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A Caribbean Carnival—minus Trinidad

Peter Ray Blood
Published: 
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Sean Kingston, one of the headline acts set to perform at next month’s Dubai Caribbean Carnival. Reuters

 

The first Dubai Caribbean Carnival is scheduled for November 1 to 2, at Burj Park, in Downtown Dubai; however, this first event will not have a T&T presence. Jamaican-American rapper, singer and songwriter Sean Kingston, American rapper and actor Bow Wow, and Jason Derülo are the headline acts for the two-day “carnival.” Without even the the smallest iota of mas, calypso, pan or anything element of T&T Carnival involved, the organisers of this “carnival” have not even informed any local Carnival organisation or official of its much-touted event.
 
 
“I don’t have a clue of what you are talking about,” was last Wednesday’s response from National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Patrick Arnold, speaking from his Tobago location. NCC vice-chairman Don Sylvester echoed Arnold, stating: “This is news to me. Nobody, from either Dubai, Jamaica, or anywhere else has informed me or contacted me.”
 
 
“I have had no official word from anyone in Dubai,” said Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz. “About a fortnight ago, a pan tuner, who happens to be a Muslim, told me he was going to Dubai to a couple workshops there, in a private capacity. He said nothing about a carnival.”
 
 
Of the headline acts billed to perform over the two days, Kingston was discovered as an independent artiste on MySpace before he was signed and released his first single—Beautiful Girls—in 2007. Beautiful Girls made it to No 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks straight. He is set to release his third album—Back 2 Life—later this year. It will feature artistes such as Nicki Minaj, T-Pain, Kanye West and Dr Dre. 
 
 
A first-of-its-kind event, the Dubai Caribbean Carnival is being billed as a two-day family-oriented concept that is themed around the music and entertainment of the Caribbean. It will feature these three renowned international acts on November 1 followed by a myriad of family entertainment the following day in the form of carnival dancers, fire eaters, jugglers, stilt-walkers, magicians, rides and performers. The two-day carnival is open to all ages.
 
 
“The family demographic is often overlooked here in Dubai. Bearing that in mind, we have conceptualised an outdoor event that can be enjoyed by young and old alike in the perfect weather the month of November offers. From the world-class performers on stage at the concert to the colourful costumes and décor on display and the celebration of the food, dance and music of the Caribbean, the whole event is designed to entertain and energise the city,” said Zoha Beig, CEO of 321 Events.
 
 
321 Events have been responsible for organising a number of major public events, including the hugely successful Chris Brown Fame Tour and the Charice Infinity Tour in Dubai. The company’s goal is to bring quality entertainers to the city and at the same time keep a firm balance on entertainment for both a more mature audience as well as family-based entertainment solutions.
 
 
Burj Park, Downtown Dubai 
 
 
Dubai is a member of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Dubai City is located on the emirate’s northern coastline. Dubai is often misperceived as a country and in some cases, the whole UAE has been described as “Dubai.”
 
 
In Dubai, the Islamic dress code is not compulsory and most Emirati males prefer to wear a kandura (an ankle-length white shirt woven from wool or cotton), and most Emirati women wear an abaya (a black over-garment covering most parts of the body). 
 
 
Western-style clothing is, however, dominant because of the large expatriate population. Prohibitions on “indecent clothing” are an aspect of the UAE to which visitors are expected to conform. Recently, many expatriates have disregarded the law and been arrested for indecent clothing, or lack thereof, at beaches. Western-style dress is tolerated in places such as bars or clubs, but the UAE has enforced anti-indecency prohibitions in other public spaces.
 
 
Downtown Dubai, previously known as Downtown Burj Dubai, is a large-scale mixed-use complex under development in Dubai, UAE. It is the home of some of the city’s most important landmarks including Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Dubai Fountain. It covers an area of two square kilometres, and estimated to cost US$20 billion (Dh73 billion) upon completion.
 
 
Today, Dubai City has emerged as a global city and a business hub, and has recently attracted world attention through many innovative large construction projects and sports events. 
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