The Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (CARIFESTA) was conceived out of an appeal from a regional gathering of artists who were at the time participating in a Writers and Artists Convention in Georgetown, Guyana in 1970 and which coincided with Guyana’s move to Republican Status.

The three main considerations with regard to the staging of CARIFESTA were:

• the Festival should be inspirational and should provide artists with the opportunity
• to discuss among themselves techniques and motivations
• it should be educational in that the people of the Caribbean would be exposed to the values emerging from the various art forms
• and it should relate to people and be entertaining on a scale and in a fashion that would commend itself to the Caribbean people

The regional creative festival was first held in Georgetown, Guyana in 1972, attracting creative artistes from over 30 Caribbean and Latin American countries.

It is a celebration of the ethnic and racial diversity which separately and collectively created cultural expressions that are wonderfully unique to the Caribbean.

The cultural village life of CARIFESTA is intended to be a mixture of the States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); the wider Caribbean, Latin America; and a representation of Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

It is a vision of the peoples with roots deep in Asia, Europe and Africa, coming together to preform their art forms and embracing literature inspired by the Caribbean’s own peculiar temperament; paintings drawn from the awe inspiring tropical ecology; and the visionary inheritance of our forefathers

The symbol of the first CARIFESTA was a dark hand rising grasping the sun, depicting the skills and aspirations of the tropical man with talent untold.

CARIFESTA aims to:

• depict the life of the people of the Region, their heroes, morale, myth, traditions, beliefs, creativeness, and ways of expression
• show the similarities and differences of the people of the Caribbean generally
• create a climate in which art can flourish so that artists would be encouraged to return to their homeland; and
• awaken a regional identity in Literature

Ten years later, the occasion of CARIFESTA V which was held in Trinidad and Tobago in 1992 was a watershed event in the development and promotion of the arts and culture in the Region.

This exposition took on a new focus with linkages to the overall national programmes for the development of the arts and culture to ensure the complete harmonisation of objectives and effectiveness across the Region.

CARIFESTA has so far been staged seven times:-

 

**********

CARIFESTA 1, 1972!!!

What is CARIFESTA?

CARIFESTA is a three week exposition of art in all its forms - music, dance, drama, sculpture, painting, literature, craft, photography, folk art - from 31 Caribbean and Latin American countries.

It’s varied programme will include exhibitions, displays, demonstrations, concerts, recitals, discussions, pageantry, plays, an amusement park, and a youth village.

CARIFESTA will extend from August 25 to September 15.

CARIFESTA AIMS TO:

…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.

HOW CARIFESTA ‘72 WAS BORN

The origin of CARIFESTA ‘72, the Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts to be held in Guyana from August 25 to September 15 lies in history. Two successive Conferences of outstanding Caribbean Writers and Artists in 1966 and 1970 recommended to the Prime Minister of Guyana that they would welcome the invitation to an annual Festival of the Arts.

The Prime Minister had related his vision of a cultural mecca for the Region’s people. It was a vision of peoples with roots deep in Asia, Europe and Africa coming together to share, to perform their art forms. The dream embraced the literature inspired by our peculiar Caribbean temperament, paintings inspired by our tropical jungles and art visualising our forefathers in the distant past.

WHO WILL COME TO CARIFESTA ‘72?

More than a thousand creative artists drawn from the peoples of more than 30 Caribbean and Latin American countries will display the creative activity of music, dance, drama, folk art, painting, sculpture, photography and literature. Thousands of visitors will be attracted by the art forms of the peoples of the wider Caribbean and will revel in the cultural cosmos of lore and legend mixed with the gay spontaneity of the Caribbean and Latin America peoples.

The programme is expected to include the folk chants and movements of the Conjunto Nacional of Cuba, the exotic Ibo dancers from Haiti and the sophisticated National Dance Company of Jamaica.

Masquerade bands and Steel bands from participating countries will lead the masses in Caribbean style through the streets of the capital of the Co-operative Republic. Also expected are the colour of Djuka and the Javanese from Suriname, and the unique Rastafarian folk artists from Jamaica.

Guyana, the host country, is sparing no resource and energy to achieve a Festival of unprecedented standard.

The song “Welcome to CARIFESTA”, composed and sung by popular Guyanese calypsonian Malcolm Corrica (Lord Canary) has been chosen as the CARIFESTA Theme Song.

WELCOME TO CARIFESTA

Welcome to CARIFESTA ‘72
Oh what a great cultural break-through
The whole Caribbean territory,
South and Central America will be
Getting together and taking part
In this Festival of Creative Arts
Where Drama, concerts, folk groups and dance
Art and literature will be in
exuberance.

