DOCSLIB.ORG

J'ouvert in Brooklyn Carnival: Revitalizing Steel Pan and Ole Mas Traditions Author(S): Ray Allen Source: Western Folklore, Vol

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
J'ouvert in Brooklyn Carnival: Revitalizing Steel Pan and Ole Mas Traditions Author(S): Ray Allen Source: Western Folklore, Vol J'ouvert in Brooklyn Carnival: Revitalizing Steel Pan and Ole Mas Traditions Author(s): Ray Allen Source: Western Folklore, Vol. 58, No. 3/4, Studies of Carnival in Memory of Daniel J. Crowley (Summer - Autumn, 1999), pp. 255-277 Published by: Western States Folklore Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1500461 Accessed: 22-04-2015 17:46 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Western States Folklore Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Western Folklore. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 134.74.122.250 on Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:46:56 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions J'ouvertin Brooklyn Carnival: Revitalizing SteelPan and Ole Mas Traditions' RAY ALLEN The rumbleof distantdrums rolls across ProspectPark, breaking the pre-dawntranquility that envelopes central Brooklyn on Labor Day morn- ing. Mywatch says 4 a.m.-theJ'Ouvert celebration must be underway.Qui- etlyslipping out of myapartment into the cool of the night,I note the ironyof being late forCarnival, an eventthat by naturedefies time. Still, I quicken mypace, cuttingacross the park,drawn towards the percussive din and faintstrains of steelpan. Emergingnear the zoo entranceon Flat- bush Avenue, I come face to face witha group of devils.Cheap plastic hornsadorn heads smearedin red paintand facespowdered with white tal- cum. The ghoulishrevelers have surroundedthe Pantonicssteel orchestra, a band of fiftysteel pan playersand percussionistsmounted on two-story moveable racks.The devils,along withhundreds of less elaboratelyclad partygoers,are 'jumping up" and "winingdown" to the Pantonic's ren- dition of the popular calypso "In My House." The band and dancers pulse as one, inching down the road towardEmpire Boulevard,then bumpingup againstthe Adlib Steelband and merginginto a mile-longsea of humanity.The scene turnssurreal as I pass a huge bank of temporary lightsthat cut throughthe thickpredawn mist, illuminating the fervent crowd and the scores of police who line the streetand look on with greatdisinterest. For the next twohours I ease myway toward the frontof the "parade," passinga dozen steelbands and thousandsof merrymakers,some dressed as devils,ghosts, witches, African warriors and unrulyslaves, others in old ragssmeared with grease, mud, and paint.Many of the partygoers,dressed WesternFolklore 58 (Summer/Fall,1999):255-77 255 This content downloaded from 134.74.122.250 on Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:46:56 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 256 WESTERN FOLKLORE in plain streetclothes, simplyline along the sides, sipping beers and sodas, enjoyingthe steelbandmusic and ole mas costumes,and dodging overzealousdevils who occasionallysling mud or paintinto the crowd.As the nighttimeslips into dawn,the J'Ouvert procession lurches down Nos- trandAvenue, past Gloria'sRoti Shop and Alan's Caribbean Bakery,and finallybegins to winddown. I catchmy breath, and likethousands of other participants,wonder if I willhave the energyto makeit up to EasternPark- waylater that afternoon for the main Carnivalevent. For more than a centuryJ'Ouvert2 "break of day" processionshave markedthe opening of Carnivalin Trinidad.Held in the predawnhours of CarnivalMonday, J'Ouvert evolved from 19th century Canboulay fes- tivals-nighttimecelebrations where ex-slaves gathered to masquerade,sing, and dance in commemorationof theiremancipation.3 When the tradition was incorporatedinto Trinidad's pre-Lenten