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Xodus Carnival: focused on improving JA’s tourism product

Published:Friday | April 6, 2018 | 12:00 AMStephanie Lyew
Xodus Carnival band directors, Scott Dunn (left) and Kamal Bankay (right) speak to masquerader Veronika Sramata (centre).

After seven years of planning, Dream Entertainment decided to move forward with the launch of Xodus Carnival last year, conceptualised from the word exodus, used to describe the mass movement of people.

The first step was for Dream Entertainment to find a partner to expand their team; which would end up being a group right out of the Carnival mecca. In 2016, the Young Upwardly Moving Adults (YUMA) from Trinidad and Tobago agreed to take Carnival in Jamaica to new heights, and the following year, over 1500 revellers joined the two premium entertainment providers on the road.

Scott Dunn told The Gleaner, "The team saw aspects of the Carnival experience in Jamaica that we knew we could improve from the company was formed; costumes, customer service, distribution, the offerings on the road, just to name a few."

As for the costumes, organisers say they are all made in Jamaica, with the finest, real (imported) feathers of goose, ostrich and peacock, among other birds, that are dyed in a variety of eye-catching colours.

It has been proclaimed that the Xodus Carnival is the biggest band on the road; however, Dunn says, "Persons can expect that in five years, Xodus will be the biggest band in the Caribbean."