CARIFESTA XII has proven to be an ideal opportunity for Barbadian culture to be presented to the region.
With only four days until the close of CARIFESTA XII in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, has lauded the Barbadian delegation for producing outstanding works of art that showcase Barbadian culture to the wider Caribbean.
Commenting on the many events and exhibitions staged by Barbados, the Culture Minister noted that each event helped to create a curiosity about Barbadian culture while also promoting the country’s heritage. “They’ve seen the Echoes of Resistance play; the grand market exhibitions; and of course our famous tuk bands and the Mother Sallys and the stilt walkers.”
Lashley added that Dr Marcia Burrowes’ presentation entitled, Masquerade, Memories, Identities- Psychological Maronnage in a Sterile Colonial Environment also highlighted a specific aspect of Barbadian cultural tradition. “They’ve seen the Landship performing at various events and there has been a great response to the Landship and a curiosity as to what the Landship is all about. I think Dr. Burrowes’ presentation in the symposium has been able to put that within its context.”
Referring to a musical showcase, which saw performances from the 1688 Collective and Barbadian singer Biggie Irie, the Minister noted that “the Haitian crowd has shown that they really love to hear good Caribbean music.
“I believe the events that we have participated in have seen a really good response. It’s really magical to see the responses from the audiences so far, to all of the performances,” Lashley continued.
However, while reflecting on the present successes the Minister also noted that even as the Barbadian delegation continued its excellent displays and performances, they were still focused on the official handing over of CARIFESTA from Haiti to Barbados.
“We are looking very carefully at the execution of this CARIFESTA to ensure that we can learn from the various areas (seen). We want to go into 2017 with a bang, and I believe that we are paying attention (to this) learning experience from Haiti. There is a lot that Barbados can learn and can gain from this experience,” he added.
Two thousand and seventeen will be the second time Barbados has hosted the regional festival; the country first hosted the event in 1981. (BGIS)
