The country’s tourism minister, Senator Robert Tonge, has hailed the official opening of Carnival 2019 as a major success.
On Saturday the keys to the City of Roseau were handed over to the Chairman of the Carnival Committee, Gerard Cools-Lartigue, to signal the official start of this year’s celebrations.
The celebrations were launched 6 weeks before Carnival in order to show the world the unique and colourful aspects of Dominica’s Carnival.
“I want to thank my cabinet Ministers and also the Minister of Finance for continuing to provide us with the guidance and the financial support to make this event the success that it is,” he said while delivering remarks at the official launch of Carnival held at the Windsor Park Forecourt . “We have provided much support to many of the participating persons here today and I am very happy to say that we had a very successful national parade.”
According to Tonge, the government, through the Ministry of Tourism, is fully committed to continue pushing tourism and culture to the next level.
“We have ensured that we speak with many of the stakeholders before we do anything. In that way, whatever we do is done in the best interest of all persons,” he said.
Meantime, Director of Tourism, Colin Piper, has stated that this year, Dominica is indicating to the world that it is a resilient nation, “and we are ready and opened for business.”
“This opening parade was intended to do just that,” he noted.
He went on to say that in Dominica, the Carnival committee wants the events to become world class and in promoting these events, invite visitors to the island.
“When visitors come they spend money and they inject foreign exchanges into the economy,” Piper explained. “This is good for the livelihood and people and so we encourage that.”
He called on visitors to come to Dominica and be part of Mas Domnik 2019.
Mas Domnik 2019 is being celebrated under the theme: “A Sizzling Explosion”.
Success my azz!! Where was the calypso? The sensay was pwes in the back of the parade. Who are the organizers of the ‘parade”? The parade was long but clearly very disorganized. I am sure we can do much better than that
Thats was looking DREAD! the floats were lack luster, the arrangements looked last minute, and as usual, there is no separations and all cat and dog think it is their right to walk all through the parade or stand in the road. Dominicans can go to as much school as they want, we still lack a sense of class these days. but it was hailed a success.
Visual art is a large component of Carnival and Culture and it would be helpful if the creative arts in general could be given greater attention.
This year only three students in Dominica are sitting CXC in Visual Art and in previous years results from those that sat the exam have been appallingly low.
Unless art is given the attention it deserves, Dominica will never reach its full potential, whether it be in Carnival or anything else. We have the potential but we are neglecting to nurture talent and hence it is going to waste.
I must agree with you, however, this issue stems far beyond the heads that preside and can be traced back to our how us as a people have shifted ideologically speaking. Our parents (and I am speaking of those before me and of my generation attached an image of sophistication to a Jacket and Tie lifestyle and so we headed in that direction. However, I must say that this current generation has bitten into the concept of innovation and it is actually a good thing to see that at least we have a 3 who have seen it fit to tread down this path, you would not have seen that here in the 90’s to early 2000’s. I believe it is a trend that will be adopted once proven a success. This has been the trend of us a people who are quite reserved. My only heartache is that the modernization and Americanized ideologies always seem to override our basis such as agriculture.
OK boys, you made the right soundbites. Resilience, next level, open for business. Don’t worry Papa Doc Doc looking benevolent on you, just don’t make waves.