J'ouvert: Brooklyn's Dirty Masquerade
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- čas přidán 27. 02. 2017
- J’ouvert is a wild, pre-dawn street masquerade that marks the beginning of Caribbean Carnival. It’s a tradition that represents rebellion and freedom from slavery for West Indian communities around the world. New York City’s J’ouvert is one of the most famous, bringing out more than 250,000 revelers every year who party through the night dressed in elaborate costumes or smothered in paint and powder.
While J’ouvert is a cultural cornerstone for the city, it’s become a subject of controversy. Over the past decade, more than 20 people have been shot and killed in and around the festival, leading many to associate the event with violence.
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![Eminem - Houdini [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/22tVWwmTie8/mqdefault.jpg)
RIP to those beautiful souls lost in J'ouvert 🙏🏿
Every year somethin always goes down.
Always nice to see Caribbean culture being shown
Kish B. She was right the first time it's Caribbean culture.
its Caribbean
Kish B. Caribbean culture my culture
MRLONG758 I agree however I feel it focuses on Black culture. J'ouvert does not really encompass all of carribean culture. I personally am Puerto Rican and I don't feel the sort of connection that perhaps a black person would to this video
+panda man calling someone else's culture nonsense doesn't make yours any better.
Shoutouts to all my West Indian massive!
This tradition is not flattering.
@@camila.sweetlipz to you 🤷🏽♀️
@@camila.sweetlipz we don’t care
Man J'ouvert, Puerto Rican day parade, St.Patricks day, and Dominican Day parade are the best celebrations in the city. SOOO many good memories from these days. I love all you guys my blacks, my whites, my middle easterners, my hispanics, my asians. We make NYC the best CITY on the fucking planet. If you're from the city you know the passion I have for living here and the people that live here.
Take me also there from uganda
J'ourvet and the Labor Day parade are memories of my childhood I cherish forever. When I was younger I was always afraid of J'ourvet but the older I got and the more I understood what it meant to celebrate these historical events of independence, I took part as much as I could at a young age. My mom was also afraid because of the neighborhood fights that broke out during J'ourvet and honestly we always thought it was because of J'ourvet due to what the news told us. But once I grew deeper into my culture and asked more questions I realized what it really was. I'm grateful for this video. I'm thankful that Brooklyn allowed me a piece of culture. GT Bana!!!!!! 🇬🇾 -Lydia
I attended J'ouvert Brooklyn2015 with my brother Carey Gabay and he was shot and killed in front of me by a stray bullet during a gang shoot out. Carey Gabay, was an Harvard educated lawyer and legal aide for Governor Cuomo. I will never attend J'ouvert again. Innocent people like my brother are getting killed every year at J'ouvert. 33 people in the last 10 years have been killed from simply celebrated their West Indian culture. No family should have to go through the eternal pain and trauma that my family and I are going through. #careygabay #nojouvertbrooklyn
Aaron McNaughton My heart is with you and I am deeply sorry for your loss. My brother was murdered in the park in 2013. To this day there are no leads. I understand the pain and send my deepest sympathy.
Aaron McNaughton sorry for him but were not gonna stop jouvert just bcuz you had a bad experience
Aaron McNaughton I'm so sorry for your loss 😣 it so sad that our children are so quick 2 pull a trigger n so slow to put up their DUKES n fight n move on. See when your beefing w someone and you have a fight both of you live 2 see another day. You have a chance to apologize for ur wrongs. But when u pick up that Gun n pull that trigger that persons life can't be brought back. You can never apologize. You've ruined a family. You've broken people. Then your stray bullets are killing babies n innocent people that have absolutely nothing to 2 do w the situation. It breaks my heart n I'm SO sorry for and your Family. Everyone needs 2 do something 2 try n teach our "lost tribe". Stay blessed my friend!!!💔😢🛐💯
It is sad to hear about people losing lives in what looks like a beautiful cultural celebration. I am just a white guy looking in from the outside though. I am still hoping for an end to dumbshit violence amongst ALL races and cultures. I am wondering more and more these days how much of the total hatred and violence is secretly nourished by our " Leaders" as a form of control across all races.
