2013 West Indian American Day Carnival Parade Highlights | New York
New York West Indian Day Carnival 2013 Highlights
Julianspromos was on the road in Brooklyn for the 2013 West Indian American Day Carnival, capturing the Soca, costumes and Caribbean energy of New York City’s annual Labor Day celebration.
The 46th annual parade took place on Monday, September 2, 2013, as masquerade bands, musicians and revelers transformed Eastern Parkway into a celebration of Caribbean music, culture and national pride.
For the 2013 road experience, Julianspromos joined Sesame Flyers International for its presentation “Vogue.” Original video coverage was shot and edited by Julian Hackett, with Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and Marsha on the mic, bringing viewers directly into the Carnival experience.
On the Road With Sesame Flyers
Sesame Flyers brought its Vogue presentation to Eastern Parkway during an important year in the organization’s history.
Founded in 1983, Sesame Flyers was celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2013 and had become known both for its large Carnival presentations and for its year-round community work in Brooklyn.
The 2013 theme combined traditional mas with the visual language of runway fashion, using Carnival pageantry to introduce another generation of masqueraders to the culture and storytelling behind Caribbean mas.
With Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and Marsha on mic and Julian behind the camera, Julianspromos documented the presentation from inside the road experience.
Vogue: Mas Meets Fashion
The concept behind Vogue drew a connection between Carnival and fashion, presenting costumes with a strong emphasis on style, visual impact and runway-inspired presentation.
Sesame Flyers entered the 2013 Labor Day Carnival with a long history on Eastern Parkway and a reputation for large bands accompanied by Soca, Calypso and its own steel orchestra.
The band ultimately finished second in the Adult Large Band of the Year competition during the 2013 Carnival season, adding another achievement to its long record of participation in New York Carnival.
The Sound of Eastern Parkway
The original Julianspromos video also preserves a snapshot of the Soca driving the road during the 2013 season.
The soundtrack includes music from Biggie Irie, Machel Montano, Kerwin Du Bois, GBM Nutron, Kes, Lil Rick, Patrice Roberts, Bunji Garlin, Benjai, Alison Hinds, Destra Garcia, Blaxx and others.
Songs heard throughout the footage include “Ah Riddim,” “Fog,” “Possessed,” “Bubblin,” “Thief Ah Wine,” “Go Dung,” “Monster Wine,” “A Little Wine,” “AOA,” “Vikings,” “Float,” “Illegal,” “Witch Doctor,” “Togetherness” and “It’s Carnival.”
The music provides a time capsule of the Soca that was moving Eastern Parkway during the 2013 Carnival season.
West Indian Carnival in Brooklyn
The West Indian American Day Carnival has been one of New York City’s largest annual celebrations of Caribbean culture for decades.
Despite periods of stormy weather during the 2013 parade, masqueraders continued along Eastern Parkway as crowds gathered to experience colorful costumes, Caribbean food, music and flags representing nations throughout the region.
The parade formed the centerpiece of a wider Labor Day weekend of Carnival activities that included children’s mas, Panorama, live performances and Dimanche Gras.
An Early Chapter in Julianspromos Multimedia
New York Carnival 2013 came during a period when Julianspromos was increasingly expanding beyond digital music promotion into original artist interviews, event coverage and Caribbean multimedia.
With Julian Hackett producing the video coverage and Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson helping bring viewers onto the road, the Sesame Flyers footage reflects the on-location style that was becoming an important part of Julianspromos’ identity.
That multimedia presence continued expanding through 2014 and eventually developed into the company’s formal international Multimedia Carnival Tour in 2015.
From the Julianspromos Archives
New York West Indian Day Carnival 2013 Highlights is preserved as part of the Julianspromos Archives, documenting years of original Soca, Carnival, artist performances and Caribbean entertainment coverage.
Explore more original Carnival footage, interviews and cultural moments from throughout the history of Julianspromos.
