Culture Minister wants international exposure for carnival

Culture Minister Justina Charles

Culture Minister, Justina Charles, has highlighted the cultural benefits of Dominica’s carnival and encouraged Dominicans to work to promote island’s unique carnival at an international level.

She said there are many economic benefits to be derived from doing so.

“Of course times are changing, culture is dynamic and so too is our Carnival. Carnival is now a major cultural tourism product. A great deal of effort is being made to promote and market our Carnival to the wider world and to attract visitors to our shores. We should all work towards improving the quality and standard of our carnival product,” she said at a media launch of Carnival 2013 on Monday evening.

The Minister notes that the quality and high levels of organization for carnival in both the city and rural areas, is encouraging as it greatly impacts the economy and the tourism sector.

“The Real Mas is our attempt to remain true to the cultural tradition the element that makes our carnival unique while at the same time marketing these and other newer features and elements as a tourism attraction in order to maximize economic benefits from carnival,” she stressed.

The Minister used to the opportunity to invite nationals living overseas to come home for the Real Mas festivities.

“I also encourage Dominicans overseas to join us.  You continue to play an important role in promoting our carnival. We always look forward to your presence,” Charles said.

This year’s calendar of events includes the Opening Parade 2013 carded for January 19th, the Calypso Semi finals on January 26, The Junior Calypso Monarch on January 31, the Teenage Pageant on February 03, Stardom King of the Tent on February 06 at the Sisserou Hotel and Showdown Mas Camp Champ of the Camp at the PSU Centre on February 07.

This year’s Carnival queen show will be held on February 08th while the Calypso finals is set for Saturday Februrary  09 at the Carnival City.

Carnival Monday and Tuesday celebrations will be held on February 11 and 12 respectively and the season will close with the traditional Teway Vaval on February 13 in Dublanc and the Carib Territory.

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30 Comments

  1. January 10, 2013

    too mamy songs advertisment less calipsto on the road thats not fare to the people that are coming over to enjoy the carnival they are not getting enough for their money,another thing carnival finishes tooooooo early 10in the night so is children the carnival for,is time to add the two more hours.

  2. Uk Kriss
    January 9, 2013

    Spend money on soca artist like its world creol music festival…so de young youth can stop writting stupid bouyon music

    pll will defo fly to dominica no matter if they hv to hop the banner boat

  3. Uk Kriss
    January 9, 2013

    You see.. :-P
    There are toany idiots on here trying to be clever rather than simple.

    the problem is not airport or travel

    its simple what will make me want to come?
    who is on the road on that big truck lol
    soca artist no… thats a big problem lol dominica look into that

  4. Jackie Brown
    January 9, 2013

    Did she check how the Notting Hill Carnival started by whom and who has got it now. Let she try to get international organisation involve she will soon find out if she or anyone of them will be able to say what should take place.

  5. DESIE
    January 9, 2013

    Dominica doe have Carnival compared to the other countries, our music is very LAME. In the time of WCK with Rah and Serenade with Royee we had carnival but now maybe ASA BANTON alone we have.

    And we need some heavy development in our towns POSSI AND ROSEAU doe ready yet

  6. Pedro
    January 8, 2013

    ‘You are the MInister’. It is your resposibility to promote canival. Tell us of the plans and budjet your Government has developed to make Dominica’s canival international.

  7. FLORIDA
    January 8, 2013

    A big village like Marigot does not have carnival? When is Portsmouth Teenage Pageant Show?

  8. January 8, 2013

    My view is it is an excellent to promote carnival internationally.However,within the planning stage be sure that the cart is not placed before the horse.(that would be ridiculous)In other words,Dominica,s environment must be made conducive to recieve people for the celebration. build some extra hotels and travel routes that do not include liat.Put those two things in place competently and economically there will be no regret.(trust me my knowledge is vast in this area)GOOD LUCK.

  9. Anonymous
    January 8, 2013

    Dorival John get a life. You always there with something that does not make sense.

  10. .
    January 8, 2013

    :lol:

  11. ....................
    January 8, 2013

    :oops:

  12. UK KRISS
    January 8, 2013

    I wont come to dominica to listen to this nonsense boyon music
    not even rupee, benjai, patrice roberts, lil rick…on the road in dominica .. bunch of crap

    Last year i was in carnival all over the uk
    and jumping in a mix band in notting hill run by trini connection.
    The dominican band was un organised and boring wit that boyon nonsense and it fail to attract people..

    • January 26, 2013

      Hello. Trinidad carnival is held at the same time with our carnival therefore the Trinidad artist is not going to come to Dominica while their carnival is going on.

  13. Hopefull DA
    January 8, 2013

    Culture Minister, Justina Charles, other than you was married to a previou PM what qualifications do you present, because you seem this is bigger than you…mama

  14. Morihei Ueshiba
    January 8, 2013

    Dreamers, without an international airport u cannot compete with St.Lucia or St.kitts. :mrgreen:

  15. Roseau.
    January 8, 2013

    Yes Ms Charles, it is a good idea to promote our carnival at an international level,however , those people in these big countries have to pay US$1100. (many stops) to travel to Dominica while others just have to pay US$450, (Direct flight) to go to Haiti or Trinidad. (same carnival time)
    So tell me, where would you go if you have these two options?
    International level exposure calls for INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT!! It is all about the money, when r we going to get these simple facts??

    • Hopefull DA
      January 8, 2013

      This is avery accurate statement. I went home to fete, i was so upset total strangers begging me , what i bring from foreign…Man i was born in DA, but i cant deal with the begging, and the backwardsness in The nature Isles. I can fly to TnT,from nyc for carnival, rum, dine and lime on $US500.00 and return with a crisp $US100.00,,,Dominica your carnival….

