[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14250-14251]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 A TRIBUTE TO ST. BLASE ``KC'' CHARLES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2004

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of St. Blase ``KC'' Charles 
in recognition of his

[[Page 14251]]

significant cultural and economic development contributions to the 
community.
  St. Blase Charles, better known as KC, hails from the twin island 
nation of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. He has been an 
entertainer for more than 30 years. Famous for his Caribbean-style 
rendition of the ``father of soul,'' Mr. James Brown, KC is also 
affectionately known as the ``Local James Brown'' throughout the 
entertainment circles in North America and members of his international 
fan club. Along with his own musical group, the International Band, KC 
has performed at major events and famous places including the West 
Indian Labor Day Parade in Brooklyn, the Harlem Day Parade, Manhattan's 
Annual Halloween Parade, the MGM and Sahara casino in Las Vegas, and 
the Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises, just to name a few.
  KC's summer concerts were launched in 1989 at his garage at East 87th 
Street in East Flatbush, Brooklyn where he held a huge block party on 
Memorial Day. In order to accommodate the growing crowd that came to 
yearly event, in 1991, KC moved his Caribbean style street festival to 
Ditmas Avenue near his East 87th Street garage. The event covered ten 
blocks. The event continued at Ditmas Avenue until 1996, when KC took 
his show and a loyal following of thousands to its new home on Atlantic 
Avenue.
  Spanning 10,000 square feet and a maximum occupancy of 4,300, the 
Hideaway is a spacious outdoor venue located at 2494 Atlantic, in an 
industrial section of Brooklyn. Since 1998, the Hideaway, which is 
owned and managed by KC, has been hosting its hallmark Summer Concert 
Series featuring today's leading soca, calypso, and reggae musical acts 
from around the Caribbean and here in the United States. Along with top 
performers, the Hideaway showcases some of the most popular Caribbean-
American DJs. It is also equipped with a fully licensed bar, a 
professional sized stage, and an elevated VIP lounge where performing 
artists and special guests can view and enjoy the shows.
  KC's Hideaway has become a major attraction for thousands of 
Caribbean music lovers from around the world who are drawn to Brooklyn, 
the Caribbean Capital of the United States, year after year to 
celebrate the West Indian Labor Day Carnival season, which begins in 
May. The venue stages around 66 shows a year and the number of 
concertgoers has steadily increased over the past three years. The 
concert grew from an audience of about 80,000 for the season in 1998, 
to approximately 165,000 for this season.
  Mr. Speaker, St. Blase ``KC'' Charles has developed and created a 
major cultural event in his community, which has brought thousands of 
people to Brooklyn each year to celebrate their Caribbean heritage. As 
such, he is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I 
urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.

                          ____________________