Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), Marva Williams, is reporting a successful staging of the 25th Edition of the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF), which took place from Friday, October 24, to Sunday, October 26, at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium.
Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons of Trinidad & Tobago brought the curtain down on the final day with what is being described as an electric performance.
Other spectacular performances on the final night came from several popular local acts, including Extasy Band, Bouyon Pioneers WCK, Shelly & the Signal Band, Trilla G, Reo, Nice, Michele Henderson, and Elisha Benoit. Nigerian Artist Tiwa Savage, Ezra “Da Fun Machine” of St Lucia, and Legendary Kassav, who provided an unforgettable experience for hundreds of visitors and Dominicans alike.
“International Superstar Kehlani”, who was scheduled to perform at the WCMF on the final night, was unable to grace the stage. The Oakland, CA, native’s charter flight was reportedly cancelled due to the effects of Hurricane Melissa.
“When we started off, we started pushing the fact that this is a Jubilee year that we’re celebrating 25 in 2025, and we always told the public that it’s going to be a massive year for us,” she said during an interview with state-owned Radio DBS. “Not only in terms of investment, but in terms of the number of acts that are on the line up. Why? Because this year, while we celebrated over 10 genres of music, we also celebrated the locals through the Bouyon and the Cadence-lypso.”
She continued, “That is the significance of the festival, and I think that is the message that has carried all through to this day.”
Williams added, “Based on the reviews from the public, based on what we’ve been monitoring, we can say that the event has been successful. Every event that you plan is a different project. So it’s the same World Creole Music Festival brand, but it is always a different project. And with different projects as you implement, you learn, you grow, you always encounter difficulties, challenges, [but] figure out ways to overcome them, and you use them to build on the next event. So, in our opinion, from public perception, generally, we can say that the event was successful.”
However, she pointed out that in order to go deeper into the numbers and figures, a little more time is needed to put this information together.
Meanwhile, Night One (Friday, October 24) presented ‘Fire & Foundation’. A tribute to the pioneers and influential figures who have shaped Caribbean music:
Performances came from :
– Burning Flames (Antigua)
– Midnight Groovers (Dominica)
– Halibut (Dominica)
– Gilles Fontaine (Dominica)
– Nu Look (Haiti/USA)
– Romain Virgo (Jamaica)
– Oswald (St. Maarten)
– TK International (Dominica)
– Steel Pulse (UK/Jamaica)
-Masicka (Jamaica)
Night Two: ‘Creole Carnival’ ( Saturday, October 25)
An energetic display of Creole expression and cross-Caribbean vibrancy:
– Bouyon Boss Asa Bantan (Dominica)
– WCK (Dominica)
– The Bouyon Assembly (Dominica: Rohie, Ridge, Pudaz, Kenny G, Quan, DJ MJ, Little Boy, Faithi “Bouyon Barbie,” and Ebony Empress; Guadeloupe: Jixels and Shanika)
– First Serenade Band (Dominica)
– Gordon Henderson (Dominica)
– Ophelia Marie (Dominica)
– Lynford John (Dominica)
– Joé Dwét Filé (Haiti/France)
– Kes The Band (Trinidad & Tobago)
– Spice (Jamaica)
– Vybez Kartel (Jamaica)
Night Three: (Sunday, October 26)
– Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons (T&T)
– Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
– Kassav (Guadeloupe)
– Extasy Band (Dominica)
– Michele Henderson (Dominica)
– Elisha Benoit (Dominica)
– Trilla G (Dominica)
– NICE (Dominica)
– Reo (Dominica)
– Signal Band (Dominica)
The special commemorative theme for the event was: “Global Echoes of the Nature Island: Celebrating 25 Years of Creole Music, Magic, and Memories.”
My dear Marva,
I agree it’s still early, but earlier in the year, you did mention that 13 million was invested ( by government, not too sure) and that you expected benefits to be multiplied 13 times that amount ; in other words, profits to be accrued would be in the region of 117 millions. So please, “remember not to forget ” to share the figures with us on the completion of the accounting exercise.
Respectfully submitted.
I was disappointed on night 2 because Vybes Kartel and Spices performances were not carried live. while i can understand that there are contractual agreements that needs to be adhered to, I think there needs to be better communication. Kartel and Spice weren’t booked last week or last month, so if there was an agreement that stated their performances weren’t to be broadcast live in the media then the Media should have been informed way in advanced so they can let their listeners know of the situation. not when the acts are about to come on stage then you make the announcement that the live performances won’t be broadcast live. One of the purpose of broadcasting live events is to facilitate people unable to attend the show. while majority of people can attend , you have those that cannot for varying degree of reasons eg someone having a disability but still want to enjoy like everybody else.
Everything that the tarnished administration has a hand in is deemed a huge success. Approximately $14 000 000 of public money was allocated to this festival. No accounting has been done. I’m quite certain that the gate receipts will show that the they did not even come close in breaking even.
True to form, all things done and said by this regime is tainted with suspicion, lies and deception. The complicitous local news media will swallow this baloney hook, bait and sinker. No question asked about the huge sum of money that leaves the shores with the foreign artistes.
Meanwhile, vagrancy balloons, NDCs skyrocket, hunger is pervasive, poverty explodes, depression and mental illness escalate.
I think we need to rechristen Marva as “success”. Lol.
But on a serious note, how is this success defined? I am admittedly a numbers person, so naturally I think of the financial situation. With all those free tickets that were flying around the place, I hope DFC will be able to meets its financial obligations and on time.