Saint Lucia Carnival Launch NYC 2011

After a successful 2010 Launch in NYC,The St. Lucia International Carnival Committee in NYC is ready for yet another official launch of St. Lucia

Carnival 2011 in New York City. It will take place on May 22nd at Nazareth Hall – 475 E58th Street, bet Clarendon Rd Ave D.

Carnival is one of two major festivals in St. Lucia – the other is Saint Lucia Jazz  with a series of headliners including  John legend and Trey Songz. A highly traditional event, Carnival festivities usually includes competitions and performances by masquerade bands, calypso, soca singers and steel bands.

The highlight of the celebration takes place, usually during the third week in July when Pan-yards are full of practicing steel-band performers, mas

camps are teeming with costumes and late night workers and Calypsonians and Soca artistes are putting the finishing touches on their original

masterpieces.

During the height of the Carnival fever, competitions for soca and calypso monarch gets under way and masquerade bands competing for king and queen

of the bands are just about ready to unveil their big costumes. From Saturday evening to Tuesday night in the final week leading into Carnival – the

city of Castries transforms into a large street party scene.

From Mass on the Square during the final week – a free event that takes place in the heart of Castries with food, drink, music and costumes we head

into Colour Me Red on Wednesday. Panorama – the steel bands competition and Outrageous Sexy in Black on Friday.

Saturday night is usually the finals of the Calypso Monarch competition. This event is followed by the King and Queen of the masquerade bands

competition and, the Caribbean Soca Monarch on Sunday where other islands do battle with Saint Lucia’s top soca guns – represented here are usually

islands like Trinidad, Grenada and Saint Vincent.

Right after the competition comes band fetes and J’ouvert where revelers take to the streets from 4 until 9AM behind steel pan and music trucks. The

J’ouvert street jump up is an affair of loud pulsating soca and calypso music and dancing in the streets of Castries. Revellers are free to wear

whatever they wish while others join J’Ouvert bands that compete for top prize.

After resting for a few hours – Monday afternoon from around 12:30 – the Parade of the Bands begins. Masquerade bands head through the streets of

Castries to be judged for the most colorful and artistic portrayals. The Monday night jump up continues into Tuesday where bands are judged the final

time for numerous prizes including the coveted Band of the Year title. It is the also the final time for the Ole Mas revelers – people dressed in

original costumes that depict a theme usually in something that was big in the news for the past year.

Soca and calypso music is unique to Caribbean culture and history. The lyrics and musical rhythms illustrate the history and culture of a people.

Saint Lucian soca artists use their cultural heritage in their musical compilations regularly. The St. Lucia International Carnival Committee is

thrilled and honored to bring the excitement not only to St Lucians living in New York but to all New Yorkers. St. Lucia Carnival is said to be one

of the best in the Caribbean and we want to give you a taste of what that means.

The launch of Saint Lucia Carnival in New York will feature 2011 portrayals from several Saint Lucian Carnival Bands including Mas Action, XS Energy,

Rituals, Red Unlimited and Just 4 fun. Also down to perform Cherry L,Teddy-son John and others.
The future of St. Lucia Carnival is important to us and as members of the St. Lucia Carnival Committee – we intend to introduce St. Lucia Carnival to

all Carnival Cities in the United States.

Marketing and PR Director, Rohan “Roaks” St. Marthe says he is confident the launch will be another successful one, “there’s no doubt in my mind we

have created a buzz in NYC, worked with some of the best from Caribbean to put this together.”

While hoping for deeper relations with the Trinidadians and the other Caribbean nationals who assisted with the launch – St. Marthe also expressed

dissatisfaction with the St. Lucian government who did not assist this year but is hopeful they will come around to see the importance of such an

event in NYC and around the world.

St. Lucia Carnival will officially start on May 30th and end on July 21st 2011.The St.Lucia International Carnival Committee is pleased to have welcomed over 200 non nationals to Saint Lucia for Carnival 2010, we are hoping that

this time around we can come with 500 strong non nationals says MR. St.Marthe, many persons have been inquiring about the various packages for Saint

Lucia Carnival 2011, so we are confident we will get about 300 – 500 coming to Saint Lucia this year. The official Launch is Sponsored by LIME.