Tropical Paradise Ballroom will be opening its doors on Christmas Eve, Friday evening Dec. 24, for a complimentary Parang Party and Yule celebration.
A talent lineup that includes Poser, Singing Francine, Tunapuna Scanty and Super Rod is scheduled to perform, with deejays Madman Maddy and Kool Connections and MC Wassy.
Entrepreneur Dave Gayle, whose Tropical Paradise Ballroom and Tropical Paradise Restaurant have both become well regarded facilities in Brooklyn, believes it is as important for the community to see him as a caring, sensitive individual as it is for his enterprises to be known for the quality of product or service they provide.
“Being in business isn’t only about getting customers to purchase something,” Gayle said. “I think that getting support from your market carries with it an obligation to show your appreciation for that support on an ongoing basis. We’re always thinking of ways to let the folks know that we don’t take them for granted.”
It is that simple core conviction about how his business must be conducted that has led Gayle to regularly put on entertainment promotions with the express aim of giving something back to the public that sustains him.
This year’s Christmastime celebration will be maintaining a tradition begun after Tropical Paradise Restaurant opened nine years ago. Gayle soon organized a complimentary parang fiesta at the restaurant location, but this very quickly became inadequate for the crowd that gathered for the event. The celebration moved to Afrika House in 2005 for a couple of years and ultimately came home to the spanking new ballroom after it opened for business in 2008.
“We take the opportunity to celebrate local performers,” Gayle says, noting that because of this there could always be last-minute additions to the cast. The emphasis on having a parang flavor to the show stems from the popularity of this seasonal music, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago. “It’s a cultural treat that Trinidadians, as well as others, look forward to at this time of the year,” Gayle said.
Apart from the parang events, Gayle has organized other complimentary affairs, more so since, with the opening of the ballroom, there was now such a valuable in-house resource. “It’s a huge advantage to have an attractive venue like the ballroom at our disposal,” said Gayle. “We know that whenever folks show up there, whether for a free event or otherwise, it’s a first-rate facility that they are being exposed to. And we’re well aware of the possibilities this has for our business.”
But business prospects aside, Gayle said he gets a particular satisfaction from having people show up and enjoy themselves at one of these complimentary events which, for him, are very much a part of the ethical guidelines he set for himself once he opted to become a player in the business world. His last “give back” event was a post-summer party in October where, as usual, the hundreds who attended had a great time.
For the upcoming Christmas Eve bash, the ballroom’s doors will open at 9:00 p.m. Admission is via complimentary tickets, which are available at Tropical Paradise Restaurant (corner of Utica Avenue and Avenue D) and several other neighborhood outlets. Admission also includes complimentary buffet dinner. There will be a cash bar. Further information may be accessed at: 718-629-3500. Tropical Paradise Ballroom is located at 1367 Utica Avenue (between Foster Avenue and Farragut Road).
