Press Release

ISLAND FLAVOR
ASHLEY FANTZ, afantz@herald.com
October 10, 2005

WEARING TEENY BIKINIS COVERED IN SEQUINS AND FEATHERS OR DANCING TO A SOCA BEAT, THOUSANDS FLOCKED TO THE BROWARD CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL FOR A TASTE OF THE ISLANDSAnn Coutou stood outside the Pompano Park Harness Track on Sunday wearing a screaming-pink and yellow bikini and sandals spray-painted gold. The Fort Lauderdale 50-year-old smiled wide, straining her choker made of Mardi Gras beads.
``It's Carnival!'' she said. ``It's bright colors! It's fun. It feels all good.''Coutou, originally from Trinidad, was one of hundreds who shimmied to soca and calypso music Sunday at the fourth annual Broward Caribbean Carnival, which celebrates various island cultures, including Haitian, Dominican, Jamaican and Belizean.Caribbean Carnival commemorates Christopher Columbus' arrival in the islands.``The idea was to bring all the cultures and customs together this year,'' said organizer Gilda Swasey-Hill, who is from Belize.She estimated that by party's end Sunday night, 50,000 revelers from the Caribbean, Atlanta, New York and South Florida - home to thousands of Caribbean immigrants - will have celebrated at the track in Pompano Beach.The party continues today in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.At dozens of tents set up in the track's parking lot, hundreds ignored the unforgiving heat and gorged on roti, a gigantic burrito made with split peas and potatoes, while others sampled callaloo, a Caribbean take on gumbo.Norma Clarke prefers her callaloo with okra and coconut milk.``We are a mix of cultures, so callaloo is the perfect food,'' said the 60-year-old Trinidadian, draped in an orange sundress, matching hat and earrings the shape of Africa.Flown to South Florida for the event, Clarke is a 25-year veteran of judging performers like Coutou, or ``masqueraders'' who dance to recorded music blaring from a parading flat-bed truck.The flashier and more energetic, the better, she said.Ideally, according to a checklist the judge shared, the dancers and their accompanying floats, or ``bands,'' should be able to create ``Love at first sight.''Riding in a truck with his band, Middle Essence, Tahir Khan, 49, said Carnival is about ``letting go.''He grew up in Tunapuna, a town in northwest Trinidad.``Being on the road, dancing to the music, drinking,'' Khan said. ``It's like spring break or Mardi Gras - without the naked people.''PARTY ONThe Broward Caribbean Carnival continues today with these events. For more information, visit www.caribbeancarnival.org or call 954-793-4856.* ``D' Beach Bash'' featuring Shaggy, Rupee and others, starting at noon, next to the Sheraton Yankee Clipper Beach Hotel, 1140 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Call 754-235-7526 or 954-401-6252. Admission costs $25.* ``Beach Bash'' featuring Byron Lee and the Red Hot Flames, noon to midnight, Ramada Inn Hollywood Beach Resort Hotel, 101 N. Ocean Dr., Hollywood. Admission is free.
Illustration:photo: Monique Shaw (a), Annabelle Cumberbatch applies makeup to Annette Adams (a), Carnival Miami parade (a)CANDACE WEST / HERALD STAFF DANCING IN THE STREET: Monique Shaw of Hollywood dances in a parade with others Sunday on their way to the Broward Caribbean Carnival at the Pompano Park Harness Track in Pompano Beach. Festivities continue today in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale.CANDACE WEST / HERALD STAFF THE FINISHING TOUCH: Annabelle Cumberbatch of Davie, left, applies makeup to Annette Adams of New York, who represented Trinidad and Tobago in the parade.

Copyright (c) 2005 The Miami Herald