(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Goergetown, Guyana) CARIFESTA X ended Sunday evening in Georgetown after ten days of at times frenetic activities, reflections, soothing night-time chorales, thought-provoking symposia and impressive presentations of art and artforms and other events at various venues throughout Guyana.
The curtains were drawn at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence – the venue where it all began on 22 August – after a colourful, high energy ceremony during which the CARIFESTA baton was passed on to The Bahamas which will host CARIFESTA XI in 2010.
The Bahamas was originally scheduled to host CARIFESTA X. Guyana stepped in a year ago as the alternative host, marking the return of the regional mega-festival to its roots in Georgetown. Guyana was the first country to host CARIFESTA in 1972.
At the Stadium on Sunday, as expected, the 15,000-seat facility was packed. Flags, the Golden Arrowhead of Guyana dominating, provided a sea of colour in the stands as the Masters of Ceremonies encouraged guests to perform the hugely popular `Mexican wave’.
Anticipation was high for the opening act. All eyes turned skywards as Guyana Defence Force (GDF) parachutists tumbled from a Skyvan then glided onto the grounds, setting the tone for a thrilling and fitting end to CARIFESTA X.
A steel pan interlude gave way to a drum fusion of participating countries, led by Guyana, and including Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Bahamas, Suriname and Dominica, which circled the ground, showing their prowess in a well-received display.
Sequence One of the three-part closing programme got underway following the rendition of the National Anthem of Guyana with prayers by Hindu, Christian, and Muslim representatives of Guyana and a blessing in Swahili.
The core of performances of the four-hour closing ceremony resided in Sequence Two. Barbados’ `revolutionary’ dramatic piece, the High Temp Jam Band of Antigua and Barbuda which enlivened the crowd, Saint Lucia’s dance simulation of a cock fight, and an impassioned plea by the Dominicans for Caribbean people to “raise your voices’ and ”dare to be different” were among the acts in that segment.
And, against a backdrop of the colourful spectacle of Junkanoo of the Bahamas, and the roar of approval from the appreciative audience, Dr. Paloma Mohammed, Artistic Director of CARIFESTA X handed over the CARIFESTA scroll to the Hon. Charles Maynard, Minister of State for Culture of The Bahamas. The Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport of Guyana read the contents of the scroll, a portion of which read: “We are Caribbean: see us, know us through CARIFESTA.”
In remarks after accepting the scroll, Minister Maynard lauded the staging of CARIFESTA X by Guyana, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to host the festival in 2010 and extended a welcome to “people of the Caribbean for a joyous celebration”. He also specially invited “the world” to “witness the Caribbean at its best”.
“Guyana has carried CARIFESTA to another level,” he said and pointed out that his country had been provided an “excellent example of a successful CARIFESTA”.
Officially closing CARIFESTA, His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana pointed to the “great service to regionalism” that Guyana had rendered in hosting the festival.
“As a nation we rose to the occasion. We did ourselves proud to put on a CARIFESTA to remember, the biggest CARIFESTA ever,” he said, to rousing applause from the crowd.
Fireworks, the release of balloons into the night sky and a glorious coming together of contingents ended the ceremony.
This time around, several new aspects were added to the repertoire of the Region’s mega-festival including the introduction of religious mini-festivals and the insertion of different elements in the Fashion and Youth Villages.
More than 3,000 artists participated in CARIFESTA X and according to the organisers more than half a million people attended the events at venues throughout the country. CARIFESTA X was held under the theme One Caribbean, One Purpose; Or Culture, Our Life.
