Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 04:36

J’Ouvert entrepreneurship – the business of 3canal

Once Upon a J’Ouvert: Part three of a three-part series by SONJA DUMAS I THINK I began storming 3canal’s J’Ouvert band in 1997. They had begun calling it 3canal in 1994, but this had been preceded by their band called Jocks Tuh Pose – clever wordplay with which some pierrot grenades will be duly impressed, I’m sure. But the 1997 moment was a huge one for the group of young men whose unanticipated hit Blue with its bombastic lyrics threatening to “turn the whole world upside down” and its updated stick-fighting, lavway-like rapso beat spoke to the old construct of J’Ouvert upsetting the social order, but in an upbeat, contemporary way to which the young people of that era could relate. It was, for many, a watershed moment in the history of modern J’Ouvert in Trinidad’s urban space. Many of us in the arts world of Port of Spain jumped on the 3canal bandwagon then, and never really left. Note my open confession of storming. There was a small fee, I think, if not in 1997, but in other years, and I did pay it once or twice, out of a twinge of guilt. But for the most part, I was in the band gratis – just like the J’Ouvert bands of eras gone by, when community trumped commercialism and people were happy to see you “in de band.” Paint was sharing, humankind was chipping or wining, and tings was sweet. To whoever experiences this in their current J’Ouvert band: I enjoin you to cherish it and to understand that beyond all the commercial trappings, that is where the cosmic core of J’Ouvert lies. But let’s delve into this whole commercialisation-versus-community thing a bit more. They are not always at odds. Many moons ago, I wrote a rather long, as-yet-unpublished business systems analysis about the band that is now 3canal and what I call their J’Ouvert entrepreneurship. I return to that reflection to give a little insight here into a Carnival business model that, in my opinion, reflects the traditional, community-based foundation of its “product offering.” [caption id="attachment_1136556" align="alignnone" width="1024"] -[/caption] In the later incarnations of band preparation, the group procured a dedicated space in the form of the Big Black Box in Woodbrook. They crafted it into a reimagined version of the barrack yard of 19th-century Port of Spain by creating both a physical and psychological space where people could casually enter and congregate. It welcomed, and still welcomes, all – regardless of background. You can sometimes wander into the yard and just sit, or attend a paying function such as one of their backyard jams or someone else’s production. It is this inclusivity that became the hallmark of their activities, and it’s why folks like yours truly (and many others, mind you) could perennially storm de people band without being extricated. This is not to say that they don’t have a business model. The bar in the Big Black Box brings in income, as do the rental fees from producers using the space. Their famed 3canal Show and their J’Ouvert band do have costs attached. But the group never loses sight of the history, revolutionary vision and proletarian nature of their creative offerings. Their creative efforts – from music to mas – honour the J’Ouvert of the past; and there is a sense that these moments belong to everyone in a wider way. Years ago, when I first interviewed Wendell Manwarren, the director of the group, he described it as follows: “The J’Ouvert is at the core of what we do – out of nothing making something – that is very much how it began: a notion, an idea, what’s going around us.” The group has stayed true to this vision, bringing a consciousness that speaks to the sociopolitical challenges we face. Their J’Ouvert entrepreneurship model is not unlike that panyard model that emerged decades ago. The panyard, probably an inadvertent descendant of the barrack yard, has, in some instances, become a space that encourages not only community but also micro-business in the form of on-site concessions stands. It’s a form of what I call indigenous creative enterprise, where community is as important as the dollars made from the core creative activities. Unlike the major panyards, though, 3canal lacks large advertising budgets and big sponsors, and it operates on a small to medium scale. However, that community-driven energy can translate into in-kind support that helps to tide the enterprise over the rough patches. In the wake of an increasing number of commercial J’Ouvert bands, and probably because they’ve given over 30 years of service in the J’Ouvert space and they’re just tired, 3canal is not producing a band this year. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve abandoned their roots. If anything, I would say that the roots have deepened. When I attended the first 3canal Backyard Jam of the 2025 Carnival season – a lead-up to their 3canal Show – I was witness to two beautiful moments of inclusivity. The group invited their dancers and supporters to join them on stage for a bout of spontaneous, joyous background dancing as they sang their (still) biggest hit, Blue. Then they launched their latest video, edited from footage of the diehard fans and supporters and members of the 3canal Crew who “made something out of nothing” on their cellphones in the yard of the Big Black Box. It was also a smart way to craft a video on a tight budget. And earlier, before I arrived, they had made space, as they almost always do, for emerging artists to perform as opening acts. As Carnival morphs, challenges to the group’s social entrepreneurship style, à la J’Ouvert, will continue. They will have to keep thinking about how to adapt if they want to retain that intimate connectivity to their important social messages and to their community and still see a small profit – or at least reduce financial loss. But my bigger issue is that I’m J’Ouvert-band-less for the moment. So if you see me crashing yours, please have a little Carnival compassion and don’t throw me out. I’m only observing my personal tradition of storming and keeping the jammette culture alive. Sonja Dumas thinks the occasional Caribbean cultural thought, which she tends to turn into words, dance or film.   The post J’Ouvert entrepreneurship – the business of 3canal appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.