Carnival, J'Ouvert became an arena forAfrican-derived percussion, witty satire singing, sardonic cos- tuming,and, more recently,lively steelband music (Hill 1972: 84-99; Stuempfle1995: 203-204). In contrastto the bright,fancy pageantry of Mondayand Tuesdayafternoon Carnival, Jouvert's gruesome devils and mud-coveredrevelers personify what folkloristStephen Stuempflehas called the "underworlddimension of Carnival...grimand sinisterchar- acters, dirtyand coarse costumes,and aggressiveverbal and physical action" (Stuempfle1995: 204). Historically,J'Ouvert's demonic and satir- ical masquerading,coupled withdense percussionand steel pan music, manifestCarnival's deepest challenge to order and authority,and for Trinidadian novelistEarl Lovelace, the essence of the "Emancipation spirit"(Lovelace 1998: 54). In Brooklyn,home to the largestWest Indian communityoutside the Caribbeanand hostto a Labor Day Carnivalthat draws close to twomillion participantseach year,J'Ouvert is a relativelynew phenomenon.Over the pastdecade Brooklyn'sJ'Ouvert has grownfrom small groups of Dimanche Gras (Fat Sunday) revelersto a massivepredawn celebrationattracting nearly100,000 steelband and old mas enthusiasts.This inquirywill trace the emergenceof Brooklyn'sJ'Ouvertfestival in the largercontext of New YorkCarnival, and considerthe event'srole in the revitalizationof older Carnivaltraditions in Brooklyn'sTrinidad-American community.4 This content downloaded from 134.74.122.250 on Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:46:56 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions J'OUVERT IN BROOKLYN CARNIVAL 257 TRINIDAD CARNIVALIN HARLEM AND BROOKLYN Throughoutthe late 1920s and early1930s indoor Carnivalballs and danceswere common in Harlem'ssmall West Indian community,but itwas not until the mid-1930sthat two homesickTrinidadians, Rufus Gorin andJesseWattle, began organizingoutdoor Carnival parties. In 1947,Wat- tle managed to get an officialpermit to close Lenox Avenue for a Trinidad-styleCarnival parade featuringfancy costumed mas (masquerade) bands. In deferenceto the New Yorkclimate, the celebrationwas held in early September,on the Monday of Labor Day weekend, ratherthan duringthe traditionalmid-winter, pre-Lenten Carnival season (Hill 1994: 48-9;Kasinitz 1992: 140-141). The earlyHarlem parade, was,by Trinidadian Carnival standards, rel- ativelyconventional. Throughout the 1950s,the NewYork Amsterdam News describedthe HarlemCarnival as an orderlyprocession of politicians,dig- nitaries,beauty queens, floats,and costumeddancers.5 Police barricades separatedparade spectatorsfrom marchers, with the formeroften num- beringover 100,000.6Panman Caldera Caraballo (1996) recallsthat the event was "a restrictedparade, not reallya Carnival,"as only invited guests,masquerade bands, and communityorganizations were allowed to march. Music was provided by conventionalAmerican-style marching bands and by Trinidadianbrass (calypso) bands perched on floatsand small trucks.Calypso singerslike MacBeth the Great frontedthe brass bands, projectingtheir voices withthe aid of a microphoneand a small public addresssystem. Band leader RudyKing claims to havebrought the first steelband to the Harlem Carnival,sometime in the mid-1950s(King 1995). The crowdon Lenox Avenuewas, according to King,quite delighted,and began spon- taneouslydancing around the orchestraas the panmen moved up the avenue. By the late 1950s, King's band wasjoined on Lenox Avenue by Lawrence "Pops" MaCarthy'sHarlem All Stars and Caldera Caraballo's Moderneres.These steelorchestras were not officiallyaffiliated with a mas- querade band, nor were theyformally invited by the parade organizers. King (1995) recallsjust "showingup, in the spiritof Carnival."Caraballo (1996) claimsthe Carnivalofficials were concerned that steelbands might disruptthe otherwiseorderly event: 'You