Rip
As a Haitian who has a French Caribbean culture of Mardi Gras like my New Orleans brothers we go hard on carnival but my Trini people go hard bruh y’all a carnival nation word up Trini up
How beautiful this celebration is...
but shot in the face for not dancing with a man? That breaks my heart. Someone's life was spent because of an ego trip.
Sonja Anise same happens in London at Notting hill, black on black, again. Every year.
Lol jouvert is always been bad. Someone gets shot every year. Gotta be safe when going. I used to go faithfully but the violence is too rampant now.
Beautiful how.
This is easily my favorite Vice reporter. Not only is he physically flawless but he has an unbiased approach to his reporting, a quality that MANY Vice journalists lack. Love this piece - loved learning about this culture and custom.
It seems like an awesome carnival but it's very sad how violence occurs at places where times are supposed to be celebrated
Like Sweden and Germany where women are being groped and raped during big festivities.
It seems this always happens in brooklyn
Satanic cults are about death, duh.
@@camila.sweetlipz what do satanic cults have to do anything with this festival?
@@camila.sweetlipzYou are very naive Camilla.
8:15 fromer cop says he is afraid of cops damn something to think about there or nah?
Bruh I made pretty much the same comment, that shit hit me too
Im from bklyn and an islander but J'ouvert truly has changed over the years. 😞 I stopped going when it became to dangerous.
You know that's sad to hear to me because you could get ran over by a bus everyday, don't live in fear of dying just live.
Elle it don't look that dangerous to me shooting can happen anywhere literally.
Because of hoodlums.
It should be for caribbean ppl only! Once u start letting outsiders in there will be violence!! Outsiders don't appreciate nor understand the culture. This event never used to be like this (violent)!!
Yea it has progressively gotten worse over the last 5-10 years. The violence is just crazy. Especially at night.
How fitting of VICE to use the tracks Papa Bois & Folklore by Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago) Jazz extraodinaire Etiene Charles. Both tracks tell a story of a people who appear laid back much like the lead instruments (Horns & Piano). We Caribbean People remain driven and very much afflicted by a force much stronger (Our Past, Our Culture, Our Identity), represented by the rhythm (the drums & Vocals). Interesting how this feature on Americans of Caribbean Heritage in New York, tell of a similar story to Etiene's music. Funny how we could be so far apart but share a similar journey.
Being from Caribbean, this is a great documentary . #carribeanpride
Eric Knowles 🇦🇬🇩🇲🇩🇴🇱🇨🇻🇮
Terriann Mitchell 🇭🇹
🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹
Facts. I love my elders . So well educated and blunt . S/o to my Caribbean people also🇬🇩❤️❤️❤️
Debra Lewis they need to Grenada for the real Jab Jab jouvert
@@raphicah ikr
Big up nobody had mad like Grenada
This is awesome! Caribbean culture is beautiful.
There's are so many other words you can use instead of "dirty"
Exactly. The nerve.
its literally dutty mas
@@ReannaPeters12 exactly
Filthy , grimey , muddy , disgusting , grotesque....hey you're right!
Grew up in Crown Heights New York ave and for 32 yrs of my life, That is where I call HOME no matter where I am at!! Man, I miss this...so much diversity!! Much Love
J’ouvert is a pre-dawn street masquerade that marks the beginning of Caribbean Carnival but, in recent years, has become a subject of controversy.
WATCH NEXT: Director Barry Jenkins on Creating Empathy Through His Film 'Moonlight': bit.ly/2f10Glt
VICE Good Stuff as expected
VICE next time you guys should visit us in Trinidad, and perhaps you can focus on some of the more positive aspects of J'ouvert and Carnival as a whole.
