Carifesta 2019: Long Live Caribbean Culture

Written by: Nekisha Cyrus

Long Live Caribbean Culture!

Hailed as a huge success by many, Carifesta 2019, the 10-day Caribbean Festival of the Arts recently held in Trinidad and Tobago, came to a bittersweet end on Sunday 25th August 2019.

The celebration of the diverse culture of the Caribbean was on display throughout the gigantic event. From Fashion, to Film, Food and many more including the sweet syncopated music of the islands: calypso, soca, chutney, reggae, dancehall, zouk, kompa, merinque, and Caribbean jazz were all highlighted at some time or the other. With each island having their own night to spotlight their nation culture and creativity, it was evident that the performing arts of dance and drama is alive and well throughout the region.

One of the main attractions was the ‘Streets of the Caribbean Grand Market’ which showcased many cultural and iconic aspects of some of the islands in the region and was flooded daily by thousands of people; it was totally free of charge to the public.

THE GRAND MARKET 

Photo credits courtesy CARIFESTA

 

At the official closing ceremony, Trinidad & Tobago’s Honorable Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts- Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly labelled the festival a wonderful success as it highlighted our Caribbean identity.  She also compared the event to that of a cultural supernova while urging patrons to take notes from the invaluable lessons gained. As the praises continued to roll in, others commended Trinidad and Tobago for their overall execution of the festival from beginning to end, and for raising the bar to what was once considered an unattainable high.

THE CLOSING CEREMONY

 

As the final curtain closed on this cultural juggernaut the love, the unity, the people and their talents all played a crucial role in the overall success that was inevitable in the end. And with the official passing of the baton to Antigua and Barbuda who will be the next Carifesta host in 2021, we at Caribbean Entertainment Hub are already looking forward to CARIFESTA XV.

We truly enjoyed bringing you coverage of this magnificent display of Caribbean culture. Just in case you missed any of it you can visit our related articles and YouTube channel Carifesta XIV playlist to enjoy some of the amazing CARIFESTA XIV memories including performances from the closing ceremony as seen below.

 

 

 

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Hashtags: #Carifesta2019 #Carifestaxiv #Closingceremony #Culture #Festival #Music #Dance #TrinidadandTobago #AntiguaandBarbuda #Caribbean

 

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