A WST Opinion
Here is a reality check on what the New York steelband franchises are up against.
After years of poor, vision-less, spineless and/or corrupt leadership - particularly in the NY Caribbean communities the great steel orchestras of Brooklyn, New York find themselves between a rock and certain death. It is ironic, sad and laughable (if it wasn't so sick) that while it is true that the NY Caribbean community has consistently attracted millions of people annually to its Eastern Parkway Labor Day Carnival/Parade in addition to generating hundreds of millions of dollars for the city (in one day), in actuality the community at large has nothing to show for it.
The parade dwarfs the iconic 1963 'March on Washington' which reports the number of participants to be somewhere around 200,000 to 300,000 people. But 50 years later and the celebration of that march we can still see how and what was accomplished by the leveraging of the leadership of the March on Washington (as eroded, battered and bruised as it might be). Not so the Caribbean parade, and one held on an annual basis.
And sadly, no such comparisons - morally, economically, culturally, spiritually, educationally and/or socially can be made for the past leadership of the NY Carnival related-matters. Furthermore, history will not be kind to them as more fact-checking is done - moreover, they will not be here to write it.
In an interview with WST, the iconic Rudolph King lamented how nothing had changed in the many decades that had passed (at that time four) since he first introduced Pan to America. He said the very first NY Panorama (which he performed in by the way) was held at the back of the Brooklyn Museum and, sadly, the last one he performed in, more than forty years later - was also held at the back of the museum. And now, so was the 2013 Panorama; it was also held there.
There is no doubt that mayor Bloomberg is a very mean monster. And NYPD (New York Police Department), getting its directives from that mean monster, is as hostile as it can be to the survival of the steelpan music art form in New York and the culture of Pan. After all it was only a couple of years ago when esteemed members of the NYPD were on facebook and suggested that a bomb literally be dropped on the Labor Day Carnival Parade to wipe out all the participants.
Mean monster mayors and hostile police departments are nothing new in the history of America or New York for that matter. Just ask those 1963 marchers on Washington. What is reprehensible is the behavior and mindset of the leaders of the NY Caribbean Carnival related-matters as they interacted with these monsters.
It is a ludicrous joke that the borough president of Brooklyn - Marty Markowitz, is an honorary Trinidadian (Trinidad the land of the birth of the steelpan instrument). We are not sure who are the idiots who set that up. But given the dire situation pan in NY finds itself in, and in the issue of time, we will leave that one alone for now.
Can you imagine what George Steinbrenner the late Yankee owner would have done if he could guarantee a million people to show up anywhere in NY for a single purpose - while generating hundreds of millions of dollars for the city in few hours? Can someone say: 'gold-covered 'panyards? Caribbean Stadiums one, two and three...
Check the potential to what was actually accomplished [or not] for the people and community who annually are responsible re: the steelband art form and mas craftsmen for the Parade and week of lead-up activities. Check this against those who actually benefited, and into whose pockets and coffers the monies go - and history has and will show, that the past leadership and handlers of the NY Carnival related-matters presided over one of the most failed institutions in the history of America. And inexplicably the New York pan community has hitched their fortunes and continue to do so, to these organizers.
So, who is responsible?
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Replies
The division between the two NY Pan organizations is in part responsible for this horrible situation. They have been so focused on in-fighting that they've totally lost sight of the mission. 2013 presented one of the greatest opportunities for Pan Players and Mas Camps to say to the politicians, what's your vision for this culture? What do you have to offer for our vote? Then make additional demands in order to secure that voting block, especially since the Labor Day festivities have been generating $1 billion annually, and drawing an average of 3 million people annually. If these politicians did not satisfy the Pan Players and Mas Camps, then both of these entities should have identified and run their own candidates in all races. Victory by some, if not all of these candidates, would have sent a very strong message to the City, State, and Nation political elite. That the especially English speaking Caribbean Community is a political force to be respected, and therefore must be negotiated with to secure this voting block. The very fact that Pan Yards are probably the biggest after school musical program in the City, and possibly the State, should have presented yet another negotiating opportunity to demand providing adequate in-door, year round, entertainment facilities, working in conjunction with the Mas Camps in developing the goal of becoming major tourist attractions to this great metropolis. WIADCA's role in this also needs to be scrutinized, but that's a discussion for another time.
