Allison Park Photo
“Contestant Number One!” the emcee shouted to a sea of cheering faces.
The ultimate dance-off had just begun.
The dance-off took place Sunday amid a celebratory day of Caribbean food, music, and friends at Goffe Street Park, all part of the fifth annual New Haven Caribbean Heritage Festival.
St. Luke’s Steel Band performs at the festival.
Timed for June’s National Caribbean American Heritage Month, a festival filled the air for blocks around with the pleasantly smoky aroma of Caribbean-style jerk chicken and the tropical twang of marimbas luring visitors to the park.
The event attracted the most attendees in the last five years, with children eating a buffet of Caribbean style jerk chicken with rice and beans, while others proudly donned decorative costumes and T‑shirts from their respective home countries.
“We do it because of the culture,” said Paula Ferguson, a member of the 2018 planning committee. Originally from Grenada, Ferguson summed up the feeling of fellowship that afternoon with one phrase: “water divides us, but culture connects us.”
The connection was palpable on the stage as seven contestants from different parts of the world danced their hearts out on stage to 30-second riffs by DJ Fire. The contestants were asked to introduce themselves and represented their home countries of Jamaica, Guyana, England, and Germany, just to name a few.
Karaine Holness.
Founder of NHCHF and Jamaica-born representative Karaine Holness laughed and chatted amongst the audience watching the intense dancing competition ensuing on the main stage, many of whom were “loyal” attendees she recognized from previous years.
“Contestant Number Four … please step forward!” shouted emcee Andrew Braata Clarke of Braata Production into the microphone to an eruption of applause and cheers from the audience. The young and old enjoyed the friendly competition and found themselves brushing shoulders with people they hadn’t known prior to the afternoon.
Edmonds and Ferguson.
Member of the planning committee Shermaine Edmonds said she wants the festival to “bring people out here” and give Caribbean residents an opportunity to connect with each other, as well as inform “non-Caribbean folks” of the cohesive culture. It “keep[s] our culture going,” she said. “You don’t hear too much reggae and calypso [in New Haven],” Ferguson added.
The event drew a diverse crowd, with the food options catering towards more selective palates to ensure nobody felt left out. The vegan plate, filled to the brim with curried chickpeas, seasoned cabbage, and jerk tofu on a lofty bed of rice and beans, was a hit and appealed to even the most apprehensive of eaters.
The perimeter of the field was lined with 20-some booths from local Caribbean small businesses, featuring food trucks, African skin and hair products, caps, flags, and colorful dresses.
The dancers on stage were now down to the last two performers, with a fierce dance-off between. In the end, the emcee announced that both finalists would be crowned winners, showing the collaborative nature of the entire celebration — they’re all in for the fun together.