Organizers of the 13th edition of the Jazz n’ Creole Festival are promising an event that transcends the ordinary this year. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has been a symphony of cultural harmony showcasing our island’s rich heritage.
This year’s festivities commence on Sunday, April 28, and culminate on Monday, May 6, 2024, with the main stage event on Sunday, May 5.
“We promise an event that transcends the ordinary,” Acting Tourism Minister, Chekira Lockhart-Hypolite said while delivering remarks at the launching ceremony held at the Realm in Roseau on Friday. “Expect a festival that not only entertains but also inspires, creating memories that linger after the last note fades.”
According to her, the festival is a testament to Dominica’s cultural renaissance in its approaches to tourism.
“We see culture as an integral component of our economy and the social fabric of our communities,” Lockhart-Hypolite stated.
She continued, “It is a catalyst for development intertwining the threats of tradition and modernity and reinforcing our island’s reputation as a destination where there is a symphony between culture and nature driving forward our tourism sector with authenticity and innovation.”
She pointed out that in the nature island, visitors [aspire] to actively engage with the country’s communities, heritage, partaking in experiences that are educational, creative, and entertaining, “ultimately fostering a sustainable ecosystem that thrives on mutual respect and shared value.”
As Dominica gears up for this highly anticipated event, Lockhart-Hypolite called on all to visualize a week where every day offers a new discovery, highlighting the best of Dominican culture presented through our music, art, fashion, and flavours.
“This culmination of festivities intends to allow all patrons to indulge in the authentic essence of Dominica in every component,” she noted.
Furthermore, she indicated that the government’s goal for tourism is to allow the festival to serve as a lighthouse, attracting visitors from across the globe to Dominica’s shores, “contributing significantly to our vision of welcoming 500,000 stayover visitors by 2030.”
“It’s a cultural magnet drawing guests from the French West Indies, the USA, and beyond, creating a stream of global connection,” Lockhart-Hypolite explained.
Meanwhile, Lockhart-Hypolite highlighted the ‘IInDat’ initiative, a movement that encourages everyone to take pride in the country’s Creole Heritage.
“As we immerse ourselves in the symphony of Jazz n’Creole, let us all embrace the spirit of ‘IInDat’ making Creole Fusion not only the theme of our attire, but the signature of our lifestyle,” she urged. “This initiative invites us, our businesses, our families, and our communities to be the living embodiment of our culture, proudly integrating the madras fabric.”
During an interview in March 2023, Marketing Consultant of the ‘IInDat’ initiative, Vanessa Winston St. Agathe told Dominica News Online (DNO) that the initiative which was introduced by Ian ‘Sugar George’ Edwards of Anguilla encourages Dominicans to wear anything that depicts Creole culture every last Friday in every month beginning in 2023 and beyond.
It is seen as a lifestyle for every individual, business, and related entity to embrace with pride.
“The initiative is supposed to be a movement of pride and a calendar event…celebrating our Creole culture through fashion,” she said. “And once people get the whole fashion going you will find the whole tone is set.”
Following the staging of the 12th annual Jazz n’ Creole last year, Tourism Minister Denise Charles-Pemberton stated that the event recorded a 59% increase in attendance.
She revealed that the festival also saw an impressive 55% increase in revenue from 2022, attracting visitors from the region, the French West Indies, the United States, and Dominican nationals abroad.
where are we showing these visionless people to take us?
One thing they like to just use pretty words to sensationalize things. Those like Chekira and the Denise not doing one sh!t to develop nothing in Dominica just calling people from their desk to harass the real people in the ground to implement their personal not fully thought out ideas last minute. When time come closer to the event they like to call and harass again to demand free (complimentary) tickets for all their people. And is VIP they does want. Events like the Jazz festival is not their type of music anyway. is nasty business they like. Ask them who is their favorite jazz artist and name their favorite song. They cannot tell you one crap. Another event for them to wear their ugly wigs.
Good grief. WTF is THIS??
Just another low self-esteem mop-wig-head talking blowing in the wind; wet fart with nothing to do, or anything significant to talk about.
I live and hope that at some point and time after all these years of sucking the blood of the nation, selling passports, we would eventually hear someone of these low life announced that someone; some major industrial firm was about to start setting up an industrial business in the country, hence between one and three thousand people would be employed!
That would be significant for her to bray about.
All these scum of the earth parasites can take about is the beating of the some dumb, the tooting of horns: people are brook, because they are unemployed, so Roosevelt, scrapes the bottom of the treasury in order to pay for such activities in order that the poor can forget their suffering!
Fat like a certain beast, all she spew is total garbage!
Amen. Wearers of mops. Mamselle just using words just to use them. You know is freeness people like her coming there for. Another selfie moment for instagram, meanwhile her constituency still looking like crap. nothing going on in Roseau South. Not manufacturing, not nothing.
They tell me to cheer up, things could be worse. So I cheer up and sure enough, things do get worse.
The hyperbolic statements contained in this news release most certainly transcend my understanding of art and culture.
Good grief. What an incredible display of hot air and meaningless diatribe. Either have some actual jazz or change the name because frankly it’s embarrassing.
Thank you Lucas. A wonder they didnt put Ridge in the line up.
What is “actual jazz?” Do you mean, classical jazz? There is always some classical jazz at the event. Always! There is a heavy slant towards contemporary jazz because it seems to appeal most to patrons. However, if you go early in the day, up till early evening, you will be entertained with “actual jazz.”
Give me a break. There has been a dirth of jaźz in every form for years at this festival. The headliner this year is a reggae artist. It’s a fashion/Instagram fete for Dominicans, which is completely fine by me, but call it what it is.
so…where are the Cameron Pierres , the Monty Alexanders, the Andy Narrells, the Ronald Tulles.. you know the actual jazz practitioners as in previous years? Lucas is dead on. For a few years now they’ve been throwing Michel Henderson (who, let’s be clear CAN do jazz when minded to) in the mix to try to justify the ‘jazz’ label. But anyone coming to the festival for ‘Jazz and Creole ‘ are going to be misled. If you are scared that us Waitians are not sophisticated enough to appreciate Jazz then call it something else. But don’t send this lady out there to sell us a cat in a bag with meaningless hot air… please..