Following months of speculation, the 2009 Jamaica Carnival, the brainchild of legendary bandleader Byron Lee, has been confirmed cancelled by the organisers.

Sheila Lee, Byron's widow, said one of the reasons for the cancellation was Byron's death in November and the toll it has taken on the family.

"We really wanted to stage one (carnival) this year because we know that is what The Dragon (Byron) would have wanted, but the pain of our loss makes it impossible for us to do justice to his work," said Lee in a release sent to the media. "We promise to return in 2010 for the 21st anniversary of Jamaica Carnival," she added.

Jamaica Carnival, which 'The Dragon' started in 1990, seemed doubtful with the absence of any promotion leading up to carnival season.

Julianne Lee-Samuels, Byron's daughter and Jamaica Carnival president, said another reason for the cancellation is "the current economic climate".

Not-for-profit events

She said that 80 per cent of Jamaica Carnival events are not-for-profit events. Therefore, corporate sponsorship would have been essential for the Carnival to be staged as it has a "high production cost".

"However, we really felt that, given the current economic situation in which many companies are struggling and people are losing their jobs, we should not press corporate Jamaica to provide the level of funding we needed to mount Jamaica Carnival effectively this year," Lee-Samuels said.

She admitted that an attempt was also made to secure subsidies from some government agencies, but said those efforts proved unsuccessful. "In light of such funding constraints, we decided to observe a season of silence as a mark of respect for the passing of our founder. However, we will be following his directives, crafted prior to his passing, for our 21st anniversary Jamaica Carnival in 2010 to be the best ever," said Lee-Samuels.

She also said Jamaica Carnival was not associated with any other carnival events that are being promoted.

In the absence of Jamaica Carnival, there is Bacchanal Carnival, which climaxes on Sunday, April 19 with its road march, and Downtown Carnival.