This Labor Day marks the 43rd year of the West Indian American Day Carnival in Brooklyn.
Several million people showed up to the event, which started at Rochester Avenue and Eastern Parkway and continued onward on Eastern Parkway to the Brooklyn Museum.
The parade, which lasted all day, showcased the bright colors and sounds of the Caribbean, including Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Barbados, and other nations.
As with all parades for the remainder of the year, the Carnival’s parade route has been shortened by about a block as money-saving measure by the city. It used to end at the Grand Army Plaza and was relegated to stop at the Brooklyn Museum, but it still remains probably the largest parade and celebration in New York.
Floats, costumed performers and dancers, dubby bass lines, costumed bands, stilt-walkers, and more were on hand during the celebration. Meanwhile, gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and other notable politicians were also present.
Attendees had the opportunity to sample a litany of foods from the island nations like Jamaican jerk chicken, breadfruit, papaya, and callaloo.
Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-born rapper raised in Brooklyn, was slated to attend the event but due to his current presidential bid in Haiti, did not attend.
Over the past weekend, reggae singers Freddie McGregor, Ky-Mani Marley, David Rudder, and many more performed at a Benefit for Haiti concert sponsored by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, who put on the carnival.
Despite all the sensory treats, for many, the parade is worthwhile simply because it brings people together.
“The food, the drinks, the friends, the family that you see they come from all over the world,” parade organizer Jean Alexander said on NY1. “And all of a sudden you meet them. You’re walking down the street and you see your grandmother or your nephew or somebody who lives in another country, it is such a wonderful feeling.”
Courtesy of Epoch Times, NY Daily News, and The Associated Press
We came across this video by chance while visiting Grenada and enjoying Spice Mas 2010. Albeit a few months old…we thought we should share. Here we have Slinger Francisco better known as The Mighty Sparrow and RemBunction with a new twist on a classic.
The dengue fever situation in the Dominican Republic, where they have declared an epidemic, is worse than the rest of the region.
But across the Caribbean health officials are tallying growing numbers of cases and advising residents to take precautionary measures.
They are worried that mosquito-borne dengue fever is reaching epidemic stages in the region.
Dozens of deaths have been reported and officials say they are concerned it could get much worse as the rainy season advances.
The increase in cases is being blamed on warm weather and an unusually early rainy season which has produced an explosion of mosquitoes.
Dom Rep deaths
At least 27 deaths have been reported in the Dominican Republic.
And the number of reported cases of the disease there has been put by the country’s health minister, Bautista Rojas, at more than 5,000.
The Dominican Medical Association says however, that the figure is much higher.
Its president, Senen Caba, said doctors have reported more than 7,000 cases of the disease.
In Puerto Rico, officials say the island is facing what could be its worst dengue outbreak in more than a decade.
The authorities in San Juan say at least five people have died, and another 6,300 cases of suspected cases have been reported as of mid-July.
Other cases
Trinidad and Tobago has had about two deaths so far.
But health officials say more than 400 clinical cases of dengue fever had been reported during the period January to June.
On Friday health officials added 15 beds to the San Fernando General hospital, and also opened a dengue clinic to check up on patients being discharged quickly to free up more beds.
French Guiana, Guadeloupe and St Martin have also registered a high number of dengue cases.
Statistics from the Pan American Health Organisation quoted by the Associated Press news agency suggest that more than 16,700 cases of the disease had been reported across the Caribbean through early June.
What is dengue fever?
This is an infection from a type of virus known as a flavivirus, which is spread by mosquitoes.
The illness is found in both rural and suburban environments.
It is a major cause of illness worldwide, causing about 100 million episodes of feverish illness a year.
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico early Sunday morning, the United States Geological Survey said.
The USGS placed the epicenter of the quake near the city of Moca, in the northwestern end of the island.
Officer Guidiberto Torres Valle with the Moca Police Department said some parts of the city lost power, but service was quickly restored.
The Municipal Hospital in the city of Cayey treated a woman suffering from anxiety caused by the earthquake but no other injuries.
Araceli Vega, a nurse in the hospital, told CNN that she was treating a patient when she felt the building rattle, followed by a short moment of fear and confusion.
Not that we need more confirmation on the global appeal of Caribbean culture, but Disney’s latest project further illustrates the culture’s mass appeal to any doubters or naysayers,.
The Disney Reggae Club entails an album of classic Disney songs recently recorded by an array of reggae artists and musicians. The project features songs from a host Disney’s animated films that includes “The Little Mermaid” and the “Jungle Book”
Artists included on the project includes Reggae legend Toots (of Toots & the Maytals), Ziggy Marley, Yellow Man, Steel Pulse, production team Sly & Robbie, Cedella Marley, Burning Spear, UB40 and Matisyahu. June 8 is the anticipated release date.