see thiswas a real parade thatwas tryingto startat point A and end at point B," he recalls,"and the steel- bands could sloweverything down, with all the people comingout on the streetand dancing around us. So theykept us in the rear."But the steel bands were toleratedby the organizersbecause theywanted to showcase authenticTrinidadian culture, and pan had become, by the late 1950s,a This content downloaded from 134.74.122.250 on Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:46:56 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 258 WESTERN FOLKLORE central component of the Carnival celebrationback home in Port of Spain. Worriesabout disruptivebehavior became a realityduring the 1961 Harlem parade when a fightbroke out betweena panman and a parade spectator.According to an eyewitnessreport in the New YorkAmsterdam News,a steelbandmarcher crashed his pan againstthe head of an over-zeal- ous parade-goerwho was attemptingto grab his instrument.Band mem- bers and spectatorsbegan to shoveone anotheras bottlesand bricksflew. Duringthe ensuingscuffle ten people werearrested for disorderly conduct. The 9 September 1961 headline of the New YorkAmsterdam News pro- claimed "WestIndian Day Parade Ends in Riot." Meanwhile,tensions surrounding the burgeoningcivil rights movement weremaking local authoritiesincreasingly wary of largegatherings of black people. Memoriesof the 1961 disturbance,coupled witha rock-throwing incidentat the 1964 Harlem Carnival,led to the revocationof the Lenox Avenue parade permit. Rufus Gorin moved to Brooklyn,where he attemptedto reestablisha Labor Day Carnival.Following the 1965 immi- grationreforms, central Brooklyn was rapidlybecoming the hub of West Indian culturein New YorkCity. For severalyears Gorin's Carnivalcele- brationstook the formof huge block partiesand spontaneousparades in Brooklyn'sCrown
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Portland Daily Press: April 18, 1898
    PORTLAND DAILY PRESS. ESTABLISHED JUNE 23, 18B2-VOL.35. PORTLAND, MAINE, MONDAY MORNINg”" APRIL 18, 1898. PRICE THREE CENTS^^ ■ .. —i^——... MISCELLANEOUS._ _ MANILA PANIC STRIKEN. THE HOUSE MAY NOT YIELD. SITUATION GRAVE. London, April 18.— A special dispatch from Singa- pore says that the steamship Leo XIII from Manila, has (Special to the Press.) arrived there crowded with Spanish officials anti well to Washington D. c„ April 17.-The situation here do families, who are escaping from the rebel- foeai^ it is Spanish very critical so i’ar as tomorrow's ac- Makes lion which is spreading rapidly in the 110,1 01 ,lle Rouse | Thillipines. They is concerned. There is great report that Manila is panic strikcn. anger that a section of Republicans may vote with I*®mo<:r”ts £t)r Stomachs J"le concurrence in the Senate resolutions. Reed I he Republican | Speaker Confident It Will leaders understand this, and have been actively at work today forming the party lines to stand by ! Over. the Rouse resolution. The Senate INVOKED. resolution is con- DEUS EX MACHINA sidered most ♦ Through the unwise and fraught with troubles for the spurs LAST Stand First future. Ills stomach it builds HOPE. Action. that all Will Save thought of the New J The Only Thins Which Spain- by England con- ♦ the anew. will stand body from War. gressmen by the House resolutions ♦ The ards tomorrow, stomach is although some of the New cleansed and England senators, especially £ Eodgc, Frye and Chandler voted ♦ strengthened, London, April 18.—The Madrid corre- with the “war at once” T the of the Times telegraphing Sun- party in the Senate last night, ft was digestive spondent Autonomists Start for Conference t thought that the fluids are in- House resolutions were X day says: very radical when they passed, ♦ creased, appetite is made keen 4 “In official circles today there is an with but every one looks to them now as and Cubans.
