From August 22–31, Barbados will explode in colour, rhythm, and soul. CARIFESTA XV promises a dynamic lineup of theatre, dance, music, and spectacle — and the best part? Most events are free or very low-cost.
This was revealed recently by Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Cultural Foundation Carol Roberts at a specially convened meeting with all mainstream local media.
Roberts said that CARIFESTA XV will comprise multiple performing arts events in various disciplines, with daily readings, fashion shows, and film screenings across community LED screens. Highlights include four Super Concerts at the new Richard Stoute Amphitheatre, including Reggae, World Beat, Vintage Kaiso, and a Caribbean Jazz & Fusion night, a 500-person stilt-walking troupe led by Ife Wilkinson, and a vibrant CARIFESTA Village & Grand Market, already 83 per cent sold out with 291 vendors confirmed, offering everything from handmade crafts to Caribbean cuisine.
The first Super Concert is on the day of the opening ceremony, on August 22. That will feature, for the first time, a CARIFESTA XV all-star band led by Nicholas Branker and comprising top musicians from across the Caribbean.
“We also have a Super Concert night featuring reggae. There is one featuring the various beats of the world, world beat.
“And there is one that is Caribbean jazz, spouge and fusion. And then there is a vintage kaiso night with the likes of Baron and Short Shirt and Gipsy and the Best of Barbados. And the best thing of all is that most of the events are free to the public,” Roberts declared.
The festival director confirmed that the CARIFESTA Village and Grand Market will be at Waterford, St Michael (opposite The Combermere School).
“In that space there is a four-acre tract of land that we are repurposing. We’ve already put down the asphalt, and on top of that, we’re going to put a customised modular tent. So the CARIFESTA XV Village and Grand Market will be approximately 50 000 square feet purpose-built,” Roberts shared.
She said at least 99 per cent of it will be covered on asphalt, well lit, well-secured. Every participating country will have its own booth to display.
“Carifesta is all about buying art, craft, fashion, and food. We have 350 booths. [At June 25] we . . . sold 291. That is going amazingly well. It also features a performing stage and space for 5 000 patrons to stand at any one time to view performances,” she said, adding that art exhibitions will be all across the island in public spaces, the known public spaces and galleries.
She also said another innovation for CARIFESTA XV, ‘Big Conversations’, will invite the public to discuss reparations, youth, music, and climate vulnerability in intimate, engaging circles.
“We are creating moments for people to reason with those who have lived amazing experiences,” Roberts shared.
“CARIFESTA has always featured talk and discussion and scholarship through symposium series. We are going to be having a symposium series again this year. And then we thought that we would also create moments where people could sit in a circle kind of like this but in a circle and chat and reason with people who have had amazing lived experiences and that we would chat and talk about topics that are meaningful to us.
“How music is impacting our youth? Why do reparations matter? The whole question of sustainability and the fact that we are vulnerable simply because of our location.
“But we are also resilient simply because of our ancestry and our struggle in our past. So we are having a series of ‘Big Conversations’ as well.
“The entire island will become a stage — and the world is invited!” (PR)
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