Traditional Hosay festival faces uncertain future
Published:Tuesday | July 12, 2022 | 12:09 AMCecelia Campbell-Livingston/Gleaner Writer
Leroy Jagasar and his two nephews Suresh and Sanjay are doing everything they can to keep the Hosay Festival tradition going in Clarendon.
Held in August each year, it takes months of preparation to pull off the big event as they have to build the Hosay – decorated models of mosques expertly crafted from bamboo, multicoloured paper, tinsel and glass, some being as tall as 15 feet.
Explaining the process, Leroy said they gather and shave the bamboo before starting the construction process, which lasts six to seven months.
“You have to have the passion and dedication to build, sitting down for seven months to build, as you want to produce a good-looking structure,” Leroy told The Gleaner.
Every August, the community of Race Course and especially the lane in which the Jagasars live come alive with the thunderous, addictive sounds of drums and dozens of vendors turn out as residents not only enjoy the presentation but take opportunity to make some money.
According to Suresh, the highly anticipated festival draws community together each summer and attracts visitors from even overseas.
Hosay is a Muslim Indo-Caribbean commemoration of two Muslim brothers – Husain and Hasain – and their deaths. It is popularly observed in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname. In Trinidad and Tobago.
The Jagasars said the local tradition dates back to the 1800s when their foreparents came to Jamaica to work on sugar estates.
The festival, which used to be a staple in other parishes such as Westmoreland and St Mary, is now only celebrated in Clarendon.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions on events and gatherings, it has not been staged in the last two years.
Unfortunately, it will not return this summer.
“I got a mild stroke on July 7 and it affected my sight, which is not back to normal as yet,” Leroy explained, noting that he could not attempt to build the Hosay.
Suresh added that they did not want to attempt to build the structure before knowing whether they would be able to get a permit as the pandemic restrictions were still in place when they would have needed to begin preparations. He added that they also lost a lot of money in 2020, when the local COVID-19 outbreak began, after they were denied a permit after building a Hosay.
The jury is still out on whether the event will return as Leroy’s nephews said that work demands would not allow them to dedicate the months of work and commitment to build the Hosay or engage in the three months of practice with players before the festival.
They have also been unsuccessful in numerous attempts to get funding to keep that part of the island’s culture alive.
According to Leroy, only the the councillor for the division, Pauline Reynolds, a few friends in Kingston and a handful of local bar operators have been willing to give support.
“Preparation takes 20-odd persons coming together to play music for three months. At nights, I have to find even a drink for them. I am willing to do the extra mile, but we need help in building the Hosay, which is $600,000 for the material, and that doesn’t include the expenses in feeding,” Leroy pointed out.