    [Show full text]
  • Calendar of Caribbean Events 2020
    K Y M C C A R I B B E A N C MPASS CALENDAR OF CARIBBEAN EVENTS 2020 Pull out and pin up the paper version, and use the version with live links APRIL at www.caribbeancompass.com 1 – 7 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. www.antiguaclassics.com 3 Girl Pat Race (Trinidad to Grenada). TTSA, www.ttsailing.org Where yacht club initials are given, for contact information see 4 – 5 St. Maarten Multiclass Regatta. SMYC, www.smyc.com CARIBBEAN YACHT & SAILING CLUBS at the end of this calendar. 7 FULL MOON JANUARY 10 – 13 Bequia Easter Regatta, BSC, www.bequiaregatta.com 1 Public holiday or ‘recovery day’ in many places (New Year’s Day); 12 – 18 Les Voiles de St. Barths. SBYC, www.stbarthyachtclub.com Junkanoo parades in the Bahamas 15 Public holiday in Puerto Rico (Birthday of José de Diego) 1 Annual Festival Parade in Montserrat. visitmontserrat.com/festivals 16 - 19 Carnival in Jamaica 1 SSCA Gam, Chaguaramas, Trinidad. [email protected] DAVID GOLDHILL 1 – 4 St. Kitts ‘Sugar Mas’. Stkittstourism.kn/about/events 3 – 4 St. Croix ‘Crucian Carnival’. www.stcroixtourism.com/christmas_festival.htm 6 Public holiday in some places (Three Kings Day/Epiphany) 8 – 14 Broadway to Bequia Theater Festival, Bequia. BroadwaytoBequia.com 10 FULL MOON 10 Public holiday in the Bahamas (Majority Rule Day) 11 World ARC 2020-21 departs Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. WCC, www.worldcruising.com 11 Nanny Cay Round Tortola Race. RBVIYC, royalbviyc.org 12 – 20 St. Barts Music Festival. www.stbartsmusicfestival.org/festival 13 – 18 Panama Jazz Festival. panamajazzfestival.com 14 – 19 Barbados Film Festival.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Take a Wine and Roll
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Take a Wine and Roll “IT”!: Breaking Through the Circumscriptive Politics of the Trini/Caribbean Dancing Body A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Critical Dance Studies by Adanna Kai Jones March 2016 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Anthea Kraut, Chairperson Dr. Marta E. Savigliano Dr. Amalia Cabezas Copyright by Adanna Kai Jones 2016 The Dissertation of Adanna Kai Jones is approved: Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS You know how at fundraisers they say, “Every penny counts,” well the same applies to the process of dissertating. Every hug, every smile, every cheer, every piece of advice, every rough draft read, every second of listening, every book borrowed, every meal offered, every dollar granted, and every prayer sent on my behalf, all of these moments pushed me closer to the very real moment of completion. According to the south African philosophy of ubuntu, meaning “I am because we are,” I could only have made it here because of each and every one of you who hugged, smiled, cheered, mentored, read, listened, shared, cooked, and prayed for me. We all participated in a journey that has not only changed how I approach learning and teaching, but it has also changed how I view myself, as well as my purpose in this world. For each and every one of these necessary moments, I am eternally grateful. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, mind, and soul. And now it is time for the “shout-outs!” With regards to funding for my research in both Trinidad and Barbados, I am grateful for the support of the Dissertation Research Grant and the Dissertation Year Program Fellowship, both of which were received through the University of California, Riverside.
    [Show full text]
  • IPG 2004-2.Book(07 Nurse.Fm)
    Diaspora, Migration and Development in the Americas KEITH NURSE nternational migration is one of the defining features of the history of ILatin America and the Caribbean (lac). For most of its history the Americas have been a point of arrival and a net importer of labor. In the last five decades or so the pattern has been altered with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean becoming net exporter of labor, largely to the core economies in the Western hemisphere, the us and Canada. There have also been significant movements of people from Latin Amer- ica and the Caribbean to Europe, principally from former colonies and non-independent territories. The migratory flow of people from lac to the North Atlantic is driven by two contemporary global imbalances: the widening socio-economic polarization (i.e. the widening income gap and the divergence in quality of living conditions) between the countries of the North and the South; and, demographic polarization in terms of the relative ageing of the population of the North (Wallerstein 2003). The purpose of this article is to analyze the contribution and impact of migration and diasporization to development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The paper argues that the discourse on migration and devel- opment needs to move beyond the discussion of the growth, value and impediments to remittances to take account of the dynamics of the global labor economy, the workings of the diasporic economy and the prospects for migrants and the societies they emigrate from. By highlighting the key areas of benefit and cost associated with migration, the aim is to weigh up the evidence and give an assessment of the challenges and opportuni- ties arising from the growth of the diasporic political economy.
