Roseau, Dominica — Since it was created in 1997, the World Creole Music Festival has prided itself as being the most indigenous of music festivals in the Eastern Caribbean, dedicated to delivering first-class performances both of the artistes on show and the spectator experience, and hope to be even more exciting, fresher, hotter and stronger when it is held between Friday 28 and Sunday 30th October, 2011 at the Windsor Park Stadium in Roseau, Dominica’s capital city.
Now in its 15th year, the WCMF has captivated audiences year after year with its unique brand of quality entertainment while highlighting the various sub-genres of Creole Music including Dominica’s Cadence-lypso and Bouyon, Zouk from the French Antilles, Haitian Compas, as well as Zydecco from Louisiana and Afro-zouk from the African continent, and a wider appeal of regional and international music genres like reggae, salsa and soca/calypso. The core value of the WCMF is however to preserve the authenticity of Creole music and exposing young and upcoming acts to a world stage even while giving patrons their taste of other popular forms.
The WCMF has the distinct advantage of having many of the top acts and performers of Creole music electrify audiences over these past 15 years. The long and distinguished list of artists and performers include the legendary Zouk band, Kassav; Haitian Compas pioneers Tabou Combo and Magnum Band, President Sweet Mickey, Zenglen, Buckman Experience, Carimi, T-Vice, Top Vice, among many other Haitian Compas groups; Dominica’s Lady of Song Ophelia; Exile One; Jeff Joseph and his Grammacks/New Generation, the sensational Michelle Henderson, Bouyon pioneers WCK along with other exponents of the Bouyon beat; Taxi Kweyole, Zouk Machine, Franky Vincent, Tanya St. Val, the late Patrick St. Eloi, Chiktay and Skah Shah; Buckwheat Zydecco of Lousiana; African Soukouss and afro-zouk stars like Sakis, the late Oliver Ngoma, and Loketo and Diablo Dibala. In addition to Soca and Calypso stars like Machel Montano, Roy Cape and his band, Sherwin Winchester, Square One, Krosfyah, Byron Lee & the Drongoniares and the red hot Burning Flames; reggae and dancehall acts like the Wailers, Aswad, Elephant Man, Sizzla, Beenie Man, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Beres Hammond, Morgan Heritage, Jah Cure, Steel Pulse and Luciano; and international superstar, Haitian Wycliff Jean.
Over these 15 years the WCMF has seen many innovations and unique production and promotional techniques that have helped to engender a unique festival brand in Dominica, making it one of the most sought after events in the Caribbean. The sound quality, the festival atmosphere, the familiar faces of patrons from around the region, the sweet taste of various Creole Cuisines and the free spirited and care-free local festival goers make for a magical event each year at the end of October in Dominica.
This year, the festival will roll out one of the most balanced and unique line-ups highlighting a blend of veteran and iconic performers including Jeff Joe of Grammacks fame; the iconic voices of Jean-Philippe Marthely and Jocelyne Beroard of Kassav fame; reggae ambassadors, Third World; Ali Campbell, the legendary voice of UB-40; Dominica’s Swinging Stars of more than 50 years; Midnight Groovers of the venerable Chubby Mark; plus the younger generation of Creole stars like Carimi and Harmonik of Haiti, WCK and Triple Kay of Dominica and Kolo Barst of Martinque; the love connections of reggae superstar Gyptian; zouk love singers Fanny, Jocelyne Labylle and Alex Catrin of the French Antilles and the husband and wife team of Bunji and Fay-Ann. That’s the magic of the WCMF 2011, hotter and stronger.
The magic continues after 15 years of infectious music and the pulsating rhythms of Creole and popular world music in The Nature Island.
YOU PPLE NEED TO EDUCATE ALLU SELVES, CANT BELIEVE PPLE SO FOOLISH, ST LUCIA TEK WAT, U THINK FSTIVAL IS DOMINICA TO START IT, DOMINICA FEST CANT COMPARE NO NO OTHER FEST IN THE CARIBBEAN AND I HAVE BEEN TO ALOT OF DEM, DATS Y THIS PLACE IS HOW IT IS, THE PPLE HERE ARE IGNORANT, UR MINDS ARE NARROW, U NEED TO TRAVEL OR RESEARCH THINGS, BOUYON IS DOMINICA MUSIC BUT THE SONGS ARE FOOLISH, BUT ITS GOOD MUSIC, THEY NEED TO WRITE BETER SONGS N TEK IT TO THE WOLRD, ITS NOT GOIN ANYWHERE BECAUSE IT IS TOO JUST FOR DA THATS Y OTHER PPLE DONT BUY THE CDS, ITS SAD ARTIST SINGING OFF KEY ON A WHOLE ALBUM, N U TALKING BOUT MUSIC,
the fest has infact fallen short…see they trying to beef up ads..but good luck..the line plus local economy does appeal to many..they fest lacks a major drive or crowd puller…most acts have being to dominica either a few times or regular weekends, plus you get ex artists from major groups etc…so all in all..nothing to shout about.never miss the fest since its birth back in 97,but this year isnt appealing..
