After the recent earthquake followed by Hurricane Irene, everyone in New York surely needed a respite. So as summer came to an end, many kicked off Labour Day celebrations, donning sparkling costumes and headed to Brooklyn to fete up a storm, an enjoyable storm for a change. Caribbean dignitaries such as Dr Neil Parsan, Trinidad and Tobago's Ambassador to the UN and Dr Lorna Golding, wife of Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding, were present to kick off the parade with the grand marshall, Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York. The aroma of Caribbean cuisine, curried and jerk chicken, corn soup, souse, and boiled corn filled the air from scores of food stands that littered the Parkway. West Indian-Americans from all over the world descended on Brooklyn in droves savouring the unique experience, replicating the best that back home had to offer.
Caribbean flags, big and small swayed; participants and spectators proudly displaying the land of birth. Sadly though, at the main event, Labour Day, where millions congregated, gun fire erupted, according to law enforcement officials. Two men were shot at the parade, one in the stomach and the other in the leg.
Despite the weekend's violence, Michael Bloomberg, New York City mayor, who was also honorary guest of the 44th West Indian American Day Association (WIADCA) said, "It has gotten much better over the years." It had only been several hours before that participants and spectators had gyrated to the music of Machel Montano and Kes at Brass Fete, and David Rudder, Benjai and Sparrow at Dimanche Gras.
A day earlier, Panorama wetted the appetite and dazzled thousands as Adlib was crowned champs with its rendition, Do Something For Pan, followed by CASYM, Don't Be On That, and Radoes Steel Orchestra's Trini. Pan Sonatas' earned them fourth place with It's Showtime Of J'Ouvert, Walter Greene, a popular fashion editor said, "In terms of Ole Mas, the most spectacular thing I saw was Phagwah." He continued: "It was amazing as everyone wore red as the theme was One Blood. The biggest problem was crowd control. The costume designers I saw at the parade should get big credit.... look at the costumes....it was a spectacular year because the creativity and colours were absolutely fabulous." Noteworthy, was the inclusion of a religious component to the long weekend of events. A gospel concert featuring calypso, hip hop and reggae with spiritual themes was well received. The First Annual Caribbean Gospel Festival was also intended to raise awareness and to prevent youth violence.
In another development, Grenadian-American Brooklyn Council member Jumaane Williams, along with Kirsten John Foy, a member of staff for New York City Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio, were arrested and handcuffed for walking along a closed-off sidewalk, despite having received permission to do so from other officers. However, they were subsequently released without charges. On an optimistic note, the event attracted an international sponsor, which augurs well for future parades. This was expressed by honorary guest of WIADCA, Sybil Chester, VP of Corporate Contributions at Barcadi. She stated: "This is the first time Barcadi USA has participated in the West Indian Day Parade and we are very happy to be part of the celebrations throughout the weekend and I would urge other companies who do business with the Diaspora to assist in preserving the Caribbean culture."
CORAL KING
• Dr Glenville Ashby also contributed to this article