Trinidadian NYC is centered in Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, & Flatbush, Brooklyn; South Ozone Park, Queens; and Nassau County, Long Island.
Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands in the Lesser Antilles. Trinidad is less than seven miles from the Venezuelan mainland. The correct term for people from Trinidad and Tobago is “Trinbagonian.” Most people just say “Trinidadian.”
NYC’s big Trinidadian festival, the Labor Day Carnival & West Indian Day Parade, is NYC’s version of Trinidad Carnival, the Mother of Caribbean Carnival around the world.
Trinidad is even more diverse than most of the Caribbean. It was Indigenous Taíno & Carib. The Spanish came. They invited French planters who mostly came from what is now Haiti. The English came. After abolition, they brought South Asians and Chinese. Today Trinidad has a South Asian plurality (the largest group, but less than half). That’s were the good roti and curries come from. We call ourselves Creole, meaning a mixed people.
Soca music is a mix of Calypso and South Asian rhythms. You see it at the West Indian Day Parade.
Trinidadian culture is shared by Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and some of the islands in the Lesser Antilles. Culebra, Puerto Rico is on the northern end of the Lesser Antilles. Though Culebra is just 50 miles from the main island of Puerto Rico, you already start to see the influence of Trinidadian Steel Pan.
Trinidadian NYC Restaurants
- Ali’s Trinbago Roti Shop in Bed-Stuy
Trinidadian New York City
- Trinidad & Tobago Consulate
Trinidadian NYC Festivals
Trinidadian Culture
- Calypso
- Trinidad Carnival
- Diwali
- Dougla
- Holi
- Limbo
- Soca
- Steel Pan
- Trinidad Orisha
Trinidadian NYC News
Celebrate Diwali, the West Indian and South Asian Festival of Lights
Sunday-Thursday, November 12-16, 2023
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Etienne Charles “San Juan Hill: A New York Story” World Premiere is about the Indigenous, Black & Latin Neighborhood on which Lincoln Center was Built
Saturday, October 8, 2022
DAVID GEFFEN HALL
Lincoln Center
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SummerStage 2022 Brings Latin Culture to NYC Parks
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
RUMSEY PLAYFIELD
Central Park, Manhattan
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2022 SEASON
June 11 – September 22, 2022
NEW YORK CITY PARKS
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island
🇧🇷🇹🇩🇨🇱🇨🇴🇩🇴🇫🇷🇭🇹🇲🇽🇵🇹🇵🇷🇸🇳🇹🇹🏳️🌈
November 2023
Celebrate Diwali, the West Indian and South Asian festival of lights and Hindu New Year, Sunday-Thursday, November 12-16, 2023. The peak is November 15. 🇮🇳
January 2023
Vocalist Vanessa Rubin and her Trio play jazz originals and interprets classics at Dizzy’s Club in Jazz at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 7:30 & 9:30pm. 🇹🇹
December 2022
Sacred Traditions: Honoring the Feast Day of Sangó explores Trinidad and Tobago’s Sangó Baptist Yoruba tradition with CCCADI Executive Director Melody Capote and Michael Manswell, Creative Director of Something Positive on CCCADI’s website, Facebook and Youtube channels on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 7pm. Free. 🇹🇹
September 2022
Brooklyn’s Labor Day Carnival opens with Aaron “Voice” St. Louis headlining the Vibes with Voice Soca concert at the Brooklyn Museum on Thursday, September 1, 2022 from 4-11pm. From $50. 🇹🇹
Brooklyn’s Labor Day Carnival Island 2 Island NYC Soca concert features GBM Nutrson, Jadel, Adamo, Edwin Yearwood, Teddyson John, Lavaman, Melick, Vaughn, Kemmy, Ricardo Drue, Preedy, and Pumper at the Brooklyn Museum on Friday, September 2, 2022 from 4-11pm. From $60. 🇹🇹
Brooklyn’s Labor Day Carnival Junior Carnival 2022 is at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday, September 3, 2022 from 8am – 2pm. $12. 🇹🇹
Brooklyn’s Labor Day Carnival Pan in A Minor traditional Steel Pan competition on the Brooklyn Museum grounds on Saturday, September 3, 2022. Doors at 7pm. From $23. 🇹🇹
Brooklyn’s Labor Day Carnival Paintopia J’ouvert party is on the Brooklyn Museum grounds on Sunday, September 4, 2022 from 8am – 2pm. From $44. 🇹🇹
Brooklyn’s Labor Day Carnival Amnesia Soca and Dancehall party is on the Brooklyn Museum grounds on Sunday, September 4, 2022 from 3-11pm. 🇹🇹
LABOR DAY
NYC’s West Indian Day Parade 2022 is on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights from Schenectady Avenue to Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn on Monday, September 5, 2022 at 11am. Free. 🇹🇹🇧🇧🇩🇲🇬🇩🇱🇨🇻🇨🇬🇾🇸🇷🇬🇫🇯🇲🇭🇹
LABOR DAY
Machel Montano Soca Kingdom celebrates 40 years of Trinidadian Soca at Barclays Center in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn on Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2022 at 8pm. From $62. 🇹🇹
September 2021
In SummerStage “Reggae Gold Meets Soca Gold” Kevin Crown hosts DJ Puffy, Edwin Yearwood, Alison Hinds, Chromatic Sound, Noah Powa, Gyptian at the Ford Amphitheater in Coney Island, Brooklyn on Monday, September 13, 2021 at 7pm (5pm doors). Free 🇯🇲🇹🇹
Trinidad & Tobago Are Multicultural
Trinidad & Tobago is a unique multicultural country with South Asian influences.
We don’t consider ourselves Latin, but do share an Indigenous Taíno & Carib, Spanish, French Haitian, and African heritage. English colonizers brought East Indians and Chinese. East Indian heritage is Trinidad’s largest ethnic group, so we are Asian too! Dougla culture is the South Asian African mix.
Traditional Calypso mixed with East Indian rhythms and American Gospel into Soca, the popular music of Trinidad.
South American mainland countries Guyana and Suriname have very similar cultures.
Trinidadian-American actor, dancer, musician and artist Geoffrey Holder is one of New York’s most famous Trinidadians. Dance Theatre of Harlem still produces his work. His masterpiece “Dougla” is one Dance Theatre’s signature pieces.