Tropicalfete, last Sunday, for the third year in a row, brought the colorful spirit of the West Indies to the cross-roads of the world, putting thousands of on-lookers, many nationals, into a screaming frenzy at its Pop-Up Caribbean Carnival in Times Square, on Broadway, between W46th & W47th avenues.
Alton Aimable, founder, and president of the non-profit, that promote culture as a tool for social transformation, brought popular Trinidad Soca crowd pleaser Lyrikal to the stage for rousing performance of hits, “Happy Place,” “Fete Cyah Over,” among others.
The artist revved up the crowd by saying, “put your hands in the air,” “we doing it for the culture,” “wave every flag,” “Soca in Times Square, ‘leh’ we show the world what we got,” he yelled, during an exuberant performance. The engaging performer then brought little Mia Braithwaite on stage to sing along, before autographing a Happy Place Tee shirt.
The carnival explosion, a spirited blend of music, dance, creativity, and the rich traditions of the islands, was powered by beloved Vibesman Redman, and the Vibes Unit, who spun the music of Machel Montano, and other artists to keep the crowd lively.
The presentation also gave revelers a sneak-peek of what to expect on Eastern Parkway, soon to become a Caribbean utopia.
Costume clad masqueraders displayed extraordinary and beautiful creations. From Tropicalfete, Mangotree Production, Antione International, Big Guy Production, Suga Candy Mas, to King Jab J’ouvert, and others, the spectacle was thrilling.
The visiting Tobago Alpha Dance Academy performed three engaging choreographies, while Tropicalfete Steel Pan Ensemble kept the audience entertained with popular hits during the celebration.
Aimable was also thrilled to present the Tropicalfete Moko Jumbies stilt dancers whose amazing skillful artistry is a delight to watch, as seen in the colorful finale.
He told Caribbean Life that Tropicalfete was trying to open new doors and has much more planned to showcase the Caribbean culture to the world.
“We will be bringing a taste of our culture, in-studio at Fox 5 TV this Friday,” Aimable shared.
The epic carnival celebration in the heartbeat of New York, is a stirring accomplishment for Tropicalfete, whose programs help to develop the community in arts and social services with the focus on educating the community on Caribbean culture.
To learn more about programs offered by the non-profit, go to tropicalfete.com, or call 646-504-3383.
