High-pitched screams and wails, spitting fire, dancing and contorting to the beat of the fired steel drum; carrying pitchforks, blowing whistles and of course, glistening radiant blue in the night sky—the blue devils have come to town!
One of the most iconic characters portrayed in Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival, the blue devil, or jab molassie is one of the oldest forms of ‘devil mas’, and is a figure with its roots firmly set in the history of the island, dating back to the enslavement of Africans by our European colonisers, toiling on the sugar estates.
The term “jab molassie” is a French Patois term, with ‘jab’—the Patois term for the French word “diable” meaning devil, and “molassie” from “mélasse” meaning molasses. As the name suggests, this character portrayal involves the smearing of molasses, a by-product of the processed sugarcane, on the bodies of the masqueraders.
In addition to molasses, jab molassie, or ‘jabs’ were also smeared with tar, oil, lard, grease, body paint and various dyes. Although traditionally jabs are painted black or blue (hence the alternate name of ‘blue devil’), they are increasingly found in a wide spectrum of vibrant reds, yellows, indigo and green.
The jab, or blue devil, is perhaps the most energetic of the Carnival characters, even though contemporary portrayals are more sedate than their predecessors. Originally, menacing jabs were out to scare their audiences with their gruesome antics and menacing taunting, which were, once, only deterred by on-lookers gifting them with sums of money—a ritual rightly named “Pay de Devil”.
Certain jab molassie will adopt aspects of other ‘devil mas’, such as “the beast”, whose portrayal incorporates shackles and restraints to hold back one of the more gruesome-looking devils in the group. The use of these restraints has been linked to slavery, while the molasses and soot pay homage to the sugar plantation fields on which Africans were enslaved.
The jab molassie are one of the few remaining traditional characters portrayed, but remain arguably the most anticipated characters on the road. Trinidadian blue devil and firebreathers portrayal troop, Next Level Devils (NLD) based in the hills of the village of Paramin—one of the highest points of the western area of Trinidad’s Northern Range—is committed to keeping the tradition alive!
Although as an official group Next Level Devils are relatively young, the troop members have grown up in the art form, participating with elder family members from childhood. From a very young age, they were immersed in the culture of the blue devil portrayal—a tradition spanning several generations back.
Before donning the name Next Level Devils, the masqueraders were assimilated under other local groups, namely Flag Boys and 2001 Jab Molassie.’ Although it is customary that the identities of the blue devils remain hidden, NLD frontman, Steffano Marcano, fondly known by his family, peers and supporters as “Steffy”—gained overwhelming traction with his live streams and posts via his personal and Next Level Devil Facebook and Instagram pages.
His popularity spread both locally and abroad, with swarms of visitors arriving at the NLD mas camp, where they can experience the quiet charm of the hills of Paramin, paired with the brewing excitement as the troop prepares for the Carnival season and accompanying slew of performances.
Band leader Sterlyn Pierre, along with the talented NLD squad comprising masqueraders Steffano and Stephanie Bailey-Marcano (Steffano’s wife) Jesse Fournillier, Jerron Pierre, and Stephen Nicholas are all gracious hosts to their adoring fans.
A deep sea commercial diver by profession, Steffy maintains the Next Level Devil’s online presence throughout the entire year with his posts broadcasting the everyday life of the band members.
The Next Level Devil experience does not begin and end with the Carnival season. Paramin, also a renowned Parang village in Trinidad, is extremely vibrant during the Christmas season. Parang is a popular type of folk music originating from Venezuela, which was brought to the twin island republic by their South American neighbours of Amerindian, Spanish, Mestizo, Pardo, Cocoa Pañol and African heritage.
The heritage of the people of Paramin is reflected in the music itself, as the members of the group represent an intricate blend of ethnicities, characteristic of the islands’ history of emigrants. In addition, the group actively celebrates various aspects of Trinidadian tradition such as the annual kite-flying season, typically occurring in March, during and immediately after the Lenten season.
Marcano recounts the origins of blue devil mas as a tradition where masquerading “devils” would move from house to house entertaining and often frightening residents in a bid to receive gifts of money, food and other trinkets, and was more of a village attraction.
According to Marcano, the portrayal of ‘blue devils’ as opposed to jab molassie covered in oil and mud, stems from the folk legend of Archangel St Michael being commanded by God to cast out Satan from heaven. Legend has it that St Michael disguised himself as a demon, but took on the celestial blue hue to mock the devil to drive him away.
In contrast, dark-coloured devils are reminiscent of the long-departed slaves of the sugar plantation.
Next Level Devils was essentially formed from a collective drive to return to the roots of the craft to preserve its artistic integrity, amid an ever-commercialised festival. The group is determined to keep the heritage alive through the use of traditional, rustic materials for their costuming, such as maintaining the use of laundry blue rather than body paints, as well as using rudimentary items such as recycled bottles, newspapers, pots, paint pans and of course, the original “Crix” biscuit tins in preparation for the role.
The role of the blue devil has its spiritual implications as cited by the NLD team. Blue Devil masquerader Jeron Pierre spoke about how taking on the character for masquerading purposes can sometimes overpower the portrayer. According to Pierre, the beat of the tin-pan drum fashioned out of fired biscuit tins is intoxicating, and if one is not careful, they can get carried away in performance.
“It’s both a psychological and spiritual affair” Pierre continues, “but we as a group keep our portrayal as simply that – a portrayal.”
It is a commonly held belief that “Devil Mas” is steeped in the occult and that members participate in dark magic and rituals before performing.
“Before any performance, the group takes time to pray together to ensure the safety and well-being of the masqueraders and audience,” says Marcano, who says he has witnessed some ‘unsettling’ activities by other groups in times past.
“We are about preserving the tradition and sharing the blue devil mas with the world as an art form.”
Next Level Devils, like any other portrayal involving the use of fire or any form of explosives, must ensure that they secure the proper fire permits to perform in public spaces.
Team NLD has also been taking their art to new heights both locally and abroad with performances and collaborations with world-renowned jazz musician Etienne Charles, and soca icon Derek Pereira, known on stage as Dawg-E-Slaughter, to name a few. Next Level Devils also entered the music scene on their own with their 2020 soca track The Mountain in collaboration with local radio presenter and artiste, RKG.
For further information on this dynamic group, check them out on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for all their new and exciting performances and cultural projects!