    [Show full text]
  • 00001-2006 ( .Pdf )
    Jan2006.qxd 1/5/06 12:16 PM Page 1 PRESORTED JANUARY 2006 STANDARD ® U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 Tel: (305) 238-2868 1-800-605-7516 [email protected] We cover your world Vol. 17 No. 2 [email protected] When America's largest mass tran- sit system was shut down for three consecu- tive days last month, it was Trinidadian Roger Toussaint who led the strike for more than 37,000 bus and subway employees, page 2. In just over a year, the Caribbean will host Cricket World Cup 2007, the one-day The trial of controversial game’s biggest spectacle. West Indies Jamaican Cricket Board President Ken Gordon cop Reneto Adams was (inset) believes the region, despite among the lingering problems such as the rising big stories coming out of crime rate and poor form of the West the Caribbean Indies team, is on track to put on a grand in 2005, another challenging year for the region as a whole, show for all the world to see, page 11. page 13. Reggae superstar Shaggy will be among the top enter- tainers scheduled to visit the Caribbean in 2006, a year jampacked with attractions which should appeal to homesters and prospective visitors to the region, page 17. INSIDE News . .2 Feature . .12 Arts/Entertainment . .17 Youth/Education . .21 Local . .7 Food . .14 Health . .18 Sport . .23 Viewpoint . .9 Tourism/Travel . .15 Business . .19 Region . .25 Jan2006.qxd 1/5/06 12:16 PM Page 2 2 CARIBBEAN TODAY January 2006 www.caribbeantoday.com NEWS Caribbean advocates condemn U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • To Download Compass Yearly Calendar of Events 2021
    K Y M C C A R I B B E A N C MPASS CALENDAR OF CARIBBEAN EVENTS 2021 APRIL Pull out and pin up the paper version, 2 Holiday in many places (Good Friday) and use the version with live links at www.caribbeancompass.com 2 – 5 Bequia Easter Regatta. www.bequiaregatta.com 4 Easter Sunday The Covid-19 pandemic continues to make plans uncertain, so check with event 10 – 11 St. Maarten Multiclass Regatta. www.smyc.com organizers and see the updated monthly calendar in each new issue of Compass. 11 Jamaica Carnival 11 – 17 Les Voiles de St. Barths. www.stbarthyachtclub.com 14 – 22 St. Barth Theatre Festival. www.festivaldetheatredesaintbarthelemy.com 16 Public holiday in Puerto Rico (Birthday of José de Diego) JANUARY 16 St. Croix International Regatta. www.stcroixyc.com 1 Public holiday or ‘recovery day’ in many places (New Year’s Day) 18 – 22 Oyster Regatta, Antigua. https://oysteryachts.com/events/antigua-regatta-2021 1 Annual Festival Parade in Montserrat. visitmontserrat.com/festivals 22 Earth Day 1 – 2 St. Kitts ‘Sugar Mas.’ stkittstourism.kn/about/events 22 – 25 Tobago Jazz Experience 1 – 6 St. Croix Virtual ‘Crucian Carnival.’ www.facebook.com/USVIFestivals 24 Peters & May Round Antigua Race. www.antiguayachtclub.com25 – 30 Antigua Sailing Week. www.antiguayachtclub.com 6 Public holiday in some places (Three Kings Day/Epiphany) 26 FULL MOON 8 – 18 St. Barth Classical Music Festival. www.saintbarth-tourisme.com/en/classical-music-festival-of-saint-barts 28 Public holiday in Barbados (National Heroes’ Day) 9 RORC Transat arrival in Grenada. http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org 29 – 2 May West Indies Regatta, St.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Riverside UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Take a Wine and Roll "IT"!: Breaking Through the Circumscriptive Politics of the Trini/Caribbean Dancing Body Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/33d3r5fz Author Jones, Adanna Kai Publication Date 2016 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Take a Wine and Roll “IT”!: Breaking Through the Circumscriptive Politics of the Trini/Caribbean Dancing Body A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Critical Dance Studies by Adanna Kai Jones March 2016 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Anthea Kraut, Chairperson Dr. Marta E. Savigliano Dr. Amalia Cabezas Copyright by Adanna Kai Jones 2016 The Dissertation of Adanna Kai Jones is approved: Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS You know how at fundraisers they say, “Every penny counts,” well the same applies to the process of dissertating. Every hug, every smile, every cheer, every piece of advice, every rough draft read, every second of listening, every book borrowed, every meal offered, every dollar granted, and every prayer sent on my behalf, all of these moments pushed me closer to the very real moment of completion. According to the south African philosophy of ubuntu, meaning “I am because we are,” I could only have made it here because of each and every one of you who hugged, smiled, cheered, mentored, read, listened, shared, cooked, and prayed for me. We all participated in a journey that has not only changed how I approach learning and teaching, but it has also changed how I view myself, as well as my purpose in this world.
