Creole Jam’s Haitian-born creative and executive director Rose Guerrier says the New York-based group is looking to showcase and clear up misconceptions about Haitian culture during the American Indian West Carnival Parade on Monday’s Labor Day . Day, in Brooklyn’s East Park.
Labor Day is a public holiday in the United States.
“The message we want is to show Haiti and its history,” Guerrier told Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) ahead of the seven-hour show, adding “we want to show Haiti and its liberation and we liberated a lot.
“This is the first time the Haitian community will see their culture displayed in such a way, with authentic costumes and music of our culture,” she said, adding that all masqueraders will follow a choreographed routine.
“This is the first time we will portray our story on the Parkway. Our goal is to showcase our culture and create community unity. We want to raise the culture, raise the morale of the community, because of the many traumas we have gone through.
“We want to put a smile on the faces of the Haitian people and on the faces of our brothers and sisters from Africa to the Caribbean,” he said, adding that. The Creole Jam will consist of four sections, with approximately 50 masquerades.
Guerrier said Erol Josue, director of ethnology in Haiti, has traveled from the French Caribbean island to help with the production.
“As soon as he found out what I’m doing, he came from Haiti and brought costumes. And we made him the first ambassador of Creole Jam culture for 2022.”
Brooklyn resident Jocelyn Gay, a member of Voix et Tambours & Haiti, Inc. (Voices and Drums of Haiti) based in Brooklyn, said she is “ecstatic” to be a part of Creole Jam.
“That’s what I do,” she said, referring to performing arts. “This is my life. It has always been my dream to share my culture with the rest of the world,” added the retired social worker.
Guerrier said she was very grateful to Grenadian Derek Noel for giving the group the space in his business to develop its mass camp.
“Derek has been a very good friend and he has given me the space to show unity,” she said.
The Carnival Parade is the culmination of the five-day carnival that began last Thursday on the grounds of the Brooklyn Museum, where all carnival events took place except Monday’s parade.
The New York-based West American Indian Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), organizer of the Brooklyn Caribbean Carnival, is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the New York Carnival.
“Rules of the road are safety first, only costumes and culture,” WIADCA said in a statement. “This year our return to the park (Eastern Parkway) inspires us to continue the cultural work on behalf of the community, the city, the state and our partners,” said Guyanese-born WIADCA Chair Michelle Gibbs-Francis. “Without them, especially the mas and pan groups, we would not be here today.
“Our losses were severe, but we stood stronger together to overcome them by providing for others and producing some impactful programs in the community for youth, adults and seniors. In terms of our protocols for COVID, we have some guidelines in place to verify vaccination and temperature checks.”