Vice: conflict sells :
Send a white guy next time and let us experience the tolerant *"Black Lives Matters"*
Looncan Smartest comment on youtube for a long time.
66 sics and they don't know shit about the carnival.
Powerful, educational and entertaining. Really conveying the complexities of Carnival, its people and how it is impacted by both history and environment. Notting Hill Carnival (and possibly most Caribbean carnivals across the world) all deal with the same issues but I love the thoughtful way it was explored in this film. Wonderful.
Who likes their own comments just to get the ball rollin'?
Its ball rolling. How does a bag roll? Ffs
Me to !
+Max S lol!!!
*their
cool is it working?!
This docu was well done! Honestly, he's one of the best journalists on Vice and I hope he continues to do great work in the future!
Thank you for one of the best vice docs I've seen. It reminds me of when Shane was going abroad because of the quality; it makes me feel like vice is back again.
Thank you.
TBH. when that old man was jumping he look like a little kid
When you live good, you stay young forever
Favorite Vice piece thus far.
Balanced, poetic, sincere. Good editing. Cohesive.
I've Been to j'ouvert for the past 4 years, and just as him, no worries and a free mind. When I reach back to my house, it's upsetting to hear about a female dying because she didn't want to dance with someone. Tf!? Sooo many women there and you're worried about 1 woman?! Hearing about any crime is upsetting. I also heard that the police cannot have guns during this time. I Always hesitate about going then I go and enjoy myself. J'ouvert and Pretty Mas.
And Yes, anyone can go, no matter the race. And It's best if you don't go alone. This is said even when you go to the islands
i agree with everything said except about going alone. being a born and raised TRINI 🇹🇹 and still iving here, I can surely tell you,you can go alone, YOU ALWAYS end up meeting you know or you can have a good time all on your own. It's your personality really 🇹🇹 come see for yourself sometime!!
This was such a beautiful documentation of this festival. You can feel the emotion and connect to that feeling they must have celebrating their culture. It's gorgeous. It's tragic that some lose their lives during such a beautiful celebration, but I am glad that this documentary showed that even though it happens it doesn't completely overshadow the true meaning of this celebration. Hopefully as those groups that are more prone to violence are given help and outreach the violence will get better if not end. Wonderful job.
I agree
every vice video i watch.. the comments always end up rasict or ignorant 😂
because the majority is ignorant thats why
vice or the internet? lol
TheRulerNTheKiller it's hard to tell the difference from a troll I think some are seriously racist asl.
Racists hate seeing black people grown and prosper - give them an anonymous way for them to spew their hatred and voila. The line from the video "Cowards like to hide in the dark" more or less sums it up.
Usecriticalthinking I wonder where they got it from?
Big Up 2 Earl also known as "Brains", Standing tall with Roy Pierre... One of the real founders of Jouvert in Brooklyn... Down to his last days on earth he's representing our culture... Rest in Paradise, you layed down history and sweet memories for us... Love You Brother...
gentrification will be the end of jouvert
MARK MY WORDS!
WaVy Croc Violence will be the end of Jouvert. If y'all would party without shooting someone, ya wouldn't worry about the end of the celebrations. No shootings at the Dominican, P.R., Black American or Caribbean day parades. That should let you all know something.
It has gotten bad over the years and only started to get decent again. But every year, we wait. If something does happen, people who bet would almost always be winners. Smh.
Might be RIGHT!!
Not people killing each Other???
Why manifest that?
This is beautiful!!!!!! I don't know much about my African and Caribbean side so it draws me closer I had to teach my self learn from others of what I hear and see I feel that our foreign relatives should have open arms and embrace us here in the U.S. so we can belong settle and be proud of where we descend from
As a Jamaican I know it is to honor your culture especially for the Carribean Americans who were born in the west. It's good to see this. Blessings for the upload.
such beautiful music. It interacts beautiful with the amazing filming... wow
I love Caribbean accents. 😍 Great documentary.
