Review: 2008 Miami Carnival

Every year caribbeanites from all corners of the United States and parts of the Caribbean gather in Miami, Florida for the annual Caribbean carnival celebrations. It is a time to relax, unwind and get on bad to the latest Soca tunes from top performing Soca artists. Moreover, it is a time of rejuvenation and camaraderie for caribbeanites that have made the United States their permanent home.

The annual parade that took place on October 13th was no different from those of years gone by except for the fact that instead having one grand celebration in Miami as usual, there were two; the other which took place in Broward County, Fort Lauderdale i am not privileged to speak of since I was present in Miami. Nevertheless, the celebrations in Miami which culminated in Bicentennial Park was attended by quite a large number of party animals, many of which were dressed in costumes representing the unique regions of the Caribbean.

As the afternoon at Bicentennial Park progressed, the air became saturated with the voice of one people. I felt as if we were scribing an additional chapter in our history as Caribbeanites in our adopted home. We were all bonded by the sounds that I identify us and unite us as people from the Caribbean no matter what part of North America we call home

The celebration at Bicentennial Park I must say was a success, except for the fact that the actual route of the parade was not disclosed on the official Miami Carnival website, which made it a bit confusing to locate the parade and bifurcation of the celebrations which I think needs to be held at a single location, thus embracing unity and ideal of One Caribbean.