in the UK and Trinidad either with costume production, parading and performing in Steel Pan Orchestras.

CD JAM felt an innate compassion to organise this band, inspired by the rich and liberating history of J'ouvert, plus with our combined experiences it simply felt like a natural progression.

In 2004 there was a pilot runwhich proved that there was a huge demand for J'ouvert here in London since then CD JAM has gone from strength to strength and now have a following of 150 + members who participate in this event.

Over the past few years J'ouvert has been a success with music supplied by the top Steel Bands, such as Ebony, and London All Stars and the forming of CD JAM Mud Band.

We urge revellers to come to J'ouvert and be responsible and respectful to the residents, police and their fellow revellers – as this maybe our only chance to prove that J'ouvert is a vital part of our celebration. So we are pleading with our revellers not to bring items like eggs, flour, or emulsion household paints, CD JAM will supply all of their members with mud and water paints for the real J'ouvert experience.

J'ouvert

The Trinidad Carnival is in celebration of Emancipation. However, before this great achievement the French Colonials of the 18th Century did celebrate prior to Lent with masquerade balls. These balls (fetes) was popular amongst the Catholic religion hence the timing of the Trinidad Carnival, Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Parallel to the Pre-Lent activities of the French that would often spill out onto the streets; the slaves would also have parades inspired from their own cultural traditions. These festivals would often scare the French Colonials and were evidently banned.

J'ouvert translated means 'I OPEN' and is the actual opening of the Carnival which starts in the early hours of the morning on the streets; in most Caribbean countries. The music is supplied by steel bands and sound systems. A J'ouvert band will consist of either mud, oil or water paints, which revellers paint on each other as a mark of the beginning of Carnival. J'ouvert has now become an explosive event in the London Notting Hill Carnival and has embraced J'ouvert as another symbol of this celebration.