Despite the rain and other challenges faced due to the weather, Tourism Minister Denise Charles is reporting a successful staging of this year’s 23rd edition of the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF).
The festival took place at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium from Friday, October 27 to the 29.
“We had a successful World Creole Music Festival for 2023. I think it was epic,” she said. It goes to show that hard work pays off.”
According to Charles, all the performances were outstanding.
“We had some great moments [at] the show and Machel brought down the curtains magnificently for the festival,” she stated.
Furthermore, she said the WCMF is very important to Dominica, because of the huge economic impact.
“The number of people who came to Dominica contributed significantly, because the accommodation sector will benefit, the food sector will benefit, farmers, fisherfolk, taxi operators, everybody makes a dollar during the season, especially the small vendors,” she stated. “That is why I will continue to encourage our people to embrace our festival, promote it, and let us be ambassadors for all our festivals and events in the country.”
She believes the domino effect of the festival is tremendous, “and if we can continue to put on some great shows during the year Dominica will in fact become the entertainment capital of the region.”
Charles commended the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC), Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), The Ministry of Tourism, the Government of Dominica, stakeholders, and partners who worked together to put on this magnificent event.
Furthermore, Charles commended the artistes who performed at the festival.
“The performances at the World Creole Music Festival were simply amazing,” she noted. “I must commend our local artistes for truly making us proud and giving great presentations of their talent.”
She continued, “We had some outstanding performances at the festival, including Beres Hammond, anyone who was there on Saturday night can say without a doubt that this performance was simply the best from a legend.”
She added, “And the closing down the curtains was Machel Montano from Trinidad who did so magnificently and did a lot of work promoting our destination.”
From all reports, Charles said patrons truly enjoyed the festival, “And I must thank the patrons who came from St Lucia, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Trinidad, Suriname and all over the Caribbean to celebrate our World Creole Music Festival…”
Here we have it straight from the horses mouth. Unfortunately she could not back up her euphoria with a simple spread sheet, i.e. profit and loss account. So I for one, regard her statement as nothing but the usual propaganda.
So Minister..seems you all speaking now on behalf of the WCMF, let Dominicans have a financial view of the proceeds. How much was spent and profit. I think it should be made available and honestly to the public.Thank you
We all know what your understanding of the word ‘success’ means. Unfortunately it’s not the same what most people make out of this word. Would you say, your time at PetroCaribe Dominica was successful too?
What about the great performances from our own LEGENDS, Chubby and Co Midnight Groovers, Gordon Henderson, Michelle Henderson, Extacy, are they not worth mentioning in the same light as the foreign artists.
Sooo what ALL the performers mean nuh? This was written in English and not Arabic that is why you did not understand.
Not your fault, you are confused as your hidden name, you yet to understand what i have said. Stop being a hater and a racist telling me what language i understand. Stop hiding behind confused names.
not your fault, you are as confused as your name you hide behind, go back to school and learn to understand your own English language since you seem to turn out to be a dunce cat.
n.b. dno kindly publish my comment
Because they will not pay them now while those mentioned got paid up front.
Find it was early to comment on an event.
My apologies for not mentioning Signal Band also
Denise Charles with all the success that you are talking about why didn’t you mention the collapsing of the VIP tent as well? At least a little word to let the persons injured know or feel like they are cared about. I can bet none of you have reached out anyone involved in this unfortunate situation. Not o one of you ministers has spoken about it. SAD, SAD, SAD.
Things happens…. Man made. So what is your point. Do you forgot what happened many years ago at Liverpool soccer game and many lost their lives. Give thanks that lives were save. Stop complaining
Let’s put it this way, she couldn’t really say it was a complete wash out and once again this government got it completely wrong. We wasted once again several million dollars on yet another vanity project that only served the chief passport seller.
“We wasted once again several million dollars on yet another vanity project that only served the chief passport seller.” The scores of vendors, farmers, hospitality workers, hoteliers, homeowners, owners of guest houses, local entertainers, ancillary staff at the stadium, taxi drivers, seamstresses/tailors, hairstylists, security companies, etc who have all benefitted from the WCMF would never agree with you.
Ms. Are you judging success simply by the fact the three days were completed? The event was created by the brilliant minds in the UWP who were brainstorming on putting together an event which will bring tremendous economic benefit to Dominica and make us known worldwide. I know in your shallow, Siwo filled brain you’re just judging on how much you danced and left the park to go do what your colleagues say you do, but you should wait for the experts to crunch the numbers before you make such a comment.
