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"Jump up" on the Midway

Heavy beats competed on the front lawns of the Law School and the SSA Saturday as several deejays played calypso, soca, reggae, punta, zouk, and "jump up," a drum and bass subgenre intended to encourage crowds to dance. The dozens of people needed little encouragement at the Chicago Carifete, an annual festival put on by the Chicago Caribbean Carnival Association and one of the City of Chicago's neighborhood festivals.

Carifete, according to the Carnival Association's Web site, is a "masquerade on the street representing a kaleidoscope of colors, cultures, and artistry and a celebration for people of every age, race, and creed." Modeled after the carnivals that take place in the Caribbean, the festival is a day of music, dancing, and food. As promised by the site, the Midway was "blazin'."

Shira Tevah, '09

Photos (left to right): Capoeiristas prepare for a dance in front of Jamaican tent; the dancers compete; vendors sell soaps, oils, and incense; Ms. Chini's kitchen serves Belizean food; carnival tents line the Midway; promenaders join the crowd after the parade; a listener enjoys the tunes of the Haitian Cultural Group's deejay; a line forms at Maxine's Caribbean Spice tent; dancing continues throughout the afternoon.

August 18, 2008