    • Jay
      January 8, 2013

      You have a point there Roseau. I love Dominica but honestly, for carnival it is quicker, cheaper and less hassle to fly from New York to London and enjoy a properly organized real big carnival in the summer time. Wish it was different but that is the fact.

  16. Malgraysa
    January 8, 2013

    When I hear that phrase “tourist product” my soul dies.Is carnival not supposed to be a revelry of the people? This commercialisation takes all the spontanaity out of it for me. It has become a sad marketing charade. Let them all jump up behind their silly beer truck, that has nothing whatsoever to do with our carnival. Me, I’m staying home.

  17. January 8, 2013

    When we promote our festivities at international level, we must have facilities at home to accommodate the visitors who wish to come to visit and participate.

    As it stands right now with hotel rooms totaling only six hundred on the island, where are you going to housed ten thousand people if they decide to visit for carnival?

    When you talk about promotion internationally, what form of advertisement do you intend to do; if the idea is simply sit in Dominica and talk as usual nothing will be accomplished. So what are your plans for prime time advertisement on television throw out the international nations you hope to attract.

    And by the way, LIAT fly’s between the islands of the Caribbean only, and not internationally, having no International Airport on the island of Dominica will make it a challenge to visitors, who may wish a direct flight into and out of the country.

    I would like to be able to fly direct from Los Angeles International Airport to Dominica, unfortunately the probability of that happening in this century is not likely.

    Be remembered a late Prime Minister named Charles from the Village of Grand Bay was in cahoots with the rest who made the claim that Dominica did not need an International Airport, we would be just fine if we installed landing lights at Melville Hall and refurbish the dilapidated Terminal, Hence the shut down the New Airport International that is and squandered more than three hundred million dollars on that thing at Hall, and now you are concentrating on promoting Carnival Internationally?

    Donde es Dominica internacional aeropuerto?

    Where is Dominica’s International Airport? Your husband shut it down!

    The priority at the moment should be the building of an International Airport first, before you expand your other ideas!

    Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaquue

    • Dorival John
      January 8, 2013

      LOL…good points but you need a big course in Spanish grammar and the use of ser and estar. lol

      • January 8, 2013

        Dorival, I know that I am not good at everything, however just prior to me becoming a premed student, I was advised that Spanish was one of the prerequisites prior to med school, thus I took Spanish; in School at collage level.

        I have long forgotten most of the Spanish I learnt, however I am sure that estar in in Spanish means: ” to be; in English.

        Estoy aprendiendo ingles: I’m learning English.

        Esta terminado: it’s finished!

        Now I do not know if you studied in Spain, or mexico, or perhaps Cuba, if that’s the case I see the problem, and so I advise you get into the study of essential spanish vocabulary.

        Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

      • Anonymous
        January 8, 2013

        He seems to be feeling a little better today -please don’t upset him -he tends to gets little hot under the collar.

      • Dorival John
        January 8, 2013

        Hahahaha. You sending me to study the essential of Spanish vocabulary? Are you kidding me? I happen to study advanced Spanish grammar in the US and the Dominican Republic. So sit down and learn a bit. OK?

        Ser and Estar both means “to be” and is used in different context. In general Ser is used to express essence while Estar is used to express condition.

        For example: The apple is green (meaning it is not ripe or its condition): La manzana esta verde

        The apple is green (mean the color of the apple or its essence): La manzana es verde.

        See the difference?

        Estar is used to to express location. Example: Where is your house? Donde esta tu casa?

        You cannot say: Donde es tu casa. This is wrong. Same as your example of the airport. You cannot say, Donde es Dominica internacional aeropuerto?

        It has to be ‘estar’

        Plus in Spanish the adjective comes after the noun, not “internacional aeropuerto” as you said in your post but “aeropuerto internactional.”

        All you did was translate the exact English into Spanish and you cannot do that.

        In conclusion:

        Ser is used with:

        -Elements pertinent to your or others’ identity: physical description, personality and character, nationality, race, gender, profession, origin, What things are made of

        -Things which “Take Place” or “Occur” in Time: Dates, days, seasons, time, events, concerts, parties

        -Possession

        Estar is used for States of Being

        -Emotional, physical & mental states of (our bodies’) being: Feelings/moods/emotions, physical conditions or appearances, civil state (married, single, divorced, dead)

        -Placement State of Being: Location of things and people (but not events)

        -Motion State of Being

        -Present Progressive tense (the immediate “-ing” form)

        If you want free lessons I am willing to give you on another medium.

        You need to stop think that you know everything and everybody else is wrong.

        G

      • Anonymous
        January 8, 2013

        Oh dear -not again

    • deesseafricane
      January 8, 2013

      yes yes yes the flight to DA this year is way up and involves even more stops than before. from LA to DA is torture and definitely a torture I can no longer to for carnival

  18. DA
    January 8, 2013

    Bring back t-shirt band on TUESDAY!!!!that will do all u beter!!!

  19. T mama
    January 8, 2013

    Madame Mimister please note that the price they are charging to have shows at carnival city is TOOOO expensive, ALL shows should be held there even the quater and semis of the calypso, princess show does not have their show there, check it out…Carnival City has to be open for all,and the prizes should be attractive for competitors….more money should be put into carnival….

  20. January 8, 2013

    Wrong time of the year,summer holiday would be better for you guys.specially christmas just pass.people bact to work to pay their bills any way is you guys loss.

    • January 9, 2013

      I agree with you because no one is going to take their children out of school to come down at Canival time Summer the children are out on holidays that’s the only time families can travel together Xmas school brake is short.
      Another thing are you going to clean up the town and what about air transport into the Island that’s one of the most important thing that need your attention.

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