The McMaster Association for Caribbean and West Indian Students hosted their first Jouvert, a traditional carnival celebration of Caribbean culture

The McMaster Association of Caribbean and West Indian Students held their first Jouvert on Sept. 14, 2024 to celebrate the beginning of the school year. The event was titled “Summer Rewind: The Colours Experience” and ran from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Ten Acre Field.

Originating from Trinidad, Jouvert is the kick-off of Carnival, the traditional cultural festivals celebrated across the Caribbean and features music, dancing and covering one another in colorful paint, oil, or powder. The MACaws had DJ Verse One HD playing music from a variety of Caribbean countries. When attendees arrived, they were given towels, which were available for pre-order and coloured powder.

In an interview with the Silhouette, MACaws co-vice president Zara Owen said that the club typically hosts a large event at this time of year and that she had suggested the idea of a Jouvert. “I’m an international student from Barbados and this particular type of event is very big. It’s a big part of our culture but it’s also a main event in a lot of our carnivals and cultural festivals back in the Caribbean. So we thought it’d be a good idea to get people engaged and introduce people to the club and a core aspect of our culture and how we celebrate our culture back home,” said Owen.

It’s a big part of our culture but it’s also a main event in a lot of our carnivals and cultural festivals back in the Caribbean. So we thought it’d be a good idea to get people engaged and introduce people to the club and a core aspect of our culture and how we celebrate our culture back home.

Zara Owen, Co-Vice President
MACaws

Owen mentioned that they spoke with other clubs for advice to ensure the event would be approved. One of these was the Hindu Students Association, which throws a Holi celebration that involves throwing colourful powder on each other. “We connected with them to figure out how they went about getting the event approved because it has similarities to what we do,” said Owen.

Owen also said that the club wanted to consider their environmental impact. “We also asked about what kind of powder, what kind of materials they use because the integrity of our fields is very important to the school and also very important to us. We wanted to make sure we weren’t using anything that would damage school property or negatively impact the soils, the environment or the grass,” said Owen.

We also asked about what kind of powder, what kind of materials they use because the integrity of our fields is very important to the school and also very important to us. We wanted to make sure we weren’t using anything that would damage school property or negatively impact the soils, the environment or the grass

Zara Owen, Co-Vice President
MACaws

Jouvert is traditionally held in the early morning. The name comes from the French words jour ouvert, meaning daybreak. Owen said that MACaws chose to hold the event later in the day to avoid disturbing the neighbouring community and to work around facility hours.

The event did not allow alcohol and was open to students aged 17 and older. MACaws president Leon Murray told the Silhouette this decision was received with some negative feedback because they often host events at clubs where alcohol is available for purchase.

Murray mentioned part of the reason they did not include alcohol was because the event was being held for the first time and it was on campus. “We're also trying to be inclusive of the first years who may not be able to attend those other events the throughout the year, so at least getting them in and having them kind of enjoy the culture for at least one party event was a big goal of ours,” said Murray.

According to Owen, the event was an overall success. “The majority, if not all the people that came said they had a great time. I had roommates of mine that have had no interaction with Caribbean culture ever before that took a plunge and came. They said this was one of the greatest parties they’d ever been to. I think it was, for people that went, a great experience,” said Owen.

I had roommates of mine that have had no interaction with Caribbean culture ever before that took a plunge and came. They said this was one of the greatest parties they’d ever been to.

Zara Owen, Co-Vice President
MACaws

Murray said that the club may consider holding another Jouvert in April, weather permitting. “Otherwise it would kind of be us handing it off to next year's team, and giving them the blueprint of what we did this year and then hoping they're able to replicate it and make it bigger for next year,” said Murray.

MACaws is accepting general members until Oct. 21. If you are interested in being involved with the club and hearing about future events, visit their Instagram page to stay updated.

On Valentine’s Day this year, Vibez quietly opened up in Hamilton’s east end. There was no grand opening or advertising campaign, but rather the mouth-watering aroma of grilled chicken wafting onto the street that brought in a steady stream of hungry passersby.

A walk through the Caribbean and Southern food spot’s bright red door first signals chimes, then an enthusiastic greeting by Kristan Webber at the register before she runs back into the kitchen to pick up orders and relay others to her mother, Yvette.

On a Friday evening, the small restaurant and café nestled on 971 King Street East is the backdrop of a busy scene. A few tables on one side of the restaurant seat families and couples as they share Jamaican fried chicken and fries, while a woman waits patiently on a leather couch for her curry chicken roti to go.

The mother-daughter duo opted not to promote their new restaurant so that they can handle running it on their own, but Vibez didn’t need promotion. The community’s reaction has been positive and everyone who comes in is willing to be patient.  They know the food is worth the wait.