This is so wonderful, beautiful and vibrant. I think that people from all the different areas and ethnicities of NYC should come and learn about this celebration of life
This film deserves an Oscar!! I am wet eyed, right now. Really really great job. Thank you for this.
08:15 wow. an ex cop is worried about violent cops...that says a lot about the state of law enforcement in america.
Where my Trinis at🇹🇹🇹🇹?
Jahz right here💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹💃🏾💯🇹🇹🎉🎈🎊
♨️♥️♥️♥️🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹
👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹
I love seeing this old man talk, I'm sure he would have so much to tell, I'm glad that he is free to speak , may everyone be happy and free
Thanks from Trinidad for covering this @VICE
Ive never heard of this before. Very beautiful. Its like a colorful, energetic, living breathing art performance. I dont understand the violence and I pray for the victims. How can anyone want to hurt another human is something I will never understand.
Don't blame J'overt celebration. Blame police attitudes toward black communities. If the NYPD took their jobs seriously they would instantly distinguish criminal activity from J'overt celebrants and weed them out. But they don't do that. They just see black.
How about if people at jouvert learn to control themselves or don’t bother coming to jouvert. It’s always someone else’s fault isn’t it? Let’s see what happens this year
I love the way he covers his stories, he really connects with his subjects to bring us the true story
I absolutely love this. I love to see representation that you didn't even realize you don't normally see. This is culture, this is art, and this doesn't have an underlying anti-white message that seems to trigger the VICE subscribers that follow VICE simply to dislike videos.
I use to go to Jouvert up until 2 years ago. there i was with my friend dancing to steel pans having a good time and all of a sudden, POW POW POW POW POW Tons off gun shots went off. We started scattering like roaches that just saw light in an abanded brooklyn apartment building. I was shaking in my skirt in that 711 store... I later fount out that 2 boys lost their life right by where i was standing... It could have been my life or anybody's in that erea.. I always heard about shootings at Jouvert but i didnt let it stop me from going up until it happen so close to me. That was a wake up call.. I wont be apart of the festivities although i live in Flatbush brooklyn unfortunately
I thought NYC is a gun free zone?
agentofchaos1. What are u talking about, no one cares about your bullshit political views and that's if your comment is meant to be sarcastic.
Chanelle Mulan
Yea I used to go faithfully every years. It’s gotten worse tho. Even the stuff that isn’t reported. Once night comes just go home. Joubert isn’t safe anymore.
This documentary was awesome!!!
"Theater of the Streets" So grateful for our rich and diverse Caribbean culture. Disappointed that culture-less youth damage our rich festivals with violence. Fyah fi dem!!!
-
THIS is the content VICE got famous for (at least on CZcams) PLEASE make more!
🇹🇹 peace! This was a great documentary. Island culture is beautiful.
Haha 2016 J'ouvert was litttt! Definetly gotta schedule some time off from work this year!!
That looks incredibly fun. The Caribbean has birthed some wonderful individuals.
This was one of best docs by Vice ever.
wow, sounds like such a beautiful amd fun celebration. i would love to witness or even be a part of it.
Samuel Rexroat pull up to Brooklyn
Be safe tho. Once it gets to night time. Pack it up and go home. Too much drama and beef starts to arise. Don’t wanna get caught in the crossfire.
No you don’t
I love my rich black culture, I love my homeland 🇹🇹 and I love my home Brooklyn !!! May our culture never die !! 🙏🏽
The paint, makeup and costumes are so awesome. Food looks great too. It's horrible that there's the violence going on.
You know it’s that time of year when the pandemic has you watching these in mourning 😭
shout out to all my haitians that used to represent when being haitian was considered uncool aka the haitian booty scratcher era. So many haitians used to claim they were from other countires lol
I remember those days Zoe early 90s
I wish I grew up and lived here. I grew up in poinciana fl, were there is Little to no representation of West Indians and West Indian culture. My mom brought my family to a community of mostly Hispanic cultural background in which their culture was always represented and outshined Jamaican, trini, Zoe, etc. cultures. This is the sense of community I’ve wanted but never got. A good number of my family lives in Brooklyn and always wanted to meet them.
