Caribbean Festival of Arts, commonly known as CARIFESTA, is an annual festival for promoting arts of the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
with a different country hosting the event each year. It was started to provide a venue to "depict the life of the people of the Region, their heroes, morals, myths, traditions, beliefs, creativity and ways of expression"
by fostering a sense of Caribbean unity, and motivating artists by showing the best of their home country. It began under the auspices of Guyana's then President
Forbes Burnham
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (20 February 1923 – 6 August 1985) was a Guyanese politician and the leader of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana from 1964 until his death in 1985. He served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1980 and then as its f ...
in 1972, who was inspired by other singular arts festivals in the region.
Events
According to the
CARICOM Organisation, CARIFESTA aims to:
[Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.](_blank)
* depict the life of the people of the region - their heroes, morale, myth, traditions, beliefs, creativeness, ways of expression.
* show the similarities and the differences of the people of the Caribbean and Latin America
* create a climate in which art can flourish so that artists would be encouraged to return to their homeland.
* awaken a regional identity in Literature.
* stimulate and unite the cultural movement throughout the region.
Performing arts
The festival includes both a cultural opening and closing ceremony.
Presentations range from elaborate musical productions to comedy, fantasy, ritual, history, folk plays and legend. Some of the artists from the first CARIFEST include Conjunto Folklorico Nacionale of
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, the Ol'Higue and Baccos of Guyana,
Shango
Shango (Yoruba language: Ṣàngó, also known as Changó or Xangô in Latin America; and as Jakuta or Badé) is an Orisha, a deity in Yoruba religion. Genealogically speaking, Shango is a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third Alaafin ...
dancers from
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
, Shac Shac musicians from
Dominica
Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...
. Concerts, recitals and musical shows provide folk rhythms, jazz, as well as pop, classics. There are Indian tablas, African drums, Caribbean
steel pan
The steelpan (also known as a pan, steel drum, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists.
Descriptio ...
, piano, violin, flute and guitar. Traditional dance reflecting the wide array of diversity in the Caribbean including Javanese dancing, intricate ballet, earthy folk plays, dramatic modern choreography, classical Indian movements, spontaneous improvisations and pop.
Visual arts
Exhibitions include sculpture, graphics, paintings, drawings, and photographs. Craft demonstrations of ceramics, wood carving, painting and drawing.
Literature
An anthology of new writing from the Caribbean region is produced for CARIFESTA, and authors often launch their works at the festivals. There are also poetry recitals and lecture discussions at universities and Conference centres.
Culture education
Host countries such as Guyana and Suriname that boast diverse heritage showcase historical exhibits and anthropological studies of the
indigenous people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
. There are events and activities for children and families.
Host countries
History
The idea of CARIFESTA was based on a similar event that took place in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
in 1952. When
Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown is the capital (political), capital and largest city of Guyana. It is situated in Demerara-Mahaica, region 4, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, at the mouth of the Demerara River. It is nicknamed the "Garden City of the Caribbean." It is t ...
hosted a Caribbean Writers and Artists Convention in 1966 and 1970, it encouraged President
Forbes Burnham
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (20 February 1923 – 6 August 1985) was a Guyanese politician and the leader of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana from 1964 until his death in 1985. He served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1980 and then as its f ...
to host an arts festival on a grander scale, thus CARIFESTA was created and took place in 1972. Guyana had recently gained independence, which prompted a need to "develop a Caribbean personality." The success of this festival led to the "establishment of a permanent unit within the Secretariat" under the new
CARICOM organization, grating them oversight and establishing different hosts among the territories of the Caribbean.
A commemorative stamp was issued in Guyana to mark the occasion.
In 2008 a task force was set up by CARICOM to develop and identify financing for cultural industries in the region. Dr. Hilary Brown, CARICOM Secretariat’s Programme Manager for Culture and Community Development, made this announcement at the 21st Meeting of the Regional Cultural Committee (RCC), which opened at the Courtyard Marriott in Paramaribo, Suriname, on December 1.“The Caribbean Community welcomes the offer of the Government of Suriname to host CARIFESTA XI in 2013 and we are all looking forward to the event with great anticipation, she stated,” noting that CARICOM was at a “crossroads in the development of this highly valued regional expose’ of Caribbean arts and culture.”
In 2009, CARIFESTA returned to Guyana, attracting over 1000 participants of all ages.
In July 2012 in
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...
, Haitian President
Michel Martelly
Michel Joseph Martelly (; born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016. He was sanctioned by the Canadian Government for his involvement in human rights violations ...
expressed interest in hosting CARIFESTA to increase cultural relations with other neighboring nations.
2013 - Apart from the 15-member CARICOM grouping, the event plans to attract countries of the
Union of South American Nations
The Union of South American Nations (USAN; es, links=no, Unión de Naciones Suramericanas, UNASUR; pt, links=no, União de Nações Sul-Americanas, UNASUL; nl, links=no, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties, UZAN; French: ''Union des nations s ...
(UNASUR), of which Suriname became a full member. President
Dési Bouterse
Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse (; born 13 October 1945) is a Surinamese military officer, politician, convicted murderer and drug trafficker who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987, he was Suriname's ''de facto ...
anticipated that Suriname would host more than 2,000 participants, given the fact that the contingents from each country should number at least 50. The festival was held in the historic wooden inner city of
Paramaribo
Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's ...
and the organizers said “from the Independence Square and the Presidential Palace, down to the heart of town, people are supposed to feel that CARIFESTA is in town. Paramaribo is going to be a Festival City that week”.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
hosted the event in 2019 from August 16 to 25 for the fourth time under the theme "Connect, Share Invest". Twenty-four countries registered to attend, including non-CARICOM countries such as
Curaçao
Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coast ...
, Colombia, and
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
. The hub of CARIFESTA XIV was Caribbean Grand Market located in
Queen's Park Savannah
Queen's Park Savannah (QPS) is a park in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Known locally as simply "the Savannah", it is Port of Spain's largest open space. It occupies about of level land, and the distance around the perimeter is about 2.2&n ...
with over 100 events across both islands.
References
{{Reflist
External links
CARIFESTA- Official Website
Historical CARIFESTA documentsin th
Digital Library of the Caribbean
Arts festivals in the Bahamas
Arts festivals in Barbados
Arts festivals in Cuba
Arts festivals in Guyana
Arts festivals in Haiti
Arts festivals in Jamaica
Arts festivals in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Arts festivals in Suriname
Arts festivals in Trinidad and Tobago
Latin American festivals