Artists and tracks included on the album are:
“Circle of Life” (from “The Lion King”) Performed by Matisyahu
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (from “The Lion King”) Performed by Cedella Marley
“The Bare Necessities” (from “The Jungle Book”) Performed by Steel Pulse
“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (Desmond Dekker’s reggae classic also featured in “The Lion King”) Performed by Morgan Heritage
“What a Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong classic) Performed by Ziggy Marley
“True to Your Heart” (from “Mulan”) Performed by The Wailing Souls
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (from “Toy Story) Performed by Sly & Robbie
“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (from “Song of the South”) Performed by Toots
“I Wan’na Be Like You” (from “The Jungle Book”) Performed by UB40
“Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat” (from “The Aristocats”) Performed by Michael G & the Easy Star All-Stars
“Kiss The Girl” (from “The Little Mermaid”) Performed by Burning Spear
“Under The Sea” (from “The Little Mermaid”) Performed by Gregory Isaacs
“Find Yourself” (from “Cars”) Performed by Yellowman
The lead single is Ziggy Marley’s version of Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.
The World Cup games is fast approaching and here we have the latest shoemaker, Puma who has released two version of their JB2010 high top sneakers. The JB stands for Johannesburg in South Africa and 2010 stands for this year, and also 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The black version is inspired by Cameroon and the white is inspired by Ghana
(CNN) — At times, counterfeiting can be a good thing. Just ask the district attorney in Brooklyn, New York.
Seven truckloads of confiscated counterfeit designer duds and shoes — Ed Hardy, Nike and Diesel among the imitation brands — are headed to earthquake victims in Haiti.
The 125,000 tons of clothing and shoes, valued at $10 million, were seized by New York police and would normally be destroyed, but in this case, the contraband will go to good use.
“Permission was obtained from manufacturers, including Nike, Timberland, Antik Denim Jeans, Black Label and Christian Audigier, to allow the knockoffs to be donated to charity,” Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes told CNN affiliate WPIX.
Hynes’ office came up the idea. It was decided the goods, warehoused for a while, would come to better use in Haiti.
The powerful January 12 earthquake rendered more than 1 million people homeless in the Caribbean nation. Many are eking out a meager existence, living in tents and underneath tarps.
The international charity World Vision has agreed to deliver the items donated by the Brooklyn authorities.
But there’s one catch: All brand identifiers like labels and logos will be removed in order to avoid trademark issues.
That left one New York blogger to ponder this, given one manufacturer’s penchant for outsized patterns and designs: What would even remain of a faux Ed Hardy shirt?
Belizean rapper Moses Leviy – also known as Jamal Shyne Barrow – today signed a multimillion dollar recording contract with Gangland Records, a subsidiary of Island/Def Jam. The signing took place this evening inside Shyne’s penthouse at the Renaissance Tower. The signatories were Shyne and L.A. Reid – the Chairman of Island Def Jam Records. It is big news not only because of the signing but also the presence of Reid. He is one of the most powerful music executives in the United States – having signed artists ranging from Mariah Carey to Outkast. Well today he signed Shyne. Keith Swift was at the airport and has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Island Def Jam boss L.A. Reid arrived at the Phillip Goldson International Airport at 4:20 this afternoon on his private jet. Reid, casually dressed in a jeans, was met by Shyne – dressed formally in a suit with bowtie and a matching hat. Reid says he came here for Shyne to sign on the dotted line of a multimillion dollar recording contract.
L.A. Reid, Chairman – Island Def Jam Records
“I have come here to stand by Shyne and to officially kick off our partnership with Island Def Jam Music Group and Gangland Records and so it is really an honour to be here, really very special place.”
Keith Swift,
“Why did you find it necessary to come here yourself?”
L.A. Reid,
“I am here because great people are worthy of travelling many many miles for it and I come here to say that your country is great and I hope you guys know that this is a great man from your country who deserves this kind of respect and who deserves this kind of support. So that is why we are here.”
Reid wouldn’t discuss particulars of Shyne’s contract with Gangland Records – reported to be worth US$5 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Affectionately known by his early supporters as the man behind the machines, Crown Prince has been working diligently in the shadows for over nine years, producing remixes for deejays, sound systems, mixtapes, and of course, the infamous Crown Prince riddim mixes, which all file-sharing and download junkies have collected for years. In 2003, after intense pressure from friends and family, Crown Prince decided to take his mixes live, and has never looked back. Playing in clubs and on stage shows around the world, Crown Prince brings his brand of quality music and vibrant live-show presence directly to the masses. His motto is, ‘A top DJ shoud specialize in good music for all people, mixed to absolute perfection.’ In keeping with his motto, Crown Prince’s original aim of fusing sounds to suit the masses continue today.
01-Protoje-Intro
02-Gyptian-Life Hard
03-Sanchez-That Place
04-Angel Doolas-Trickster
05-Akon-Right Now-A7 Remix
06-Jah Cure – Unconditional Love
07-Busy Signal-One More Night
08-Protoje-Arguments Intro
09-Protoje-Arguments
10-Jah Cure-Two Way Street
11-Jah Cure-Call On Me
12-Wayne Marshall-Good Love
13-Gyptian-Butterfly
14-Christopher Martin-Melody To My Song
15-Protoje-Spread Good Music
16-Jah Cure-Never Find
17-Alaine-With Out You
18-Tarrus Riley-Getty Getty No Want EE Read the rest of this entry »
