NEW YORK – The New York Mets with the support of the Queens Economic Development Corporation will honor four Caribbean community leaders on August 19th at the second annual Caribbeat Night at Shea Stadium.
Mets audience will also enjoy a pre-game performance by popular Jamaican musical ambassador Richie Stephens, who recently launched his new album titled “Come To Jamaica.”
The exciting album which features all genres of Jamaican music including reggae, ska, mento, lovers rock, dancehall and more has already received the endorsement of the Jamaica Tourist Board.
New York rising star Elvis D will also perform. The awards and pre-game show will take place at 6:45pm at Shea Stadium. For more information and to attend this special night, visit www.discoverqueens.info.
The 2008 Caribbeat Night Spirit Awardees
Irie Jamboree (Bobby Clarke, Steven Williams, Louis Grant) – Irie Jamboree is North America’s premier reggae festival. It’s an all day gathering of family and friends; a Caribbean cultural explosion and simply the best display of island music, food, gear, vibe and a lot more.
Bobby Clarke
Photo by: J Lingo
Louie Grant
Steven Williams
Promoted by Irie Jamboree Inc, the festival is held each year on Labor Day Sunday, at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, NY.
The festival was launched in 2003 and featured double platinum selling artiste Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder alongside hip-hop pioneers like KRS-One, Doug E Fresh, Chubb Rock, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane and Black Sheep. Headliners have included Shabba, the most popular Jamaican dancehall artists of his generation. Other performers included Freddie McGregor, Richie Spice, Frankie Paul, Tanya Stephens.
Irie Jamboree 2005 featured multi Grammy winning artist Jr. Gong Marley. Gong is the only Jamaican artiste to win two Grammy awards at the same show – the Best Reggae Album (Welcome To Jamrock) and Best Urban/Alternative Performance in the R&B category.
Herman Hall: Publisher, Everybody’s Caribbean American Magazine, The magazine of progressive and affluent Caribbean-American consumers. Herman Hall is the president of Herman Hall Communications, Inc., a business specializing in publishing, entertainment and consultation. In 1977 Hall established, EVERYBODY’S, the Caribbean-American magazine. He is the magazine’s publisher.
Hall is a promoter and producer of Caribbean plays and high profile concerts. Hall was a creator of the WLIB Radio Caribbean format and served the station as host, consultant and commentator. Highlights of Hall’s journalism career include a journalism award for International Reporting and being a member of the White House press entourage when the late President Ronald Reagan visited Jamaica and Barbados. He is the recipient of numerous awards including citations from the U.S. Congress, governors of New York State and mayors of New York City.
Hall is also an organizer of Brooklyn’s West Indian Carnival, an event that attracts over 2,000,000 spectators.
Irwine G. Clare, Sr.
Irwine G. Clare, Sr.: Managing Director, Caribbean Immigrant Services, Inc. The co-founder and managing director of the Queens, New York-based Caribbean Immigrant Services, Inc. (CIS), an organization founded in 1995 with the ultimate goal of mobilizing and empowering Caribbean Diaspora in the United States.
Through informed presentations on immigration and the need for economic social and political empowerment, Irwine and his partner, attorney Winston Tucker, have established themselves as major community advocates on immigration reform and issues germane to the Caribbean community.
Irwine is the Founder and CEO of Team Jamaica Bickle, which for the past several years has worked with community organizations and businesses to host athletes from the Caribbean participating at the Penn Relays. In addition, Irwine serves as a consultant to several Jamaican based companies, and is a member of several local and national organizations. He is a director of Caribbean World News Network, and presently is the host of Caribbean Lifestyle TV which is aired on CIN Channel 73.
Ninaj Raoul: Co-founded Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, (HWHR) in 1992 to meet the needs of Haitian refugees arriving in New York as a result of the overthrow of President Aristide. Initial efforts focused on the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and helping refugees navigate the system to obtain political asylum.
HWHR also provided supportive services to meet basic necessities, taught English classes, made legal referrals, provided counseling, obtained health care and other services. By 1993, most of the refugees housed at the U.S. Naval Base in Cuba had been processed except for 230 people who had tested HIV positive.
HWHR joined in a successful lawsuit against the United States government seeking the release of HIV positive refugees on medical or humanitarian grounds. HWHR also helped coordinate efforts for legislation allowing approximately 50,000 Haitians with political asylum claims to apply for legal permanent residency.
Caribbeat Night at Shea will also serve to kickoff a yearlong initiative by Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshal and the Queens Economic Development Corporation to create a concentrated effort to connect the Caribbean Business Community (CBC) in Queens with resources that will enhance, strengthen and grow their business.
This effort looks to provide assistance to both large and small businesses, as well as endeavor to create partnerships with business organizations and groups that assist businesses throughout the borough.
