Glossary of Terms

   

In addition to all of the other things that you should do to prepare for The Brooklyn Labor Day Parade, it would also help if you understood some of the common terms that you may hear on Labor Day. To assist you in getting familiar with these terms we've put together this list.

Bacchanal A large, noisy party where there is lots of excitement (named after Bacchus, the
God Wine.)

Band Launching A Launch party to introduce the band and its costumes to the public.

Calypso pronounced (cal-ip-so) is A type of music that is characterized by humorous, improvised lyrics often on topical subjects.

Carnival "Farewell to the Flesh" A pre-Lenten festival started by Catholics to get in one last party before giving up wine, women and song for 40 days during Lent.
Costume bands in street Carnival, steelband competitions, Calypso contests, parties, dances and Kiddie Carnival all come together for Carnival.

Dimanche Gras The major show on Carnival Sunday night. Eight King and eight Queen of the bands costumes (some 30 feet tall) compete on stage to be named King and Queen of Carnival. The eight top singers compete to be crowned the Calypso Monarch.

Fetes Derived from the Caribbean originally a Soca or Calypso oriented dance or
party around Carnival time.

J’ouvert The starting festivities of the Carnival.

Jump Up A jumping motion of dancing to soca or calypso.

Lent The Catholic holiday of which the Trinidadian Carnival was celebrated for.

Mas A costume used in Caribbean Festival.

Mas Camp A venue where the mas costumes for the bands are constructed.

Moco Jumbie Stilt dancers, an African tradition carried over to Trini carnival their
costumes represent jumbies, or spirits, of African mythology.

Mud Band A Jour Overt mas where band members cover their bodies in mud from head to
toe.

Play Mas Dancing in the streets in costume with desired band or float.

Soca Calypso’s fast pace & high-energy offspring, introduced on scene in the
seventies. Soca uses the same basic beat as calypso combined with soul music only sped-up and stroked with a laid back bass-line and a touch of drumming.

Steelpan One of the most unique and beautifully sounding instruments given birth in
Trinidad and believed to be the only percussion instrument introduced the 20th
century.

Wining (wine-ing) The Rotating or gyrating your waist to the rhythm of the music, ex. wine
your waist.