Indigenous = Native, belonging naturally (Oxford dictionary). An unfortunate choice to describe this music festival because that is what it has become, a Music Festival, pure and simple and not much different from others it has to compete with. I accepty that we have had to widen the scope of its offering in order to attract more public but in doing so we have also watered down its original intententions. Nonetheless,I hope it will be a commercial success despite this misnomer.
Cerberus,
i think that you are too smart for your own good. So isn’t the music festival belonging to Dominica. The music genre’s might not. But we are the First to have a music festival of that nature. Tell me which other country you will find that? So it is indigenous to us.
St.Lucians Voller it and try it but it flop..Ppl been trying tiff our festival and pull our crowds away.. smh..We have something unique yet these clowns keep dropping the ball..We need fresh young bloods up in theis B!!
WCMF has not grown to what it should be after 20 years. There are no real differentiators from the sewos we have in DA. The show needs to show some level of sophistication that seperates from a sewo.
For this institution to grow it has to show some metal. Something that can get at least 5,000 French Men to DA. And as long we keep populating the show with a bunch of reggae and calypso and this garbage they called bouyou, it will be a loosing proposal.
BTW, why do they have these Domincan bands closing off the shows…I never seem to get it. They get the worst possible bands, playing elevated noise with no lyrical talent closing off shows…and you expect people to come to DA to hear that.
Everyone, get a Guadeloupe FM Frequency and please listen to some serious music…please I am beggging all of you and you will understand what I am saying.
Close the eyes and just listen to some sweet Kompa and Zouk.
BTW, did I say is reggae mi love the most in the whole ratid world????
This garbage they call “bouyon”?????? Not because this genre of music is not in your shallow preference “oldie goldie” you should criticise it in such a forum. This same “garbage” has attracted crowds of thousands round the globe. Lend your support if you are not satisfied with the quality instead of doing your out most best to bring it to shame.
Garcon, this is not music…period
It’s a shame..Other islanders love bouyon so much they Incorporated it’s elements in their music and calling it theirs now. Yet Dominicans like your self calling it garbage instead of giving profound criticism you just insulting part of Dominica legacy and creation. You are pathetic.
Many people come to the show for the closing bands you Retard. Look at the amount of ppl who stay back for the last bands.. Doesn’t that say something? If they didn’t give a damn they would go home..
You keep your Wadio on Gwada. Gwada ain;t checking for you. Instead you try uplift your own and see how you could positively change something you blatantly insulting it and it’s fans. Go to hell
Zeb, I am not gonna go to hell with you. Behave your little pinky. I am tired of telling them fellas songs like ” I like you like a p[late of food, I want to go down in your soooous ” is not lyrically sound. They need to simplify the songs and make it more meaningful.
Padna, if them man they don’t want to learn how to play and sing music that is their fault….
Go play your bouyoun and sewo…lol
MY PROBLEM WITH THE FEST, NOT ENOUGH FRENCH BANDS AND TICKET TOO EXPENSIVE..BRING BACK THE CREOLE CREOLE FESTIVAL…
I agree..Look at next door.. St.Lucia who try and steal our creation. lol.. Atleast they have some lil artists over there that sing in creole too. We could make a better bond and get some of their acts here. But their acts have to have enough material to play for about 3 hours. So many African,Haitian and Gwada bands out there man.. We should put the other genres like reggae to a limit of one. We should keep the Cadence-Lypso and Bouyon and just limit reggae n so maybe onle year go all out and just keep it 100% creole
very negative people like you that keep our country back if you have nothing to say just shut the he// up
To everyone who plays a part directly or indirectly,thank u for such an event.just one little hic:raising the the ticket price every year could reduce the turnout of the locals.just my opinion.otherwise,HATS OFF TO EVERYONE
NOT ONLY THE LOCALS BUT VISITORS TOO
Magic is joke, sot ting dat. WCMF has lost its flavor, it is now a jamaican-trinidadian-jamaican expatriate show, no longer creole, its is now managed and coordinated by a foreigner who dosnt know any creole, what the hell alu expect….. watch it,see how many people alu going to get this year, even creole in the park going to be better than WCMF this year, it doh have taste anymore…. got it
lol u don’t sound very positive at all…maybe u should consider a name change?
Positive, you should really get a life! When you learn the meaning of Creole, you should make a positive comment instead of talk nonsense right about now! Why don’t you go sweat year round to get acts and let people know how it feels because I know it don’t feel good! Anyway, on a positive note, hats off to the Creole Festival Committee! It’s sad I can’t make it this year but I know it will be great!
stupes………. foolish people…….. zor key tan……. ha ha ha, somefing bite you man mate???