BRAATA PRODUCTIONS ‘OLD TIME GRAND MARKET’ RETURNS FOR TWO SHOWS ONLY, DEC. 14 & 15, NYC
By Aubrey Campbell
NEW YORK, NY. Tuesday,
November 25, 2019-- Christmas is a time of year when we
celebrate our cultures and traditions. And where else to celebrate those
heartwarming traditions, if not at the gran’ market?
Well, get ready for a
celebration of ‘Christmas in the Caribbean’, here in New York City, on December
14 & 15.
Braata Productions will
once again offer New Yorkers an exciting and colorful taste of a traditional
Caribbean Christmas, when it presents its annual Old Time Grand Market celebration
at two venues in the city.
First up, will be the Harry
Truman High School auditorium, located in Co-op City, Bronx, on
Saturday, December 14. The vendor’s market will ‘open for business’ at 5:30 pm,
followed by the concert segment at 7:00 pm.
Folks in Queens,
Manhattan and Staten Island will get their sampling of the annual yuletide
traditions a day later on Sunday, December 15, at The Park Church Coop, 129
Russel Street, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
The vendor’s grand market
will open at 3:30 pm, to be followed by the Christmas concert at 5:00 pm.
Seeped in holiday
traditions, ‘Grand Market’ – is a one-stop offering of music, food, craft vendors
and numerous activities for children and families, in an atmosphere of
merriment and merchandising. However, by including performers and participants
from the wider Caribbean, Braata has dramatically expanded the appeal and the audience for the event, over the past six years.
“Ole time gran’ market is
important to help keep the Caribbean holiday traditions and practices alive
among our people, so we don’t forget where our traditions started and how they
make us feel”, offered Andrew Clarke, who will celebrate his seventh season as
producer of the annual event.
Sharing the main stage
with the Braata Folks Singers, this year will be The Batingua Arts Ensemble,
representing Trinidad & Tobago and the nationally acclaimed balladeer and
recording artiste, Pluto Shervington, from Kingston, Jamaica.
Though a largely Jamaican
tradition at Christmas time, ‘Ole Time Grand Market’ incorporates the wider
Caribbean Diaspora and encourages broad-based support, evidenced by its growth
and success over the years.
“When we started in 2013,
we had no idea how we would be received. The spirit of the traditional
Caribbean Christmas was fading somewhat in New York, and we thought this would
evoke a bit of nostalgia for some and be a source of cultural education for
others”, offered Clarke, who conceived the traditional (Braata) folk and
culture ensemble in 2009.
Vendors participating in
this family-friendly event will be selling everything from food and craft
items to toys and Christmas specialties. Patrons and especially first-generation
Jamaicans will be taken back in time to the days of pound, shilling, and pence
(national currency), artifacts including clothes iron, "chimmey" (bedpan), and
displays of holiday treat like black cake, punch a crème and sorrel, that make
Christmas time, a holiday like no other.
The Jonkanoo Parade is
sure to raise the level of awe and excitement across all age groups while
browsing thru’ the marketplace!
“It’s a collaborative
with a number of cultural groups, restaurants and key stakeholders who see the
need to keep our culture vibrant and expose it to our younger generation, who
are not so familiar.”
This year’s community
partners are Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) and the Jamaica Progressive League
(JPL).
Tickets for both shows are
available on the Braata Productions website and at select Caribbean outlets in
the boroughs. Tickets are $25 pre-sold, $30 at the door and $20 for seniors and
students with ID, at the door.
For tickets
and information, call (917) 668.2209. See also www.braataproductions.org.
--end—
Photo
captions…
STAR GAZING
AT CHRISTMAS. Noted Balladeer and reggae
recording artiste Pluto Shervington will headline Braata Productions’ Ole Time
Grand Market’ Christmas in the Caribbean concert series in NYC, December 14
& 15.
-
Roger Jones Photo
BRAATA FOLK SINGERS.
Costumed and ready, Braata Folk Singers will take patrons on a Christmas time
journey through the Caribbean during the set of ‘Ole Time Grand Market in the
Bronx and Brooklyn, December 14 & 15.
-
Photo courtesy of Travis South
CAROLLING AT CHRISTMAS.
Braata Folk Ensemble with founder/artistic director Andrew Clarke (second left,
front/seated), ready to share the joys of the holiday season at the Ole Time
Grand Market, December 14 & 15, NYC.
-
Feen Elise Photography
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