How participants are excitedly preparing for Brooklyn's West Indian American Carnival 2022
NEW YORK - The West Indian American Carnival is just around the corner. It's a tradition that started in Harlem in the 1940s and eventually became an indisputable part of Brooklyn culture.
Inside the headquarters of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association in Crown Heights, the warm, rhythmic tones of the steel pan ring through the rehearsal room.
In the corner, bright and beautiful costumes of feathers and rhinestones wait for their day on the parkway.
It has been an incredibly busy few weeks for WIADCA, the group behind the planning and promotions for the annual event.
"We are here pretty much every day from 9 until sometimes 2 a.m.," says Shyka Scotland, legal advisor for the WIADCA board.
A lineup of events is scheduled for this week ahead of the big day on Monday. WIADCA says they get around 1.5 million in-person spectators annually and more than 100,000 participants.
"This year is special because we are coming out of COVID, right. This is our first year fully back on the parkway," Scotland explains.
Playing inside the rehearsal room, Unison Steel is a small steel pan orchestra formed in 2020. Though they mostly practice at home, using the space at the association's headquarters allows them to play to their heart's desire.
"It changes my mood and it brightens my day. And playing steel pan is a really big expression that is something that I can't live without," says Sparkle Demming, band captain and manager.
Right now, they're preparing for "Pan in A Minor," a musical extravaganza scheduled for Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. Music professor Kendall K. Williams says steel pan is a unique instrument worth celebrating.
"The instrument came out of a time of struggle when it was created, and so we connect with that quite a bit," he says.
There's nothing like learning from a pro, so CBS2's Hannah Kliger tried to learn a simple tune. Though it took a few tries, she says even learning the instrument felt like a party.
Check out the full lineup of Carnival events before the big day.
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