Minister Gumbs to seek fines for explicit music, language during Carnival parades

GREAT BAY--Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs says she intends to consult with her colleague ministers on introducing policy or legislative controls, including fines, for bands, DJs and trucks that play explicit music during Grand Parade.

Minister Gumbs said the issue has reached a point where warnings alone are no longer enough. She said Grand Parade is a family-oriented event where children, students, parents and grandparents are present along the route, and the music played on the road should reflect that environment.

According to the Minister, any future controls would apply equally to local and foreign DJs, bands and performers. She said if participants refuse to follow the rules, stronger action should be considered, including fines or removing offenders from the truck.

“This nasty business music on the road for Grand Parade, it has got to stop,” Minister Gumbs said. She added that she is willing to look at the same type of controls used in other Caribbean countries, where performers can be fined or removed for profanity or inappropriate music during public, family-centered events.

The Minister stressed that her concern is not about Carnival music in general, but about the setting in which certain songs are played. She said music that may be acceptable for Jouvert, where children are not expected to participate, should not automatically be treated as appropriate for Grand Parade.

She explained that children often approach public officials and costumed participants during the parade to take photos. In those moments, she said, it is unacceptable for explicit lyrics to be playing in the background while students and young children are present.

Minister Gumbs said other islands maintain clear expectations for what is allowed during main parade events, and St. Maarten should be no different. She noted that certain songs and performances would not be permitted on the road during major parades in countries such as Trinidad and St. Kitts, where rules are enforced more strictly.

The Minister said the issue also goes beyond personal preference. She said the Grand Parade represents culture, creativity, youth participation and national pride, and must remain a space where families can participate comfortably.

In other Carnival related comments the Minister noted that Carnival was generally a good festival, but she believes the experience showed that “bigger does not necessarily mean better.” Her main point was that as events grow, organizers have to invest in scaling up properly so the public experience does not suffer.

She mentioned Jouvert and some shows in Carnival Village as examples where crowd size may have affected comfort, movement and the overall experience. Her argument was not that the events were bad, but that growth has to come with better planning, space management, booth layout, build-out and crowd flow.

Gumbs also used her Carnival comments to raise a broader point about youth culture and how institutions respond to it. Referring to the recent visit of popular online streamer IShowSpeed, she said young people clearly understood the significance of his presence, while many adults seemed unsure of how to engage with the moment.

The Minister said the visit showed the importance of better understanding the new ways young people connect with entertainment, online personalities, gaming and digital culture. She said figures such as IShowSpeed, Mr. Beast and other streamers represent a major part of youth culture, even if many adults are unfamiliar with them.

She said IShowSpeed’s visit, which was originally expected to be brief, turned into a longer stay because of the island’s appeal and the response from young people. Minister Gumbs said the excitement around his visit should encourage St. Maarten to better understand and engage with the platforms and personalities that matter to today’s youth.

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