Broad push for J’Ouvert safety
It’s been a long, hard year for family and friends of Carey Gabay, the son of Jamaican immigrants who went to enjoy Brooklyn’s 2015 predawn J’Ouvert Caribbean parade and was fatally shot in a gun battle between rival gangs.
And Gabay (inset) – a high-ranking aide to Gov. Cuomo who embraced his Caribbean culture – has also been on the minds of the city officials and police brass, who last week announced #WeAreJOuvert, a comprehensive, multi-agency initiative to keep revelers and area residents safe during the annual procession, which winds through Crown Heights and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens.
“We owe it to Carey Gabay, his loved ones, and all Caribbean New Yorkers to celebrate our rich heritage safely,” said Community Affairs Unit Commissioner Marco Carrión Carrión of the mayor’s office. “I want to thank (Brooklyn) Borough President (Eric) Adams for leading the #WeAreJOuvert campaign so that we may put forth a message of peace collectively. I look forward to working with him and all of our partners to make this year’s celebration one the entire family can enjoy.”
Yvette Rennie, president of J’Ouvert City International, which presents the popular Labor Day weekend event, was joined by Adams, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and a number of elected officials, who’ve worked hard to prevent the cultural event from being marred by gang violence and other crimes.
The #WeAreJOuvert campaign includes installing 200 light towers along the route of the parade and doubling last year’s NYPD deployment – and placing 2,000 officers on patrol at the event.
Reggae at B.B. King’s
Popular reggae singer Everton Blender is the headline performer at B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill in Midtown on Thursday. The show also stars Teflon, DJ Jah Culture. Doors open at 7 p.m. and show time is 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of the show.
And the great music at B.B. King’s continues on Sept. 23 when the band Black Uhuru plays the club. Call (212) 997-4144 and visit www.bbkingblues.com for information on these and other shows.
Mighty Sparrow tops honorees
The Mighty Sparrow, Calypso King of the World, leads a group of respected honorees being recognized on Saturday at Le Cirque Caribbean-American Heritage 2016 event, presented by state Sen. Jesse Hamilton (D-Brooklyn), at the Paerdegat Yacht Club, 1330 Paerdegat Ave., in Brooklyn, from 6 p.m. to midnight. To purchase tickets, visit http://bit.ly/lecirque2016. For information, call (718) 467-8161 or (516) 9840735.
Creole Family show
The free Creole Family Concert – with Skah-Shah, the System Band and Enpresyon plus creole food and cultural activities – comes to Eisenhower Park, Merrick and Stewart Aves., East Meadows, L.I., Friday at 5:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by Kompa Guide and the Queens-based Haitian-Americans United for Progress. For information, call Kompa Guide at (718) 949-7771 or HAUP at (718) 527-3776.