CHORUS

CARIFESTA ‘72
CARIFESTA I’m inviting you
To twenty-two days of education,
frolic and un,
CARIFESTA ‘72
CARIFESTA it’s a big to-do
We welcome you to CARIFESTA ‘72

The dark hand rising grasping the sun,
Depicts the skills and aspirations of
the tropical man with talent untold.
All of this CARIFESTA will unfold,
The children pageant, the children
art exhibition
Will sure please your heart.
So book your passage B.W.I.A.
For CARIFESTA ‘72 right away.

STAMP

The CARIFESTA ‘72 Stamp, designed by Guyanese artist George Bowen, will be released on the first day of CARIFESTA.

Persons interested in the collection of philatelic souvenirs will be able to buy first day covers in eight, twenty-five, forty and fifty cents denominations from August 25, CARIFESTA’s opening day.

The CARIFESTA symbol, main feature of the design of the new stamp, was created by Billy Ryan Enterprises, an Antigua based advertising agency

FESTIVAL CITY

Visiting guests and artists will be accommodated at Festival City - 250 houses constructed out of Guyana’s world renowned Greenheart timber - in North Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The houses are furnished with Nibbee living room suites woven by Guyana’s Amerindians. The entire decor is local, making use of Guyana’s woods, her flowers, etc.

Festival City will have its own Bank and Post Office, Resident Doctor and nurses on duty, Police Station, Fire Service, Laundry, restaurants, shops and a transportation pool.

COUNTRIES INVITED

Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, St.Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago, Surinam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Venezuela

EVENTS

DRAMA: This varies from elaborate musical productions like Antigua’s Ballade Antigua to the realism of Trinidad’s Tragi-comedy Rose Slip. Comedy, fantasy, ritual, history, folk plays and legend are all on stage during the three weeks of CARIFESTA.

MUSIC : Concerts, recitals and musical shows provide tantalising folk rhythms, soul searching jazz, as well as pop, classics and ballet. There will be Indian tablas, African drums, Caribbean steel pans, piano, violin, flute and guitar - in other words, music for every taste, including the Madrigalistas de Aragua of Venezuela.

ART: Exhibitions of sculpture, graphics, paintings, drawings, and photographs are a visual testimony of each country’s art forms. Guyanese artists will mount several one-man exhibitions - among them Philip Moor, who is at present Artist-in-Residence at Princeton University, U.S.A.

LITERATURE: An Anthology of New Writing in the Caribbean area is being prepared for CARIFESTA. There will also be poetry recitals and lecture discussions at the University of Guyana and at the Carnegie Free Library.

FOLKLORE: Groups from over a dozen countries reveal the colour and the mystery of Caribbean and Latin American folklore and legend, among them the Conjuncto Folklorico Nacionale of Cuba, Shango Dancers from Trinidad, Shac Shac musicians from Dominica.

CRAFTS: Among the unusual events at CARIFESTA will be live domonstrations on ceramics, wood carving, painting and drawing.

DANCE: This part of the programme is all embracing - it covers courtly Javanese dancing, intricate ballet steps, earthy folk plays, dramatic modern choreography, classical Indian movements, spontaneous improvisations and pop. The Viva Bahia Dancers of Brazil will give several performances

A three day Youth Festival is also planned. This includes a Pageant of the People, mass singing of Guyanese songs, CARIFESTA pop, march past of school children, and art in action.

Most of the shows will have a second run at Guyana’s National Park to facilitate those missed the first performances.

***

 

CARIFESTA SONG:
by Andrew ” Murray” Hendrickson

Up against many external forces
Our people feel the pressure everyday
But bombardment by foreign influences
Could never drive our heritage away.

Chorus:

Carifesta, Carifesta
When people come together to blend their voices as one
Carifesta, Carifesta
When a splendid cultural mix represents the whole region
Carifesta, Carifesta
It’s the pre-cursa of Caribbean Integration
Carifesta, Carifesta
Showing the world how we have fun in the Caribbean.

We are “Embracing our heritage”
And as a beacon it shines throughout the world
Yes the Caribbean has a never ending supply
Of talent and brains more valuable than gold.

Thus reflecting on the Caribbean Arts
Consolidating our Culture making it strong.
Carifesta is an expression of our talents
From strength to strength we know we are moving on.

Bridge:

French Caribbean is moving on
Moving on- Moving on
Spanish Caribbean is moving on
Moving on - Moving on
Dutch Caribbean is moving on
Moving on - Moving on
English Caribbean is moving on
Culturally we are Moving on!

CARIFESTA VII was held in St. Kitts and Nevis from 17-25 August, 2000. More than 1,000 performers, artists, storytellers and lecturers entertained and enlightened audiences with the best that the Caribbean had to offer in the creative arts.

source: Caricom.org

Share This