🎭 Jab Jab, Oil, and Our Environment: Playing Mas with a Conscience This Carnival Season

Carnival in Grenada is more than a celebration—it's a vibrant expression of our history, identity, and community. One of the most powerful and iconic figures to emerge from our mas traditions is the Jab Jab: horns, chains, fire, and bodies glistening in thick black oil as the rhythm of the drum shakes the streets in the early morning hours of J’ouvert.

As a proud Grenadian and conservationist, I understand the importance of preserving our cultural heritage. Jab Jab is rebellion. Jab Jab is resistance. Jab Jab is power. But as we revel in these ancestral expressions, we also have to ask ourselves: at what cost to our environment?

Traditionally, Jab Jab masqueraders have covered themselves in used motor oil—a practice that, while deeply symbolic, has dangerous environmental consequences. When this oil is washed off in drains, rivers, or on the road, it seeps into our soils and waterways. Just a single quart of motor oil can contaminate thousands of liters of water, posing serious threats to aquatic life, polluting our beaches, and even entering the food chain.

Photo credit: bigdrumnation

This is particularly troubling for a small island like Grenada, where our ecosystems are not only precious but also vulnerable. Our marine habitats, forests, and freshwater systems are already under pressure from development, climate change, and pollution. Adding motor oil to the mix is harmful—not just to wildlife, but also to the people who depend on clean water and a healthy environment.

Culture is not static. Like language, it grows, shifts, and responds to new challenges. Protecting the environment doesn’t mean giving up our traditions—it means adapting them to ensure they endure.

Photo credits: GlobalCarnivalist

In recent years, many Jab Jab bands and environmentally conscious groups have started to use eco-friendly alternatives to motor oil, such as:

• Molasses

  
  

• Charcoal and oil-based body paint

  
  

• Natural dyes and mud mixtures

These substitutes maintain the dramatic, powerful aesthetic of Jab Jab without harming the environment. It’s proof that we can honour our culture without compromising our planet.

This Carnival season, I encourage all masqueraders, band organisers, and community leaders to:

• Choose eco-friendly materials when playing Jab Jab.

  
  

• Avoid using or encouraging the use of used motor oil.

  
  

• Educate others about the environmental impact of oil-based mas.

  
  

• Support bands and initiatives that promote green alternatives.

Let’s protect what makes Grenada beautiful—our culture and our environment—by being conscious of how our choices impact the world around us.

As we head into the festivities, let's celebrate with pride, passion, and purpose.

Jab Jab forever. Planet forever.