WITH Jamaica Carnival season ending last Sunday, Michael Ammar Jr, co-director of Bacchanal Jamaica, is already looking ahead.

He believes it’s quite possible to get back into the grove of things for the carnival next April.

“Absolutely! We most definitely can have Carnival in April [2023]. We have a rhythm — we understand what we’re doing. If the sponsorship is in place, it’s not hard to do. We executed on a shoestring budget this year as sponsorship backed out on us but we had an obligation to our customers. There are always costumes that are in the design stages and they’re always trying to sell us designs, so it wouldn’t be hard to have things ready,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

This year was the first time, since the road march began in 2000, that the event was held in the summer. It was due to the late relaxation of restrictions imposed on the entertainment industry due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Bacchanal Jamaica is celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year and Ammar Jr said the band has maintained its momentum due to the passion of its directors.

“We love Carnival. We try to make it better than the year before. It was never a business for us, it turned into a business. It’s about the love of Carnival,” he said.

On Sunday, the streets of the Corporate Area came alive with a sea of colourful revellers from the band’s various costume sections. Xodus revellers, the only other band on the road, were out in their numbers too. Both bands added to the colourful spectacle of Sunday’s mas.

Ammar Jr said the possibility of joining forces with other bands was not off the table.

“We partnered with Xodus this year. There’s nothing in Carnival that stays the same. You always have to be willing to adapt. The main goal is to stay relevant, so anything is possible,” he said.