Just add dancers and a lot of fun to this steel pan mix!
There are a lot of great events during Labor Day Weekend but the indisputed crown king of the events is the annual West Indian Day Carnival. The crown jewel that proudly beams from that crown is the 'Jouvert' that begins late Sunday night at 2am and runs into am the next morning in the streets of Brooklyn. The 'Jouvert' is bacchanal at its finest. Unless you've been in New Orleans 'Mardi Gras' I doubt that you've witnessed or experienced anything close to it here in the States.
What makes it so great? Bands who play steel pans, drums, bass, cymbals, and more instruments are accompanied by dozens of followers who dance, sing, grind and party on the streets of Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn like they have no worries in the world (They actually don't for one night). Some people are dripped in mud and even chocolate to emmulate the traditional meanings of carnival. (Which in part is a celebration of the abolishment of slavery and a tribute to the land back in the Islands, especially Trinidad where it orginates from.) I could go into more details but let your eyes and ears be the judge with this video. Just imagine the same thing at night.
Okay I got ya interested. do you get involved. Okay take a trip to the home of the West Indian community, Flatbush. Take the 2 train to Church Ave and look for any flyers or especially places that are selling costumes for the carnival. If you go to these places they will have costumes and packages available to dance in the band. This is the true spirit of the event. Yes, true you can walk the parkway for free but hey it's always fun to have an outfit and party like no tomorrow to streets that are blocked off.
By the way the police presence is huge so little trouble of worrying about getting jumped or robbed if you play in a band people. (Ya I know the concerns)
Try to get out and buy your costume by Sunday afternoon at latest. Many costumes will be sold already by then or they'll start running out of room. I'll have another post tomorrow on the Jouvert route and what else to expec and even weart. I will also write other posts on the Parade on monday.
Stay up I'm out and about!!!
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