Wubenzz dabbing behind his mom when she was talking too willie LOOOOOOOOOOOL
I think there is a lot of nostalgia regarding the carnival in early days. My parents attended one of the first ones in the late 1960s in Brooklyn, Crown Heights. There were shootings in the 1970s and 1980s. The last one I went to would have been around the late 1990s. I can't recall whether there was a j'ouvert back then, but the parade on Eastern Parkway lasted all day and all night. It is good to represent the culture, but the violence is too much. I don't need to go to a parade to experience freedom. I experience freedom to live freely within my family and communal groups that empower me. I know I'm Caribbean American, I don't need to go to the parade to remember that. I can experience ties to my cultural heritage in different ways, including the times when I visit the local churches to celebrate homecoming weekend and there are people from all the islands sharing our heritage, food and music.
Damn. Me and the homies used to go to Joubert faithfully every year, but we’ve slowed down on it after the past few years. The violence is just too out of hand. Anybody planning on going to Joubert in bk be safe
*Where are my Trinbagonians at?* 🇹🇹
Yes
Really good doc...the interviewer had a great vibe and open mind.
Awesome another beautiful, touching video.
this would be amazing to see and be apart of. love it
J'ouvert? I choose life, boi.
Excellent job portraying the feeling
Totally feel the vibe!
here in London we got something similar but multinational noting hill carnival
Deniss Abramenko ... except they use knives to stab each other up here, not guns. this looks way more authentic than NHC
Beautiful.
Rest in peace to the two young people that lost their lives that night. How heartbreaking amongst a sea of awsome energised and real depth celebration.
Jouvet looks absolutely amazing but why do people have to die?
This was beautifully done !
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
J'ouvert isn't the cause of the violence. People die every day on those streets.
Haven't missed a year yet!!
IG - Northside_Shaq. W
IG - Northside_Shaq W
Unfortunately because of COVID-19, this year its canceled
Besides the violence, it's really nice to see people come together and celebrate like this! It's pretty interesting how diverse this festival is and how it came to be. Again, besides the idiots with guns, I feel like this can bring peace and unity between all people! :D We need more of this - people celebrating life and not caring about the problems for a while, putting their differences aside.
absolutely stunning storytelling guys well done
What a lovely culture, its sad that theres allways violence..
Masomitsu
Because of hoodlums.
It should be for caribbean ppl only!
once u start letting outsider in there will be violence!! Outsiders don't appreciate nor understand the culture. This event never used to be like this!!
@@Mrs.T305 but you realise that the perps ARE young caribbean people, or first generation Americans. We are our own enemies. once the older heads like Roy Pierre keep at it and try to instill an appreciation of the mas art then it will change. 🇹🇹🇹🇹
I enjoyed Jouvert more when it wasn't being controlled by police. It is not our faults that some people come outside with negative intensions and we all should not have to suffer because of other people's actions. It saddens me that people have lost their lives but it is not everyone's fault my culture should not suffer. I miss the old days of Jouvert but that's not stopping my fun ladies.
I just played Jouvert with Pagwah Mas last week for Labor Day. It was a fantastic experience. Very powerful & spiritual Fortunately and Unfortunately the mode of Jouvert has changed in NYC of course due to the a violence . However I have been a masquerader for numerous yrs and play mas 7 times or more a yr . NYC will always have violence. Carnival or not. Get to know your culture !!! I'm a grandma and they continue the traditional already
This video made me feel good in these troubled times :)
The end reminded me of the Brazilian film Orpheu Negro. Life and death in Carnaval. It's so weird to see my hood portrayed with such dignity in the media
#sakapfet
Faisaluvs I saw that it’s a great movie.
