Carifesta Articles 2006 - 2
The Carifesta Community Festivals: Linking our nation and our Region
John Cupid, cultural historian and a former Director of the Community Festivals mounted during Carifesta described the countrywide celebrations as “the cultural links that will bind and make a new people of the chain of Caribbean islands …”
The tradition of the Carifesta Community Festival began with Trinidad and Tobago. It was felt that it was necessary to develop a nationwide festival in order to involve the entire country in Carifesta and leave a legacy of the festival in the communities. The strategy worked for the long-term; today, many of the committees which were set up in the communities still continue to work, organising and producing results beneficial to the wider community.
This year the Carifesta Community Festivals will be officially launched on September 1st throughout Trinidad and Tobago at special ceremonies in communities such as Fyzabad, Rio Claro, Moruga, Caroni, Princes Town, San Fernando, Matelot and Sangre Grande. Many communities will use the opportunity of Carifesta to honour their icons and present the best of their skills and talents over the period of the festival. The villages will come alive with street parades and processions on the first, as a nation wide clarion call ‘Carifesta is here!’
Once the contingents from across the Caribbean arrive, they will visit the communities, interact with them and share and exchange their talents.
A Taste of the Festivals
There is so much going on our communities this year that the choices can be bewildering. The following is just a small sampling of the more than fifty festivals which will be held throughout Trinidad and Tobago as part of the 2006 Carifesta Community Festivals:
Penal
In Penal, Banwari Trace, there will be a display of artefacts related to the ‘Banwari Man’. The ‘Banwari Man’ refers to a discovery of human skeletal remains which may be traced back some five thousand years. This is one of the oldest remains in this part of the world.
Ramleela
The timing of Carifesta happily coincides for the first time with the Ramleela celebrations. This ancient Hindu festival will now be made accessible to visiting contingents and to all communities within Trinidad and Tobago. It is being regarded as an integral part of the community festivals. Celebrations will be held during Carifesta in Tarouba, Caroni and Felicity.
Carapichaima
The people of Carapichaima will host a special Carifesta Carnival featuring Traditional Carnival characters in particular the Jab Jab.
Moruga
The people of Moruga will this year welcome a contingent of the Warao people who are known to have braved many a treacherous journey travelling from Venezuela to Trinidad, and in so doing inspired the term ‘Indian Trail’.
Gasparillo
In Gasparillo Santa Cruz, the community will establish a Yoruba Village at an existing Orisa shrine.
Diego Martin
At North Post Heritage Park, Diego Martin, the community will host moonlight storytelling events. Traditional foods will be showcased, originally costumed Folk Characters and more.
Arima
The Santa Rosa Carib community will recreate an Amerindian Village as part of its contribution to the Carifesta Community Festival.
Maracas Bay
The community at Maracas Bay will host a Fish and Beach Festival
Siparia
Participants may look forward to a Parang Festival at Siparia
Cedros
Hosay will be celebrated in Cedros during this years’ celebrations
Four Roads Tamana; Santa Cruz
Members of the community will be hosting their own Cocoa Festival; dancing the cocoa, stories, mythology
Plum Mitan
The community is of Plum Mitan is preparing a Sweet Water Fish Festival for its visitors.
Bird Hill
Will present ‘Maticoor Nights’, which is the name given to the celebration two nights before an Indian Wedding.
Tobago
Community Festivals will take place in Tobago in Bucco, Les Coteaux, Charlotteville and Castara
Other Features of the Community Festivals
Community Talk Outs – The celebration of Carifesta in Trinidad and Tobago will be used as an opportunity for people within the communities to get together and discuss topics of concern to them with a view to bringing cohesiveness to village life and to communities as a whole.
Stick Fighting – In Trinidad and Tobago, we are used to Traditional African inspired stick fighting. This year for Carifesta, members of the public will also be presented with the visual treat of Indian Stick fighting called ‘Gatka’. One of the stickfight centres in Trinidad and Tobago is Talparo.
Documentation
Special emphasis is being placed this year on recording what is taking place in our communities. The hosting of Carifesta in Trinidad and Tobago this year will produce a number of benefits for the host country.
It is still true to say that there remains a disconnect between wider Trinidad and Tobago and the mores and practices of our individual villages. The process of preparing to receive our Caribbean neighbours has inspired a great deal of research at the ground level, research which will be invaluable in recording and preserving our nation history. It is an important step towards cementing our own linkages, helping to bring us closer as a people.
It is for this reason also that all citizens are encouraged to take the time to share and participate in the offerings of the communities; it will help us better understand who we are, appreciate our commonalities and marvel at our differences.
Publication of Information
Further, the Carifesta Committee will publish booklets on the individual communities which will be made available to the public. Individual village and communities are being encouraged to make their information available to the secretariat as soon as possible to ensure that they are included in the final list of publication.
The Community Festival schedule for Carifesta this year is extremely extensive, thrilling and unique. The entire Schedule will be published in the print media and will be available on line, or at the secretariat.
Come out everyone and be part of Carifesta 2006 as we celebrate our people and contest the world stage!
Courtesy Carifesta Trinidad and Tobago Committee
Dara Healy (); www.carifesta.net
5
(c)2006