The second edition of the Waraka Séwinal Festival will be held in Atkinson on December 16-17, 2011.
This was disclosed at a press conference held by the Atkinson Village Council and the Sewinal Festival Committee last Friday (Dec 2,2011) at the Old Mill Cultural Centre.
The main festival event is the Grand Séwinal Concert and Street Festival on Saturday December 17, 2011 featuring performances by individual singers, traditional séwinal (jing ping) bands, choirs, dancers, drumming and steel pan ensembles. These include the Paix Bouche Cultural Group, Petite Savanne Jing Ping Band, Bits and Pieces of Layou, Athie Martin Steel Pan Ensemble, Ti Bwa, Marigot Cultural Group, Bann Akayo Séwinal Band, Copee, Gregory Rabess, Atkinson Primary School Choir, Atkinson Youth Dancers, the KTZ Band of Bataca, Hot Pepper Sewinal Band among others.
Millenium Sounds are providing sound and lighting for the event and for the first time in its history, the Swinging Stars will be performing in Atkinson following the main concert.
Other Festival events include the Atkinson Primary School Miss Noel Show and the Antrizzle Séwinal Splash both of which take place on Friday December 16, 2011.
The Waraka Séwinal Festival is aimed at promoting and sustaining the séwinal tradition, showcasing local talent, attracting visitors to the community and enhancing Christmas celebrations in Dominica.
The village of Atkinson, also known by its Kalinago name Waraka, boasts a very strong séwinal tradition dating back to the early 1900s. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, groups of singers and séwinal bands go from house to house singing Christmas carols, cantiques noel and local séwinal songs which features Papa Nwèl (Father Christmas) as the central figure. This is an all night affair. The Waraka Séwinal Festival builds on this tradition and ensures that it survives for future generations.
Where is Sam and Zagarate. I will surely miss that boys. Old Joucou also laid low. For God Sake celebrate and enjoy and drink the RUM. Make it a SEWINAL not a ninenight.
THAT’S HOW THOSE BOYS WOULD WANT TO BE REMEMBERED.
‘En bas la terre cest te verr’.
Lord am missing this.daddy sam will be miss in this sewinal.This was the good old days.LOVE YOU WARAKA.NANCY
Lord am missing this.daddy sam will be miss in this sewinal.This was the good old days.LOVE YOU WARAKA.NANCY
This is a great venture indeed, bring back the Days of old. all the best.
Congratulations to all who come to put this together.
That’s what making happy memories is all about. Give the youth great memories for when they become “old farts” like me
I remember when we used to go “Séwinaling” in Penville everybody wanted us to come to their house and they would offer us food, coffee and other “home-made beverages”.
My most favorite song was “The little drummer boy”. After a while I only sang the chorous “Rum! Rum! Rum!”
Your post evoke what is most memorable about my days as a youngster in Possie. So much of this is no longer in our culture. Alas!
give randy frederick some of the money allu make to help with his medical bills
MORE SEWO, MORE UNPRODUCTIVE RUBBISH
That’s what Dominica has come to. Sewo country. Nothing productive.
Rum and roast chicken country!!!
Stop that ignorance.Revival & retention of cultural tradition is not about sewo. Any fool can see that. What’s wrong with you?
it’s not sewo its tradition of christmas caroling you dumba**
This festival is good for the Territory and good for Dominica. It would be even better if it would grow as big as the others we have around now. Best wishes!
nice initiative wish i could attend. however have clean fun