Tropicalfete’s Inaugural Carnival Festival Brings Hundreds of Revelers to the Brooklyn Public Library

 

On Sunday June 26th Tropicalfete held its inaugural Carnival Festival, in partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library’s Adult Learning Zone, in front of the Central Library at 10 Grand Army Plaza. The event, which attracted hundreds of carnival enthusiasts, was a part of Tropicalfete’s jam-packed calendar of activities presented throughout June in observance of Caribbean American Heritage Month.

 

Tropicalfete’s Carnival Festival vividly showcased the fundamental elements of carnivals that are celebrated all over the Caribbean (and throughout the Caribbean Diaspora) where many of these rituals evolved, based on African traditions. Included in the afternoon presentation were parading masqueraders, stilt walking and dancing moko jumbies, (moko is an Orisha god of retribution, jumbie is a word for ghost or spirit used throughout the Caribbean, said to have originated from the Congolese word zumbi)

T&T’s indigenous calypso and soca music and its national instrument, the steel pan. 

 

Held on a tropically warm and sunny day, the Carnival Festival was co-hosted by artist and educator Tanisha Burke and Tropicalfete board member and artist Keran Deterville, with more than 60 performers participating in the afternoon’s festivities spanning the entire Caribbean region as well as Africa, Brazil and Japan.

 

The event began with Brooklyn based Calypsonian Mervin “Dr. Whitty” Carter performing “Super Man,” his song of black male empowerment. Vocalist/percussionist Okai blew a conch shell, a centuries old practice that honors the ancestors and also heralds important occasions. Fenelon Clivens, a student from P.S.276 in Canarsie, Brooklyn, who is currently enrolled in Tropicalfete’s children’s steel pan program said the organization “saved his life.” Dressed as a sailor, a traditional masquerade character that was introduced to carnival in the 1880s when British, French and American naval ships came to Trinidad, the precocious eight-year-old then played a delightful pan solo. Tropicalfete’s Voices, under the leadership of Ms. Leon, Colin Holder and Daria Primus, delivered a rendition of Bob Marley’s “One Love” and soca band We United performed a dynamic set of vintage and contemporary soca hits.

 

A beautiful oil painting Cornerstones (of Caribbean Culture) by Trinidadian born Brooklyn based artist Alicia Aberdeen was unveiled at the Carnival Festival. The 30” x 40” original work depicting carnival’s steel pans, moko jumbies and a masquerader as its central figure, is up for auction on Tropicalfete.com until November 29. 

 

Under the leadership of Caitlyn Pierre, Roshumba Marcelle and Charles Watts, Tropicalfete’s Stilting Unit displayed their remarkable skills dancing on stilts as high as 15 feet. Their joyous moko jumbie segment presented to the music soca singer Dexter “Blaxx” Stewart celebrated the life of the beloved artist who passed away due to complications from COVID-19 on March 28.

The event’s kaleidoscopic parade of masqueraders featured Kiah Henderson and Kiddies representing Dominica’s creole culture. Junior Elias Andrews’ Cocorite House presented the Spirit of Carnival, a display of traditional carnival characters (referred to as ole mas) including the Jab Jab (from Grenada) and the Madame Lorraine alongside modern costumes festooned with beads, feathers and glitter (pretty mas) which included carnival costumes from Miami and Brazil. Gillia Satenay’s costume, Maestro Let The Music Play presented a lively tribute to the steel pan.

 

Tropicalfete’s Carnival Queen Tracey Future dazzled in her portrayal of A Tribute to St. Vincent: St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Eruption of La Soufriere Volcano, an intricate, multi-colored assemblage of flowers and plants created by Alton Aimable, Big A and Kenwyne Gibbs.

 

The Tropicalfete Steel Ensemble under the leadership of Ashley “Mystiq” Murray performed several precisely orchestrated selections, showcasing the vastly talented steel pan players. Following a few words of thanks by Tropicalfete Founder and President Alton Aimable, all of the entertainers returned for one last dance across the plaza as the Steel Ensemble played Lyrikal’s “Fete Cyah Over,” summing up the mood of the attendees who clearly didn’t want the festivities to end.

 

Several politicians and dignitaries were also in attendance including the Consul General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago J. André Laveau; State Senators Roxanne J. Persaud and Zellnor Myrie; State Assembly members Monique Chandler-Waterman, Jamie R. Williams and Anthony Hamilton attending on behalf of Assembly member Brian A. Cunningham; New York City Council Members Farah N. Louis, Rita Joseph, Mercedes Narcisse; Jennifer Joseph represented New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Also enjoying the festivities was Council Member Crystal Hudson who represents Brooklyn’s District 35, which includes the Central Library where the event was held. Many of the politicians who addressed the crowd thanked Tropicalfete for their efforts on being a very valuable asset to the community, and their diligence in preserving Caribbean cultural traditions, especially through their programs for both the youth and seniors. 

 

Alton Aimable was very pleased with the afternoon’s performances and the enthusiastic responses to Tropicalfete’s Carnival Festival. 

 

About Tropicalfete: Established in 1999 as an online publication and cultural resource center, in 2011 Tropicalfete became a not-for-profit corporation, focusing on educating the public about Caribbean culture. Adopting the motto “Using Culture as a Tool for Social Transformation,” Tropicalfete seeks to utilize the power of the arts, as it strives to bring social changes wherever they are needed through its various programs and events that encompass art, dance, fashion, music, theater and much more. 

 

About The Brooklyn Public Library: The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) serves patrons in every neighborhood, from every walk of life. With a branch library within a half-mile of the majority of Brooklyn’s 2.7 million residents, BPL is a recognized leader in cultural offerings, literacy, out-of-school-time services, workforce development programs, and digital literacy and provides a democratic space where patrons of all economic standings can avail themselves and their children of cultural and educational programs in a broad range of disciplines.