The reality that the annual West Indian Day Carnival festivities may, by conservative estimates, generate over $200,000,000 million dollars to the New York city economy, while there is zero or negligible returns to and investment in the community has generated spirited debate across the When Steel Talks network and related social interactive sites. check out http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f6/carnival-200-000-000-00-new-york-city-economy-zero-return-200943/

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  • if we do not show respect for one another , why should other people show respect for our culture. brought upsy starts at home.
  • Do the WIADCA no that the landlord's overseeing Despers panyard are trying to evict them? This is a n insult. WIADCA
    should be leading the fight against this move.The bottom is , millions of dollars are simply being stolen right from under our
    eyes`. There is no other explanation. The community is definitly not seeing any of it. Why? Because there is no one to hold
    accountable. There is a case of passing the buck. No one no's anything. I also think that it about time for the pan-a-rama
    stage to be enlarged to accomadate the entire band including the bass players who usually wind up playing on the ground.
    I think the pan-a-rama should be moved back to were it was held in 2001, in cararsie. The musiem is to small and there
    is no were close to park without getting a ticket. Mr Lazima must be turning over in his grave.I still remember when Mr
    Carlos Lazima use to play and arrange dfor Steel bands here in Brooklyn along with carl dera and conrad Mougea.
    We use to practise in carlos's basement on st Johns place. R I P Tommy Warren, Phil ( Polly the barber) Prince Bailey,
    gabrial, Rudy King, Etc. Tahzann!
    • WIADCA, needs to address all of the difficulties that our Culturall activites are having for the Labor Day celebrations. The time alloted to us on LD that was cut off due to mishaps of violence.The agument should of been that there are incidents at every celebrations, where there is over millions of people getting together. Trinidadians play Mas and is very few of us, go on Eastern Parkway with a gun in our pocket or waist band, we go to make merry and meet friends/family. The argument that the Jewish population, feels that we are disturbing them after 6pm, is STUPID. Then, having so much police presence involved in the mas, is so wrong. You have a Costume and get off to go to the bathroom along the way and you are dressed in a bathsuit and the Police refuses to have you go back into your band. They block off the street, citing crowd control and how is someone in a costume, considered, "crowd control." Then there is the closing down of the Mas, Calypso Tents or Steelpan practice venues. Yes, there should be congtrol if these places were in some residential area but most of them is in some back industrial area, where no one, with no business would frequent.
      Mr. Lazama's family runs most part of the organization but there is something lagging, for all appearance, it seems, that you have to be born in Trinidad to have that gut feeling about the culture and not a Decendant.. It is just about the money because most of it is not being passed over to the advancement of the culture and it's people. Stop Bi-Partisism and think about developing the culture that is slowly dying. The Police should be involved but why not at the start of the parade, the end and at the entry points, work with organizers and citizens and maybe we all would love up and respect each other. Most of these incidents are coming from other cultures mixing with Trinidadian culture because they don' t really know the meaning behind our idea of what "having a good time", really means.
  • Today's CaribbeanWorldNews also says the city gains $200,000,000 from carnival.

    "Governor Patterson yesterday pledged a $250,00 contribution from the state to offset expenses for this year`s carnival, which draws over three million people annually to Brooklyn`s Eastern Parkway."

    http://www.caribbeanworldnews.com/middle_top_news_detail.php?mid=2438
  • I'm not sure the argument should be framed this way. I think that, as a unique immigrant population that we have the right to celebrate our culture, etc. as do many others. We celebrate that on Labor Day with the "West Indian American Labor Day Parade". I think its time that we begin to see ourselves for what we are: West Indians in the United States of America, and take our place among the many other immigrant populations that exist here. We should expect nothing from anyone but instead demand what is ours based on our positive contributions (which are numerous) to this country that we all call our home.
  • We Caribbean people must speak out and with the promoters of this event. If there are Caribbean business persons they should be involved wholeheartedly for their people. Do not accept distractions and excuses to attaining this Arts Centre. Only we can fight for our culture. Only we can make the difference. Its our stake! Lets claim it.
  • Its about time we stand up for the benifits of our culture. This is happening all over the world. Wish you`ll the best and keep on fighting.
  • This post out all the others sort of sums it up for me

    Dimes2020 says
    "There has not been any progress. WIADCA has been one of the biggest failures in the history of America. Anyone who or anything that has a monopoly on something that generates millions of people's interest and involvement should a billionaire - and a fortune 500 company. WIADCA doesn't even advertise. People just show up.

    We need to start naming names so that there can be public history of who screwed up. WIADCA needs to be investigated. If this was China, ya'll know what would have happened to the WIADCA officials. LOL"
  • They have collected so much money at our expense and yet still the Carnival Committee is making a lot of comprimise,and consession, which have brought us to the stage were we are looking as beggers for our culture. There are no proper places or time for practices. The Music should be show cased as a enjoyable instrument with a history behind it. These factors are having adverse effects on the quality of our steelpan music. All these carnival organizations are showing no backbone and is not standing up to the power that be. It is time to show that our Culture and Music is a class act and should be treated as such. The Pannist and steelpan is still being treated as though it is some back ally instrument. It is time to really give the Steepan the accolades and credit it deserves as being the only instrument to be produced in the 21st Century.
    • We have to reexamine the lessons of history. Mas and pan came out of struggles to destroy African peoples in trinidad and Tobago's culture (particularly in Trinidad). The creative genniuseses who bypassed regulations and fought serious violent battles have brought the creativity to new leves. I totally agree that our contributions year-in year-out have been exploited by the state and some of our organisations are implicated due to various factors. But, in the end, we have been the total losers. The economics (social and financial) has to be studied. buzztobago@yahoo.co.uk.
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