Cayman Islands Batabano gets better and worse

This year’s Batabano parade was bigger and as far as persons taking part and persons actually watching – better. Yes, a lot better than most years. However, it also was a lot worse in its vulgarity.

The costumes were colourful and plenty were just amazing. There were more hues on display than in a rainbow – from bright yellows and oranges to blues, purples and greens. They were mostly skimpy and some had the most ornate and huge headdresses and back pieces that must have weighed “a ton” by the time the wearers had made their way from the Public Beach on West Bay into George Town. There was even a mad bull!! But he was riding a tricycle.

It was about even par with the number of paraders who actually danced and those that walked tiredly to the loud pulsating sounds of the calypso, soca and reggae music that emanated from the massive loudspeakers on the trucks that accompanied them.

And there is my first complaint. My vantage point was about half way in the long route and thankfully for the participants it was not a hot day. Nevertheless the route is too long for some of the participants. It is fine to take time off from dancing and to walk but at least do it with some discipline. You are performing a show. To sprawl out in a bedraggled and untidy manner leaving large gaps of space spoils the whole effect and is boring to watch.

I have watched parades in the USA, Costa Rica, Cuba, Austria, and in the UK. Nowhere else have I seen such indiscipline. Anyone not keeping up and out of step in the parade is immediately pulled out of it.

And now my biggest complaint and I have spoken of it before but this year it was worse than ever.

In a story we published yesterday (May 6) “Cayman Islands HR” the writer Tim Sackett said: “The majority of Caymanians are very religious (Pornography, sex toys, etc. are illegal in Cayman). They also celebrated Batabano when I was there. I struggled to put these two things together in my mind!”

He was referring to the “bunkie” and “daggering” super lewd ‘dancing’ that was going on as if the participants were mad ants in heat!

To the uninitiated “bunkie” is when two dancers, normally male and female, gyrate together – the female bends over waving her bottom and the male stands behind moving his pelvis in an imitation dry-humping action. “Daggering” is similar except the couples face each other, groin-locked and both enact rapid-speed dry-humping.

If that wasn’t enough we also had ‘threesomes’ – a combination of the other two ‘dances’!!

I am told this form of ‘dancing’ is common in the parades throughout the Caribbean especially Jamaica and Trinidad.

But this is the Cayman Islands. Street dancing is good but none of that can pass as cultural and be described as an art form!!

I am very surprised that this was not mentioned at all in other reviews of the event. Was I really the only person who found this particular ‘art’ form lewd and objectionable especially with children watching? It would not be allowed in a night club where children are banned.

Back to the plus side. It was wonderful to see and hear Machel Montano, the popular soca legend from Trinidad and Grammy winner Angela Hunte who writes for Jay-Z but is a great performer in her own right.

Yes. Batabano is getting bigger and better and as a spectacle, apart from the lewd dancing, is certainly better to watch than last year’s woeful Pirate’s Landing and Float Parade.

And I really did love the mad RED bull.

IMAGES: Georgina Wilcox