CEO of the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), Colin Piper has announced that five communities have agreed to participate in the Roseau National Traditional Band Parade on Carnival Monday.
He made that announcement while addressing the official media launch of Mas Domnik 2017- The Real Mas held at the Fort Young Hotel on Thursday.
“DDA and DFC have established a better working relation with the communities or village Carnivals,” he said. “I am happy to announce that we have reached agreement with organizing committees of Portsmouth, Kalinago Territory, St Joseph, Mahaut and Grandbay that assures the participation in the Roseau National Traditional Band Parade on Carnival Monday.”
He made it clear that DDA will assist with transportation and a contribution to their Carnivals, “and we are also working to finalize an additional prize for the largest of those community troops that will be taking part in our Monday national parade.”
Piper stated further that for the first time in a while organizers will centralize the shows at what they are now calling the Eddie Andre Carnival City in Pottersville. The Carnival City is now named after Andre who was a famous pan player. He passed away on Monday 10th, January 2014.
“We anticipate up to 9 shows at Carnival City,” Piper stated. “We will also open the City on selected days from 4:00pm to 9:00pm with food, music and beverages available to patrons.”
He said there will also be a children’s playing area and a Mobile LED Screen to show movies and excerpts of past Carnivals on the large screen.
Piper also revealed that on the road on Carnival Monday Midnight Groovers and the Original Bouyon Pioneers will perform to bring back the tradition and nostalgia.
“And on Tuesday we will be working with the First Serenade to ensure that they are on the road to provide the Calypsos that we all know and love,” he noted.
He mentioned further that a will team will be travelling abroad to St Maarten and Antigua and Barbuda to begin the overseas promotions.
“We are doing that because we have access through WINAIR coming from St Martin and obviously LIAT through Antigua and of course there will be others,” Piper explained. “So we will be using a mix of online media platforms and traditional media to mobilize public support and participation to the festivities.”
He said the team at DDA and DFC together with volunteers will be fully engaged over the next several weeks in planning for and implementing many planned activities.
Additionally Piper noted that the DDA and its stakeholders must work hand-in-hand to ensure effective planning and execution of these events in order for Dominica to truly benefit from these activities both culturally and economically.
“As a country we must take greater ownership of the Carnival Program by organizing in our communities, blocks, grouping of friends and schools to create a more vibrant and dynamic Carnival,” he said.
According to Piper, “DDA alone cannot guarantee the success of Carnival, but DDA working with our partners in the public sector will play a leadership role in the planning and promotion of the activities, but more needs to be done at the local level to support the national program.”
He encouraged every Dominican to come out and support the various activities.
The two days of street jump-up will be held on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th of February.
That is exactly what is happening my friend, it looks like SKERRRIT own D/ca bus!!
Five DLP party constituencies will participate in the carnival traditional band parade. I believe Singing Stars, WCK and Triple K from the constituency of Roseau should demand that they should be assisted or boycott the parade. Salisbury, Marigot, Wesley, Roseau North and Roseau South have carnival bands too, why have they been left out of the CBI money. Is 2017 doing to be a DLP carnival, maybe the man has started his campaigning for the next general elections.
Spoiler
why is everything politics????? If someone breath to hard, its political breathing
Here we go again, only constituencies that are represented by DLP, will be assisted , and I should not associate the decision to politics. Then I will say it again, why isn’t Marigot which is represented by the UWP get assistance too.
Bro get a life nuh? Your brainpipe will burst we padna. Just chill, relax, try to enjoy life and the carnival and ease off the political paranoia you and the likes of you are suffering from.