He should of lime with grenadians everybody know Jouvert is a major Grenadian ting. How you have a dutty mass documentary without ppl from Grenada. The guy in the documentary is mad cute omg
CHEEKY DON 🇬🇩🇬🇩
Lol. I Had too
jouvert is from trinidad and tobago my friend .grenada cant compare to trinidad jouvert . please
jahruze you got it wrong, the Grenadians started jouvert, it’s their thing, and you know there’s a lot of Grenadians in Trinidad right?
@@daguillera she never say Grenadians started but it's our thing we Have The BEST
And safest crime free
Not even a gun shot or stabbing
@@vhsvuitton131 just cuz its a lot of greenz people in trini doesnt mean tbey started jouvert. Trini started jouvert grenada just specialize in it.
interesting documentary! And it looks like so much fun haha
i went 2 years ago and had so much fun
When lost, dance. True words.
yall should be in Trinidad right now where it all started.
Zee Don't throw it in our face. Lol Some of us cant take a vaca right now.
Chanelle Mulan no Vaca... just life lol I'm not there either. Wish I was.
Zee if I could, I would 😢
Tamia M lol how you gon say it ain't start there then not say where it started?? There's a reason we're the best.
Tamia M What are you out of your mind! The entire idea if carnival especially jouvay started in TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO It is documented through out history and the rest of the Caribbean copied carnival from us. They aren't even putting the correct information out at all
really interesting. good job.
23:42 Haha! I knew they had a connection! You can see it in their eyes in the interview earlier. Lucky boy.
19:22 I died when they came out as Obama 😂💀
joseph washington rip
Dude stuck out like a sore thumb
Honestly 😂
J'ouvert weekend looks awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was beautiful!
its honestly been a minute since iv seen dark skinned people tbh everyone's light skinned these days
Hilarious comment.
Captain Masterpiece looool
Where?
Facts though, light skin with curly hair 😒
interesting video. reminds me of Caribana in toronto. Although I still don't really understand the meaning and background of jouvert, it seems very spiritual and meaningful to many people so it's a shame that violence has to penetrate it
Shucks ......WHAT IS SO SPIRITUAL ABOUT IT????? this is idol worship at its raunchiest. it's a dark celebration; an excuse for half naked vulgarity that's why evil is attracted to it. African americans do not do these types of festival. yes, our ancestors were thankful to be free too, but we thanked the Lord with praises. these folks with their face paint, horns and whatnot look like they are ready for cannibalism after sex. In Saint Martin we were begged to attend the festival that was going on there by one of the male residents but we declined. he wouldn't let up so we finally told him yeah but didn't go.
@Dorry for some it is 2 sides of the same spiritual coin. NOLA has Fat Tuesday-Mardi Gras before Ash Wednesday. That spirituality has African Roots, the colonizers brought Christianity and removed "Exodus" so selected followers would not ask questions or want to "escape". I can see how some from the Bible Belt would distance themselves from the paganism/other spirituality.
Dorry Bluey youre very ignorant. You don't know about my culture at all.
this is a beautiful cover thank you
I grew up in Crown Heights and never had a problem. We love the parade and festivities. The food on the parkway is tasty. It’s the one time of the year I get to go mingle and party.
It’s actually fascinating to me how u can go to almost any Caribbean country and never witness a single murder during carnival time but here in the states it’s to be expected. At this point I’m convinced the cultural disconnect is responsible for our self hatred. We all just need to go home 😔
My take is that we all also are still traumatized by the after effects of slavery and all other things that revolves with the WS planned and well executed dehumanization of we Africans far and wide. SELF HATRED...🇨🇼🇩🇲🇨🇦
Does anybody know the literal meaning of J'ouvert? I know ouvert in french means open, so is it a shortened form of Jour Ouvert(open day) or something?
Jouvert means "open day" or as we say inEnglish, "break of dawn". Just means early morning
It looked so much fun, I wanna play too~!
J'ouvert use to be super cool back in the day. They would start the night before and walk all through my neighborhood. It use to be an all night thing. The J'ouvert you have today has been tremendously cut back.