By Dr. Neals Chitan

Being born in the Spice Island of Grenada, a place where the annual carnival pulls thousands from all over Europe, North America and the Caribbean to our shores, I know this article may get under the skin of many of my countrymen. However, I think Grenadians are brilliant and objective enough to read and appreciate my comments on what has been a new tag line or what I see as a somewhat unrighteous label our country has been casually rebranded with.

Some may even go as far to say that I do have a say, nor do my concerns count since I have been living overseas for so long. However, if we are honest, Grenadians at home and abroad will agree that as a regular columnist, I have not only highlighted the many upward social skill strides Grenada has made over the years but have donated my time and professional service to Grenada as a Social Skill Consultant for the past fifteen years. Many times, I had to change my work schedule to respond to calls for assistance from communities, schools and government ministries alike. These I responded to at my own expense, frequently donating my work once I am in the Spice Island. I therefore feel worthy to comment and hope that it will be met with the respect I know we are known for.

Over the decades of my life, my homeland was frequently referred to by several beautiful eloquent terms. These sometimes took on poetic metering and rhythm and were set to music like, “Happy island care-free island set in clearer seas,” Pearl of the Caribbean, Spice Island of the World, Fair Isle upon the Carib Sea, and most recently, Pure Grenada. All these names or lyrical terms fitly described the beauty of the tri-island state and its extremely friendly and hospitable people of which every son and daughter is extremely happy to identify with. So, my question is; why “Jab Jab Nation” and how does it fit in this array of beauty and splendor?

To make my case, I would have to first state my bias upfront by admitting that as a devout Christian youth growing up in Grenada, carnival was not an activity that my family and I relished in, as most of my neighbours and friends did. However, I must say that being a resident of Grenville, the second capital city, where traditionally, the next biggest carnival street parades happened, I was always intrigued by and admired the different masquerading depictions in their colourful displays.

I fondly remembered as a young trumpeter, listening to the reverberating calypso rhythms of the steel pan orchestras as they led the gyrating bands of sailors, or the chanting of the Apache Indian bands, the mournful harmonies of the Shortnees or the beautiful artistry of the Pretty Mass. However, I also remember the terror in a young girl who was barred by a group of Jab Jab and who peed herself from fright.

You see my friends, if the truth be told, Jab Jab was traditionally known as Devil Mass, and despite all the historical explanations that may seem to justify it as an ancestral depiction, we knew it as Jab or Devil Mass. It was meant to depict the frightening sly and sudden moves of the devil as a Jab looks at you in the corner of his eyes and sudden rushes toward you blocking your way until his monetary demands are met. Devil Mass characters have struck terror in the hearts of children, youth and even adults as they would sometime chase you till you are out of breath.

Then you have the Jab Jab tradition of “Spelling.” It is when a Jab would open a book that seems to represent the devil’s bible, in response to a challenger who would ask him to spell a word. Then reading from his bible, he would show off how articulately he can use the most profane and vulgar language, most times describing your mother’s most sacred body parts, in his effort to spell the word asked of him. This so-called colorful unsanctified oration would most times bring much entertainment and laughter to the hearers as the Jab would put out his hand to collect his payment.

Despite all the Jab Jab apologetics, if you were to google the term Jab Jab, you will find, “A person dressed up like a devil-like character in Caribbean carnival, who carries a whip for hitting other devils.” So, you see my friends, though there is an attempt to canonize and contemporize the whole image and meaning of Jab Jab so that it represents the beauty of our island and its people, I say to this traditional evil depiction, “Think again”.

I must say that I have seen the Jab Jab culture growing exponentially and has become a major Grenadian carnival delight and attraction. Increased band sizes and the hundreds who leave their foreign homes to go to Grenada to play Jab Jab, must have a positive impact on the economy and the tourist product. Keeping in mind the joy and fun that it brings to most of my fellow Grenadians, I would like to emphatically state here that my comments are not meant to initiate an anti-jab movement nor am I calling for any ban on what seems to be a major attraction.

However, as an independent thinker, I must use my pen to state my personal concern about the recent way in which our homeland is being identified-“The Jab Jab Nation.” Is that all that identifies us? In recent years Grenada has been identified as a significant Olympic country. Our two Olympic gold and silver medals have put us almost to the number one spot on the list of Olympic countries, per capita. Yet I don’t hear “Grenada-the Olympic nation.” Or recently an online article was captioned “The USA looks to Grenada to fill their shortage of doctors”. What a great caption for us, “The doctor manufacturing nation.” No! All we are good for it seems, is Jab Jab.

There is no doubt that the Caribbean is a region that is well known for its deep-rooted faith in God and which depends on the blessing of our God as is so well expressed in our hymns and national songs. We therefore need to draw the line between the representations of good and evil. As the Good Book says, “You cannot serve God and Mammon.”

My friends, the horrendous homicides and sexual assaults that are now hitting the Caribbean region can be considered nothing short of evil. Over the years, the Social Science professional who dare attribute these horrific acts of crime to the work of evil influences was scorned and laughed at as a religious fanatic and therefore not to be taken seriously. However, this current uncontrollable steep increase in crime and violence that seem to render social assessments, diagnoses and interventions fruitless, now has even professionals pointing towards what may just be the increase of evil.

If there is any truth to this, why would we celebrate this seeming evil influence into our Spice Island and even use it as an identifying name “Grenada- the Jab Jab Nation” sacrificing godliness on the altar of fun and amusement?

“If you give the devil a foot”, as my grandma used to say, “He will take a mile!!” So, let’s not give him credit for the friendly, giving and sharing people we are. These characteristics did not come from him, they came from our Almighty God, who shielded us many a times from tragedy and natural disasters, because if we only praise this devil guy too much he will boldly claim us as his kingdom and our ruins will be bitter.

I hereby pledge my continued professional support to my homeland and ask God to please bless my homeland!