The warm atmosphere the Webbers’ have created is welcoming, but the food is what makes people stay. Curry chick peas, Cajun fries, and chicken and waffles are just a few favourites off the evolving menu.

While it may seem that Vibez appeared out of thin air, the project has been in the works for years. Yvette purchased the property three years ago, long before anyone else in her family saw potential in it.

Even though the street was lined up with vacant shops, Yvette was willing to put all her passion, time and money into the space to fulfill her dream of opening up a restaurant.

“I watched her struggle to reinvent this place. It was such a mess when she got it. When I moved back home, I started helping… I’m a creative so I did what I could. [I made] this whole place [my do it yourself] project,” explained Kristan.

A lot of love and attention to detail went into every aspect of the space. The freshly painted dark grey walls have beautiful floral murals done in chalk. Two portraits of women wearing gold tribal-printed head wraps glistened in the sun, and planters hang next to floor to ceiling glass windows.

Vibez has something to offer for everyone. A comfy couch for a cup of coffee in the morning or Saturday brunch with friends, an intimate two seater for lunch dates, a comfortable space for family dinner, and a few children’s books to keep the little ones occupied.

The warm atmosphere the Webbers’ have created is welcoming, but the food is what makes people stay. Curry chick peas, Cajun fries and chicken and waffles are just a few favourites off the evolving menu. If you come in on a Friday, you can order specialty-fried fish and Saturday mornings are an opportunity to try a real Caribbean breakfast.

The dishes are inspired by authentic Jamaican food with a mix of Southern love. Yvette learned to make traditional “Yardie-Style” meals when she decided to move from Toronto to Jamaica to study cooking.

“We don’t water down the flavours. We bring to you exactly what you would get if you were on the islands. But hey, you don’t always want Caribbean food, sometimes you just want a good burger,” explained Kristan.

The Webbers sure know show to deliver flavour, especially with their hot pepper sauce. One day, Kristan forget to warn a customer about their hot sauce and he was barely able to handle the heat.

"We don’t water down the flavours. We bring to you exactly what you would get if you were on the islands. But hey, you don’t always want Caribbean food, sometimes you just want a good burger.”

 

Kristan Webber
Vibez co-owner

“He was running around, I had to quickly get him some water. We thought he was going to pass out, but in the end he walked out singing ‘Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot.’ It was very scary but we couldn’t stop laughing in the end,” explained Kristan.

Yvette also learned to make pastries, which Kristan has been experimenting with too, allowing them to add a selection of freshly baked treats to their café menu. The Webbers also come from a long line of coffee-lovers, so naturally drip coffee and coconut-iced coffee were a must.

After only being open for a few weeks, Vibez was broken into on March 20 and their cash register was stolen. Motivated by the support of the community, the Webbers decided to clean up and still open the shop later that evening.

Visitors dropped by to order a roti and write a kind message on their coffee table. One of their regular customers even came in with flowers his wife had put together. The kind gesture moved Kristan to tears.

Despite the incident, Vibez has been having great experiences. The door is still broken, but delicious meals are still being fixed.

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I will preface this review by saying I come from a Caribbean family and therefore walked into Caribbean Flavah with higher than normal expectations for a take-out restaurant.

Most students who have lived in Westdale-Ainsliewood for the last few years are already very well-acquainted with the restaurant, as the signage for the store went up roughly two years ago. While its presence has been looming, the restaurant itself only opened two months ago, towards the end of November.

I went to the restaurant in time for their take-out lunch specials. From 11-4 p.m. they offer five dollar lunch specials that include your choice of meat (jerk chicken, curry chicken, fried chicken, stewed chicken or jerk pork), served with rice and beans and coleslaw.

I ordered the jerk and curry chicken, and they both had good flavour. The jerk was definitely the better of the two, but both seemed to have a lot of pieces of broken bone floating in the rice, a sign of poorly cut and prepared meat. It is understandable that the meat didn’t have the best cut because of the low price, but a more sustainable business practice could be to offer fewer options of better quality food for a slightly higher price. Encountering pointy bits of cartilage in my meal was off-putting and deters me from returning again, even if it is a great deal. The rice on the other hand had great flavour and consistency and made up for the sketchy bone cutting.

The lunch deals also came with a canned pop or bottled water. I really wanted to upgrade my canned pop to bottles of Ting (a Jamaican grapefruit drink), but they unfortunately had no way to pay for an upgrade, and the one person working there forced me to take the pop either way. I really wanted that Ting.

Caribbean Flavah has had a long start-up, and they seem to still have some planning to go. They do offer a wide range of dishes though, and are a unique addition to Westdale’s restaurant scene.

Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor

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