Oct. 11, 2002 – Masqueraders dressed in crocus bags, dried banana leaves, masks and bull horns are known as Jam Bull performers, and Oct. 24, George "Pope" Farrell and Glen "Trini" Pierre will discus the art form.
Many have seen Jam Bull performances in Carnivals the last few years, and they may assume the masquerade art form is a new arrival to the Virgin Islands. But Jam Bull, or Dancing Bull, came to the islands more than a century ago.
The costumes originated in Africa and may seem like antiquated relics in today's flashy parades. The Caribbean Jam Bull masquerade is similar to its African ancestor.
According to Farrell and Pierre, the art form became popular in the eastern Caribbean, in places like Antigua, where Jam Bull was a competitive form where masqueraders challenged each other in marathons that would last for days.
These "fierce" dance events were shunned in the Virgin Islands, but Farrell and Pierre have formed a new Jam Bull troupe and are working to bring this African-Caribbean art form back to V.I. culture.
They will talk about the masquerade and its history at the V.I. Cultural Heritage Institute at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 774-9537.
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