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Costumes and dancers jam and jump their way along the streets of St. Maarten's capitol - Philipsburg- to the beat of calypso, soca and other island rhythms.

If you are watching this 4-mile long parade of color and glitz, it's impossible not to get into the party spirit that we all call Carnival. Two carnivals are held on the island each year - the one on the French side takes place during Lent, keeping the tradition of the French Creole Mas, while the other, the largest of the two, is celebrated on the Dutch side over a period of 17 days and nights with its main parade scheduled to coincide with the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, Beatrix. Preparations for Carnival usually begin to warm up just after Christmas with the calypsonians releasing sneak previews of the songs for the event.

Many of these songs, as is a tradition in local Caribbean music, have a double meaning and poke fun at some aspect of life or government.

Some are more daring that others and even include sensual double-meanings.
No matter which, these songs fill the airwaves of the local radio stations, and within a short time are being hummed, sung, and talked about around the island.