Image Not Available

Performers at Taste of the Caribbean & Jerk Festival, 2010

PerformerPerformed by Mellissa Craig

PerformerPerformed by Hartford Steel Symphony (established 1989)

Date2010 August

Mediumborn digital video

DimensionsDuration: 2 Minutes, 29 Seconds

ClassificationsGraphics

Credit LineConnecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program collections

CopyrightIn Copyright

Object number2015.196.656

DescriptionVideo of performances by Moko Jumbie stilt walker, Mellissa Craig, and the Hartford Steel Symphony at the Taste of the Caribbean & Jerk Festival in August 2010.

NotesSubject Note: A significant wave of West Indian immigration to the United States began in the 1940s. Many settled in the Hartford area because the labor shortage of World War II meant there were available jobs in the tobacco fields along the Connecticut River Valley. Men worked in the fields while women often found work as housekeepers, teachers, nurses, and aides. Local organizations helped transition new immigrants to Connecticut culture and offered friendship, housing, economic opportunities, and community connections. Today, Connecticut’s West Indian community includes immigrants from all the islands in the Caribbean. They have established significant sports, cultural, and social clubs, dance and music groups, and produce an annual week-long festival that attracts audiences from all over the Northeast. With Greater Hartford now being home to the third largest West Indian community in the nation, beloved traditions like Carnival have been transplanted and sustained here.

In 1962, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago claimed their Independence from Great Britain. Since that year, the West Indian Parade and Independence Celebration has been a highlight of Hartford’s summer activities. The week of activities includes many events taking place at the different island clubs around Hartford, and features headlining musicians who perform at the West Indian Social Club. The celebration concludes with a parade and festival in Hartford featuring floats, steel band performances, and masqueraders displaying brilliant costumes.

The Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival began as a single evening event and expanded into a day-long festival held since 2006 at the Riverfront Plaza at the beginning of Celebration Week. Billed as a “One day festival of Caribbean food, culture, music, games, traditions” the festival includes local and visiting performers, food vendors from a variety of Caribbean cultures, information booths, arts and crafts vendors, local and visiting dance groups, and in 2009 a group of masqueraders organized by Junior Miller and Harold Springer of CICCA, the Caribbean International Cultural Carnival Association. They were not able to fund the masqueraders in 2010. Starting in 2011, CICCA and CCHAP, the Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program, presented a procession of costumed Mas dancers from their Mas Camp program, enlivening the festival each year until 2020.

The Hartford celebration is based on Carnival, a pre-Lenten celebration of spring and renewal in the islands, especially Trinidad. Masquerading, or playing Mas is an essential part of Carnival. Mas represents a theatrical adoption and presentation of roles and characters that originally expressed mockery of upper classes. Colorful, often spectacular costumes designed by traditional Mas artists depict fanciful themes or current issues. Gossamer fabrics, plumes and feathers, sequins and gems used in previous years are recycled to express the new year’s themes. During Carnival parades, groups of masqueraders form bands and dance to calypso or soca music. As West Indians have spread out from the islands, Carnival has been transplanted to cities around the world during different times of the year. Mas and Carnival serve as central expressions of Caribbean cultural identity and heritage.

Biographical Note: Established in 1989, Hartford Steel Symphony (HSS) has been providing musical enjoyment around the New England area for many years. HSS performs traditional Trinidadian steel pan music in genres such as Soca, Calypso, Reggae, Pop, Classical, Gospel and Jazz; all with an island rhythm. The band is comprised of members that have all competed in several years of steel band competitions and musical extravaganzas. With these countless performances, the band has continually finished at the top of the competition. Besides competitive playing, the band has played with celebrity figures including Bernadette Peters and Audrey Hepburn at several charity, personal, and independent events. The band has also performed with other musical leaders such as The Hartford Symphony Orchestra as well as one of steels bands’ greatest pianists, Len 'Boogsie' Sharp. In addition, HSS has provided community entertainment by participating in statewide parades and events such as Hartford First Night, UCONN championship recognition parades, and various town music festivals. On a smaller scale, the band has provided private entertainment for many graduation parties, school assemblies, wedding receptions, luaus, and other private events. On a more personal level and staying in touch with their historical roots, HSS proudly participates in the annual Taste of the Caribbean and many West Indian celebrations including the annual Independence Day Parade every August during the summer months. The band performs under the musical direction of Kelvin Griffith who also makes many of their steel pans. Anitra Orie is the HSS manager. The group numbers from 6-12, all playing steel pan, plus one kit drum player. HSS played for many of Mas Camp’s graduation and exhibit opening events at the Institute for Community Research and at outdoor concerts at the Connecticut Historical Society.

Biographical Note: Mellissa Craig is a long-time dance educator and performer based in Hartford. She has taught and danced with Sankofa Kuumba Dance Collective, Cultural Dance Troupe of the West Indies, is Principal Dancer and Founding Member at Island Reflections Dance Theatre Company, Ensemble Member at Justice Dance Performance Project, Inc., Arts Instructor at Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and a performer with FriendzWorldMusic. Mellissa is an experienced stilt walker and participates as Moko Jumbie for many West Indian events including the Taste of the Caribbean Festival. She carried the Queen costume for the Mas Camp Exotic One’s Band in 2014.

Additional audio, video, and/or photographic materials exist in the archive relating to this community and these events.

Cataloging Note: This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-245929-OMS-20.

Status

Not on view