- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 10/Aug 10:00

Diaspora celebrates Tobago Day in NYC on August 17

MANY West Indians living in North America get together annually at various venues to celebrate with their respective countrymen. It’s a decades-old tradition that not only builds camaraderie but also promotes cultural retention and longevity. This year, the Tobago Empowerment and Alliance Mission (TEAM), commemorates its tenth anniversary of hosting the Tobago Day celebration in the US. The event, which is being held on August 17, takes place at the Nazareth High School, 475E, 57th Street, Brooklyn, New York, from noon to 8 pm. TEAM member Victor Braithwaite said the cultural extravaganza, titled The Essence of Crusoeland, again promises to be a bumper celebration. “What we put on is a show that features the best of Tobago’s heritage,” he told Newsday on August 4. Braithwaite said veteran calypsonian Lord Nelson (Robert Alphonso Nelson), 94, will again be one of the event’s headline acts. “He is one of our staple performers who have been with us for quite some time and we are not getting rid of him.” Other artistes include New York-based soca singer Yankey Boy (Kevon Heath), Jamal George and Burton Toney. Performers from various groups in Tobago are also expected to entertain patrons with excerpts from the Moriah Ole Time Wedding and other treasured cultural activities. Apart from crab-racing, Braithwaite said, there also would be a series of novelty events centred around the island’s well-known myth about the “left hand dumpling.” He said, “Long ago in Tobago if a woman wanted to hold on to you they would make a left hand dumpling. We want to keep that theme because it is a bit of humour and we want to have participants within the crowd get involved in these activities. So in one of the games, they are going to be given a time frame of three minutes to see how many dumplings they could eat.” Braithwaite said Tobago-based vendors as well as those living in New York also will be on hand to prepare some of the island’s indigenous delicacies, including dasheen-based treats, for patrons. He added guests also can expect a bigger stage, a more powerful sound system and a well-stocked bar. Music will be supplied by DJ Foreign Bass. Braithwaite, who describes himself as TEAM’s “logistics man,” said he has been living in the US for the past 25 years. Originally from Charlotteville, he spent his formative years in Glen Road, Scarborough, before the family settled in Carnbee. He served for 16 years in the TT Fire Service before migrating to the US, where he now works as a paramedic in the Fire Department of New York City. [caption id="attachment_1171312" align="alignnone" width="768"] Patrons enjoying themselves at previous Tobago Day celebrations in New York City. -[/caption] Braithwaite said annual gatherings such as the Tobago Day are hugely significant. “It is significant because it allows for a space, a time where people are able to get together.” He said apart from the mouth-watering cuisine and vibrant culture, the event also presents an opportunity for networking. “You meet up with people, somebody who you know from Adam is an electrician and you are now reconnecting with them. You may also meet someone who is in need of a job. So networking is important.” Tobago Day, he said, is also about good-natured fun and picong. “It is a place where we can come together and enjoy one-another. I tell people, 'Come and see people you have not seen in a long time.' Life is about living. If it’s just for one day, let’s just come out and meet and greet.” Through TEAM’s marketing efforts over the years, Braithwaite said, the committee has seen increased participation in the Tobago Day celebration. “Last year, we had the biggest crowd. I think it was close to 2,000 people and that is with the gate admittance.” The committee started charging an entrance fee of US$5 in 2022, after the covid19 pandemic. Braithwaite said the money collected at the event helps the committee to fund its projects. “In order for us to fulfil our goal in contributing to Tobago and its development in the small way that we have been doing so far, we need funds and this is one of the areas we have come up with to generate funds.” TEAM, he added, also hosts an annual Mother’s Day brunch among other activities to raise funds. He said TEAM, a non-governmental organisation, continues to assist with various initiatives in Tobago. “We have helped the Ball Blasters Football Club in Bethel and we have also given out hampers around Christmas to deserving families. During the oil spill, we also sent down suits, boots, gloves and we worked with TEMA (Tobago Emergency Management Agency) in finding out what was the best texture of protection for that. “So we have been doing philanthropic work on the side. We are not an organisation that can fill all of the slots that we need in Tobago. But when needs be and where the committee has decided that this is a contribution that we could make.” Braithwaite said the committee, which has about 22 members, has enjoyed significant success over the years despite its challenges. “It is challenging because people live in different areas. For example, I live in Mount Vernon in Westchester County and I have to trek down to Brooklyn which is just over an hour for the Tobago Day. For the most part, most of the people reside in Brooklyn. But we try to garner as much support when we have activities to carry out these functions.” He said TEAM also enjoys a cordial working relationship with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). “It has worked out pretty good and is still developing because they started with the PNM administration under (Orville) London (former chief secretary). “We are not a politically aligned organisation so we are incorporating the House of Assembly and whoever sits in the seat as the chief secretary, we are encouraging their participation. And that is what we have been doing from the time that we started.” Asked about TEAM’s plans for the future, Braithwaite said, “We are taking baby steps. We don’t want to extend ourselves beyond our capacity. So as things go along, as we see funds coming, we want to deal with it as such.” But he noted there have been calls to expand the organisation’s reach to different parts of the US, Canada and possibly, London, UK. “People have expressed their interest in doing a TEAM collaboration, we being the main body and they just being the arms of the body and carrying out these functions so that we could have more things coming into Tobago from different places. “This year, Canada really wants to get involved. We still have some things that we have to work out with regards to that but they are willing and waiting just to get the ball rolling. That is one of the things we have on the drawing board.” Braithwaite urged Tobagonians from throughout the diaspora to come out and support the venture.   The post Diaspora celebrates Tobago Day in NYC on August 17 appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.