Jonkonnu Revellers to Perform at Grand Gala 2023

Jonkonnu masqueraders will be a part of the 2023 Independence Grand Gala.

Executive Director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Lenford Salmon, said that one large Jonkonnu band drawn from various groups across Jamaica will be on show.

He was speaking at a recent Think Tank held at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) head office in Kingston.

Mr. Salmon said that the JCDC, along with its partners, are trying to revive the Jonkonnu art form to foster cultural retention and will be seeking to support the groups that have been “down”.

“It was a conscious effort by the JCDC that revived the mento bands, and we are trying to do a similar thing for the Jonkonnu bands right now,” he noted.

Jonkonnu is a band of costumed characters accompanied by musicians.

The characters include the King and Queen, Cow Head, Horse Head, Pitchy Patchy, red Indians and Belly Woman.

The Jonkonnu tradition dates back hundreds of years and was widely practised by the enslaved Africans in Jamaica to commemorate special events.

The band of masqueraders usually perform in towns and villages at Christmas time.

The Grand Gala, which will culminate Jamaica’s 61st anniversary celebrations, is scheduled to take place at the National Stadium on Sunday, August 6, starting at 5:30 p.m.

It will feature performance of Jamaican culture in music, drama, song and dance by costumed and uniformed groups alongside popular local artistes and will include a spectacular drone show.

“The Gala a guh nice, trust mi. This year is going to be fantastic… a Gala to look forward to,” said Mr. Salmon said.

Jamaica’s 61st year of Independence is being celebrated under the theme ‘Jamaica 61… Proud and Strong’.