    [Show full text]
  • From the Sacred Sound of the Conch Shell to the Cemetery Dance: Reimagining an Africana Festival Created in a Southern Appalachian City
    religions Article From the Sacred Sound of the Conch Shell to the Cemetery Dance: Reimagining an Africana Festival Created in a Southern Appalachian City Marcus L. Harvey Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Asheville, 138 Zageir Hall, CPO 2860, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804, USA; [email protected]; Tel.: +1-828-251-6177 Received: 2 June 2017; Accepted: 8 August 2017; Published: 14 August 2017 Abstract: To contemplate African American experience and its many racialized contours is to invoke a tensive quandary concerning the reconstruction of African American cultural identity in a dynamic network of historically assailed African diasporas. Utilizing a transdisciplinary approach that deploys historical analysis as well as cross-cultural and epistemological reflection, this article gestures in such a reconstructive direction from the local vantage point of Asheville, North Carolina’s “African and Caribbean” Goombay Festival. One detects in the festival an exotifying, ambiguously celebratory quality that deprioritizes Affrilachian cultural memory in southern Appalachia in favor of consumable public entertainment. The ensuing argument culminates in a preliminary epistemological reimagining of the Asheville Goombay Festival by way of constructive intercourse with the ancestral spirit-based African Jamaican ritual institution of Gumbay Play, an institution that facilitates processes of identity formation through mnemonically engaged ritual performance. Further, it is argued that this reimagining can amplify the ancestral mnemonic potential of Goombay in Asheville to incorporate more fully the varied Affrilachian lifeworlds of western North Carolina, thereby making possible a reexamination of African American cultural identity in Asheville capable of producing substantive responses to the epistemological challenge of Affrilachian cultural identity formation within western North Carolina’s greater social landscape.
    [Show full text]
  • Syllabus: a Semester-Long Study of Carnivals
    Syllabus 5/1 (2016) D. Phenix, “Semester-Long Study of Carnivals” SYLLABUS: A SEMESTER-LONG STUDY OF CARNIVALS Deinya Phenix, St. Francis College INTRODUCTORY ESSAY As a sociologist, I have a general interest in investigating the variety of influences on behavior. Over the last decade this general interest has developed along several areas, including crime and deviance over the life course, education, and structural aspects of cultural practices and representation. The course outlined below came about as a result of my work teaching the sociology of religion as a standalone course and teaching culture, deviance, stratification, and gender as modules of general principles of sociology courses. As these are not my primary areas of research, I made the pedagogical choice to incorporate community voices and experience in the lectures. As my personal hobbies of dance and music afforded me a network of talented individuals willing to visit the college and share their culture through guest lectures and demonstrations, I experimented with combining lectures by professional artists or religious practitioners with traditional textbooks and class discussion. On the suggestion of my department chair, I developed a new course that combined my avocational interest in music and dance with the academic topics of culture and systems of belief. At the same time, I observed that many of my students were routinely absent in the early spring due to the irresistible allure of “home” and the tradition of playing mas, i.e., marching, dancing, singing, and role playing in the few days before Lent. I decided that the pull toward this particular tradition, extravagant and popular as it was, had as much influence as many other social forces and as much certainty.