My comment / question is not directed at anyone, it is just a question that I have been asking for the past thirty years. WHY IS THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY SO DETERMINED TO HAVE CARNIVALS ON THE STREET IN NON CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES?
My thoughts:
1) Our artisans, craftsmen, musicians do not make any money relative to the time, effort and finances invested.
2) We are treated like unwanted step-children.
3) The city and others make BANK on our creativity, sweat and ingenuity.
4) We are constantly harassed by the authorities.
So, why then do we continue? To me carnival is our thing. If the world wants to see this spectacle, then they should buy a plane ticket, come to the Caribbean and put some money into OUR economy.
I am not suggesting not having carnival when we go abroad. What I am suggesting is bringing it in-doors. Carnival needs to be in a stadium where we can control the admissions and or concessions. Most stadiums sit idle when the sport season is over. Management bend over backwards making concessions to bring events into these venues. All it takes is negotiations. Bringing carnival indoors would be a definite game changer. Take a look at what Circus Soliel did. They took the circus out of the Big Top Tent, put it into performing arts centers and stadiums and made BANK. A Caribbean Carnival can kick their behinds any day. JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
You are correct Foy. I can remember when way back in the eary 1930's when there was only a hand full of Trinidadians in New York. we used to celebrate Carnival indoors in such places as The Park Palace on 110th Street, Rockland palace, The Diplomat Hotel, The Audobon, Manhattan Center,etc. back then all participants made money. There were no fights, no interlopers invading within the costumed bands. Pan players use to have to run and hide when the union delegate arrived on the scene because the only pan player to have a union card was mr rudolf King, who incidently fought the union local 802 and won.the fight for steel drums to be accepted as musical instruments along with my friend Carl Dera.If I ever strike rich I plan on building what I will call pan City Downtown
where Fulton Street begins in the abandoned section below fulton street. Tahzann!
This is the same story of all WI communities (Trinidad, London, Toronto, Miami, etc). We all believe that we can blame the local government for dismissal of our treasured culture. Guess what? If we really believe that there is so much economic value to these local government and communities, then let us prove it. Dangle the carrot without letting it go (hold a boycott) to demonstrate the economic hurt to the beneficiaries. Or, is it too hard for us to forgo the event to gain long-term benefit. If it means so much to them, don't you think you would have them at your knees. Otherwise, this benefit is all in our heads, and may not hold the economic value we put on it. The perceived value of an organization (not the event) is largely based on the leadership to convince their shareholders to invest in it and to demonstrate that they can deliver their products which result in a good return.
The answers are in your hands. There will be a change of mayor soon; take advantage; lobby lobby lobby; (notice no commas, that means no pauses); meet with the NYPD hierarchy (they are political too); recruit recruit recruit from the Caribbean and other sympathetic communities; form a think tank of Caribbean scholars and activists to research and prepare documentation on the value of the movement to the entire NY community; even stage a calypso contest on the theme; encourage journalists to cover the issue in all relevant media.
Hear, hear.
Well said, Kevin
Our communities STILL do not appreciate the power of political advocacy.
How many steelbands own the land that they now occupy ? real estate is not cheep in NY so it's only a matter of time before the people that own these properties take back their land leaving the steelbands homeless.
Cecil
the price of land is not the problem. New York's Carnival makes more than enough money for the city to have land set aside specifically for the bands. This is done routinely with all sorts of concessions and perks for other communities and business entities who contribute far less to the economic welfare of the city. This article hits the nail on the head, this is about the ineptness and corruption of the WIADCA leadership. They betrayed the West Indian community.
bugs
Bug what you say is true. There is a building on church and bedford I want to believe, for years I would say that would be the ideal place for bands to look into purchasing and making a place where every band has a practice room and another are set up for band events like they do when they rent wingate and other places.
Bugs, We always had a lot of smartmen and not enough smart men to confront the City of New York.