As the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) draws closer the Dominica Festival Committee (DFC) says they are awaiting word from the authorities concerning the deadly disease Ebola, which is causing havoc in west Africa.
“We are awaiting a policy from the government in regards to Ebola virus,” marketing executive of the WCMF, Leroy Charles told a press conference on Tuesday. “We are just awaiting the final words from the chief medical officer and the ministry of health.”
At least one Nigerian and four acts from Congo are coming to Dominica for the WCMF and concerns were expressed that the disease could be transported into the country.
“There is a Nigerian group, there are Nigerian nationals that reside here, attend the All Saints University, so we are in touch…” he said.
Charles noted that DFC is working “feverishly” to deal with the matter.
“But like I said we are waiting for a policy statement from the authorities to get a national statement, not only a statement for the festival but for Dominica and the protection of Dominica in its entirety,” he stated.
Meanwhile Sales and Marketing Manager at Digicel Nathalie Walsh and Chief Executive Officer at the Discover Dominica Authority Colin Piper officially signed over $220,000 gold sponsorship agreement for the telecommunication giant.
This is Digicel’s 9th year partnering with the festival.
“We are very proud of being on board this year,” she said. “As the gold sponsor, customers can look forward to a number of promotions starting off with our Samsung huge promotion.”
Customers will get a chance to win many prizes to include nightly tickets to the WCMF and cash.
What a display of ignorance and blatant stigmatization! This is totally unfair to our brothers and sisters from Africa and Nigeria and Congo, in particular. It is wrong to presume that the musicians have the Ebola virus. We cannot use our fear of Ebola to paint all Nigerians and Congolese with a broad brush. These musicians want to protect themselves as much as we do. Please don’t react irrationally to your fear.
The Ebola virus is not transmitted by air. It is passed on by being in contact with the body fluids of a sick Ebola carrier. The virus is not transmitted by a healthy carrier of the virus.
Should Guadeloupe, St. Martin, VI, Antigua and the US ban all agricultural fruits and provisions from DA because of the viruses causing havoc in our industry? Should they have banned us at the height of chikungunya in DA? Should we have banned US citizens at the height of the AIDS epidemic? In any case, if it is predestined that the virus reaches our shores, then so be it. God wants it to be so. As Peter Tosh said, “everyone wants to go to Heaven but nobody wants to die”.
PAPA BONDIEU ! Where are all those Pastors and people who had that big rally when that artist from Jamaica was on his way to Portsmouth to host that show at the R B D cinema? We need those same people to come out on the streets to pray to keep those African Artist from coming to D this year for the W C F M
going to have that big show in Portsmouth ,
Let us forget about money for the time and try to saves lives from that Ebola cancel that African artist until next year .Dominica needs prayers right now.
PLEASE ,PLEASE , PLEASE cancel the African artist .Lord have mercy on us in Dominica .we do not even have paracetamol .we cannot even deal with that wicked chicungunya . This is serious business people .All the religious people let us pray
Prevention is better than cure!
DDA precaution is better than cure. Stop playing with our lives and this deadly disease. GOD protect us.
The verdict from the public seems to be in:
Nothing against our African music, but CANCEL those acts till next year. We love the music but at what cost?
Get Nassio in there (pay him, he’s worth it to us)
One more act from Gwada, and one from Martinique.
Another of your choice, and voirla, you got your 4 replacements. You may lose your deposit or part of it, but life and country’s health is at stake. Word to the wise.
Due to the Ebola virus, the artistes themselves should cancel out.
I heard on the News tonight that “the Ebola virus has reached dire proportions.”
If the organizers do not take this seriously, I will say, woe to them if this disease spread to Dominica.
God protect Dominica from this deadly virus.
but why in the first place are we having performances from nigeria and the congo? it’s called the world ‘creole’ music festival. Although congo speaks french but neither of the countries speak creole. we should either change the name to include artists from around the non-creole speaking countries or stay true to its name and seek out creole speakers, like for instance, the french caribbean, sechelles, st lucia and our own dominica. So we should not even be thinking of these countries at all.
Creole is well known in many countries. However it varies. Dominicans may never understand the Nigerians Creole or the Congolians and vice versa but it exists.
Creole is spoken in Nigeria. It is called “Pidgin” or “Brokin”.
As for the Congo….here here
“Kituba is a widely used lingua franca in Central Africa. It is a creole language[3] based on Kikongo, a family of closely related Bantu languages. It is an official language in Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo”
Greed always get people into trouble. Ebola is DEADLY and spreads quickly. Developed countries are taking extra precaution but Dominicans always have to be extra. I just hope that those who are trying to persuade the public that everything will be alright, will be standing at the door to welcome the disease. I bet you, their wives , children and themselves will be seeking shelter in some other country for the weekend. The poor maleywey going to suffer. Boycot those Congo, African artist. Precaution is better than wiping out an entire country by EBOLA. Cancel those people once and for all. There are way more artists from other countries you all could have invited…or even local artists.
Rather than cancel the WCMF entirely, they may be putting D/cans health at risk. If the worst occurs, they will have to bear the deadly consequences.
There is no need to cancel WCMF….They need to not allow the Congo and other African artists to perform.
It seems dem eyeballs dropping out & turning blind cause Nigerians travel around the world as you write this.
Well, take them to your house as we all write
I hope you all don’t allow your decisions to be influenced by money or politics and the technicalities from these professionals . Listen to the masses.Cancel the acts from theses countries please and keep Dominica safe.
Cancel the acts from the Congo and Nigeria and located other artiste our country safety first.
I hope you don’t fall asleep.
What is wrong with you people, are you that stupid. This is a deadly disease, America went to great extreme to make sure the disease is contained. You don’t even have a hospital, where are you going to put your sick?
And if I was a nurse with that assignment I’d quit
whosss look trouble..