    [Show full text]
  • Senate Resolution No. 1477 Senator HAMILTON BY: the West Indian
    Senate Resolution No. 1477 BY: Senator HAMILTON COMMENDING the West Indian American Day Carnival Association upon the occasion of hosting the 50th Anniversary of its Annual West Indian Labor Day Carnival and Parade on September 4, 2017 WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, to recognize and pay tribute to those organizations which foster ethnic pride and enhance the profile of cultural diversity which strengthens the fabric of the communities of New York State; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend the West Indian American Day Carnival Association upon the occasion of hosting the 50th Anniversary of its Annual West Indian Labor Day Carnival and Parade; this year's theme is "From a Dream to a Legacy"; and WHEREAS, This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the West Indian American Day Carnival and Parade; the centerpiece of the Carnival is the extraordinary colorful Parade consisting of many vibrant floats, exquisite costumes, a cacophony of music, Caribbean entertainment stars, and various food vendors selling West Indian delicacies; and WHEREAS, Remaining true to its mission, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) promotes, develops and celebrates the West Indian/Caribbean culture, arts history and tradition; and WHEREAS, The History of Carnival is as colorful as the present day festival; its roots lie in the festivities of the original civilization in Ancient Kemet (Egypt); the many tribes that gathered around the Nile Delta practiced similar
    [Show full text]
  • Educator's Resource Guide
    RESOURCE GUIDE ABOUT THIS RESOURCE GUIDE RESOURCE GUIDE The En Mas’ Educator Resource Guide is most applicable for use with students in middle and high school; however, the content may be adjusted to meet the specific learning goals of your students. The Vocabulary can be used to introduce students to the terms they will encounter throughout the exhibition. These will, in turn help TABLE OF CONTENTS students to look more carefully at the art featured in the exhibition. about the exhibition 3 When visiting MoAD, give each of your students a copy of the Questions to Use in the MoAD Galleries to further engage them in vocabulary 4 – 5 the context of the exhibition. Be sure to have your students answer the Reflection Questions as soon as possible after your visit to the Museum. These are designed to help students think deeper about questions to use in the moad galleries 6 – 11 the art installations after they have visited MoAD. reflection questions 12 You may opt to choose either of the artist focused projects to complete after your visit to the Museum. Please note that while post-visit activities the Educator Resource Guide strives to help students understand many of the histories which inform the work in the exhibition, we Nicolas Dumit Estevez 13 are not able to provide a comprehensive overview in such a short number of pages. Charles Campbell 15 We sincerely hope that you find this Educator Resource Guide helpful and welcome any comments or feedback you may have John Beadle 18 for us. Additionally, we would love to hear how you have chosen to integrate the material into your classroom or program.
    [Show full text]
  • Caribbean Life in New York City: Sociocultural Dimensions
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 294 967 UD 026 195 AUTHOR Sutton, Constance R., Ed.; Chaney,Elsa M., Ed. TITLE Caribbean Life in New York City:Sociocultural Dimensions. INSTITUTION Center for Migration Studies, Inc.,Staten Island, N.Y. REPORT NO ISBN-0-913256-92-7 PUB DATE 87 NOTE 383p.; Photographs will not reproduceclearly. AVAILABLE FROMCenter for Migration Studies, 209 FlaggPlace, Staten Island, New York 10304-1148 ($12.95 paper--ISBN-0-913256-92-7; $17.50 hardcover--ISBN-0-913256-88-9; $3.00 shippingand handling). PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) -- Reports Research /Technical (143)-- Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Availablefrom EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Acculturation; Child Rearing; *CrossCultural Studies; 2ultural Background; CulturalDifferences; Cultural Pluralism; *Cultural Traits;Dominicans; Ethnicity; Foreign Nationals; Haitians;Hispanic Americans; *Migrants; Puerto Ricans;Racial Identification; Social ScienceResearch; *Social Support Groups; Urban Demography IDENTIFIERS *Caribbean Americans; *New York (New York);West Indians ABSTRACT This book comprises the followingpapers discussing Caribbean life in New York City: (1) TheContext of Caribbean Migration (rasa M. Chaney); (2) The Caribbeanizationof New York City and the Emergence of a Transnational Socio-CulturalSystem (Constance R. Sutton); (3) New York City and Its People:An Historical Perspective Up to World War II (David M. Reimers);(4) New York City and the New Caribbean Immigration: A ContextualStatement (Roy Simon Bryce-Laporte); (5) Where Caribbean Peoples Livein New York City (Dennis Conway and Ualthan Bigby); (6) Black ImmigrantWomen in "Brown Girl, Brownstones" (Paula Marshall); (7)Migration and West Indian Racial and Ethnic Consciousness (ConstanceR. Sutton and Susan Makiesky-Barrow); (8) West Indians in New York Cityand London: A Comparative Analysis (Nancy Foner); (9) West IndianChild Fostering: Its Role in Migrant Exchanges (Isa Maria Solo); (1n)Garifuna Settlement in New York: A New Frontier (NancieL.
    [Show full text]