Broward/Fort Lauderdale Carnival
Just got back from this South Florida lyme. Had a great 3 days away from my real world. Guess what? Had to take the dawg....as far as Orlando to stay with in-laws so as to avoid wasting good carnival dollars on boarding fees. De ting is like another dyam picknee! What has life come to?!?
Anyway lets get back on de Soca track. I used to frequently support the actual Miami Carnival back in the 90's, taking the nine hour drive down faithfully every year from the Atl. But I had to go and marry a 100% Soca-dissing Jamaican woman who migrated from the island just before the Jamaica Carinval really got off and running, leaving her with no real appreciation of the other major force of music that we West Indians have birthed and nurtured over the years. It was hard to persuade her that it was a trip worth making. Fortunately for me I grew up fairly close to the UWI campus at Mona so the whole Ring Road jump up ting was always an annual event I grew to appreciate and love over the years. Not to mention the few trips to T&T every now and then to tek in de real ting! Once you go to T&T and experience that there is no looking back, you are hooked, period, end of all resistance.
Okay, back on track again...the wife and I, (still can't figure out what made her want to make the trip this time), took the drive down, dropped off the dependent baggage in Orlando, and headed south for some fun. Why the Broward and not the Miami? Well these North American carnivals are all born in the actual downtown areas of their host cities, and as the years go by and they begin to grow in magnitude (along with the "noise" and garbage, etc). They eventually fall victim to tougher restrictions from city officials that are basically trying to protect the cities image externally. The usual case is 15 to 20 years ago they thought they were just getting a colourful exotic parade with the occasional noisy float and a few "rowdy" guys having a good time. But in a few years that quickly morphs into a real bachanal jam, leaving blue-blooded American officials muttering "Who the hell let so many of these people in the country anyway? This wasn't what we signed up for!". The result: a carnival, quite crowded, but also leashed and muzzled by too many roving cops and very limited noise ordinances, etc. Net result: It splinters off to the suburbs where West Indians have grown in political and social influence, yes, where wi a run tings now! As with South Florida it is not long before prodigal carnival out in the suburbs actually fast becomes the sweeter lyme; more ethnic respect from law enforcement and politicians goes a long way. The economic injection of literally millions of dollars over a few days doesn't hurt either.
Anyway, went to a couple fetes, went to the street & park thing on Sunday, had a GREAT time. Hats off to the Broward Carnival Committee for a great 2005 production, top notch! Incident free, unlike its Miami sister. This is the one to attend folks, not too small and not yet too big, in clean civilized Fort Lauderdale.
And guess what? The wife that hated Soca was humming all the 2005 soca hits during the nine hours back to Atlanta, and planning for 2006!
Anyway lets get back on de Soca track. I used to frequently support the actual Miami Carnival back in the 90's, taking the nine hour drive down faithfully every year from the Atl. But I had to go and marry a 100% Soca-dissing Jamaican woman who migrated from the island just before the Jamaica Carinval really got off and running, leaving her with no real appreciation of the other major force of music that we West Indians have birthed and nurtured over the years. It was hard to persuade her that it was a trip worth making. Fortunately for me I grew up fairly close to the UWI campus at Mona so the whole Ring Road jump up ting was always an annual event I grew to appreciate and love over the years. Not to mention the few trips to T&T every now and then to tek in de real ting! Once you go to T&T and experience that there is no looking back, you are hooked, period, end of all resistance.
Okay, back on track again...the wife and I, (still can't figure out what made her want to make the trip this time), took the drive down, dropped off the dependent baggage in Orlando, and headed south for some fun. Why the Broward and not the Miami? Well these North American carnivals are all born in the actual downtown areas of their host cities, and as the years go by and they begin to grow in magnitude (along with the "noise" and garbage, etc). They eventually fall victim to tougher restrictions from city officials that are basically trying to protect the cities image externally. The usual case is 15 to 20 years ago they thought they were just getting a colourful exotic parade with the occasional noisy float and a few "rowdy" guys having a good time. But in a few years that quickly morphs into a real bachanal jam, leaving blue-blooded American officials muttering "Who the hell let so many of these people in the country anyway? This wasn't what we signed up for!". The result: a carnival, quite crowded, but also leashed and muzzled by too many roving cops and very limited noise ordinances, etc. Net result: It splinters off to the suburbs where West Indians have grown in political and social influence, yes, where wi a run tings now! As with South Florida it is not long before prodigal carnival out in the suburbs actually fast becomes the sweeter lyme; more ethnic respect from law enforcement and politicians goes a long way. The economic injection of literally millions of dollars over a few days doesn't hurt either.
Anyway, went to a couple fetes, went to the street & park thing on Sunday, had a GREAT time. Hats off to the Broward Carnival Committee for a great 2005 production, top notch! Incident free, unlike its Miami sister. This is the one to attend folks, not too small and not yet too big, in clean civilized Fort Lauderdale.
And guess what? The wife that hated Soca was humming all the 2005 soca hits during the nine hours back to Atlanta, and planning for 2006!
posted by De Immigrant at
9:45 PM
3 Comments:
Weh di pics dem deh?
Jus' hold tight Stunner pics soon come! Shot a lot of video though. Yu Wan' si young gyal & old Momma a wine!!
Good for you... I want to make that move next year, so I will definitely give thought to the Ft. Lauderdale vs. Miami thing.
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