Is there any quantification, measure and evaluation of that “economic impact” or success, or have we all just got used to using and repeating empty words?
What is the measure of success for the World Creole Music Festival? Is it still a success if year on year it makes a net loss and constantly needs to be subsidized by the government with millions of taxpayers dollars? How much profit did the Festival record this year, or last year or the year before? Is it becoming more profitable or less profitable over time? Is its wider contribution to the economy increasing or decreasing over the years? How do you people measure progress and growth?
This is at government national economic level and the minister speaks like she is a taxi driver, hotelier or vendor reporting on the number of people who had a good time! Maybe that’s it, maybe that’s all that truly matter, we all had a good sewo!
You measure success of an initiative by reviewing its SCOPE, evaluating its SPECIFICATION, analysing its BUDGET (i.e. actual cost – money spent against budget cost – in the initial budget), and reviewing CLIENT and INTERNAL satisfaction. Most importantly, financial profit, such as RETURN on INVESTMENT.
Yes, a thorough and detailed evaluation must be done before the final verdict just like a jury trial. What are the key performance indicators that were used to measure the event’s success? A cursory glance of the crowd’s attendance is inadequate.
Denis, by the time you are sack by Roosevelt, unless you grovel at his feet like his yard fouls like you all usually do, you will be broke, penniless, without one cent to show. why?
Didn’t want to be the one to tell you, you will be penniless because every dime you are paid seems to be going into the rope you buy to weave unto your wig head! You have fooled yourself believing the synthetic fiber, and false hair are growing out of your scalp; that’s because you are delusional, and wish you were what you are not!
If you majored in Biology, perhaps you would have learnt about the recessive, and the Dominant gene.
The majority of Black people has the Dominant gene except if they are from a mixed tribe; hence our hair don’t grow to the length of the nasty rope on your head.
Not all white people carry the Recessive gene, while others do; hence, some white people hair have a hard time getting to shoulder length. Use a scapula, calve a part in the center of your head you’ll remain…
Am happy to hear that,but I hope the government has money to pay the sue cases which is coming for the canopy that fell on the people at the VIP section.
When Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and laid part of the money at the apostles feet, they were seen as honest and successful business owners. But it was not until they were forced to account in Acts 5, the people realized they were liars, pretenders and thieves.
In Dominica today we have an Ananias and Safpphirra type of government. A government that pretends all is well and everything they do is successful. But as far as accountability and transparency they are like Alibaba & the forty thieves, with a 90% mine & 10% yours mentality, like “hyenas”according to Al Jazeera Tv.
So we are not damn fools anymore to rush to tell us about how successful WCMF was but not telling us a thing about the financial aspect of it so we could do the calculations.
Very well stated! My poor country!
Don’t use the scriptures to satisfy your soul. Ananias and Sapphira was not asked to give any of their profits to the Lord. They volunteered to do so on their own expense. The story went on to say. It would be well with them,they made the promise to give all. God did not need a penny from them they dropped dead at the altar because they pocket some of the money and lied about it. That is the reason of Ananias and his wife. God knows all things and men hearts are evil. Always know one commandment that He left that we LOVE one and other. Stop walking in hat and do what the word say. If you are a minister REPENT because time is at hand. You are loved. Go and walk in love.
That story is a carbon copy of a reality show being performed in Dominica nowadays. We only waiting patiently for the person to drop.
If success is only based on the number of visitors on island then I agree with the minister because we had a lot of people on island.
But what about the financial aspect of it? Was it just as successful? How much money did the WCMF spend and how much did they make in return? Can they host it next year independent of Roosevelt and Melissa Skerrit? If not then it was unsuccessful just like the CBI program that they still can’t truthfully tell us how many passports they sold and how much money they made. Had it not been for the international journalists that told us how many got sold, how much Skerrit made and how much he and his friends hiding from us we wouldn’t know a thing
Maybe you should sing that nonsense song after the lawsuits for that tent story
I thought that story would end with – “local artistes and other service provides should pick up their cheques at the DFC office tomorrow” “for our foreign artistes, your payments have been processed via wire transfer, as per our contractual agreement”
The same way carnival was successful and not one winner have received their prize. Sa kway Sot!!!!
“Furthermore, she said the WCMF is very important to Dominica, because of the huge economic impact.” 23 years! this needs to be quantified. You want to play on a world stage we need numbers. The words of ministers and government officials means nothing. where is the statistics division. I kown small cities that provide reports stating event X, Y, Z pumped 20milion in the economy. What were biggest revenue generated? what were patrons asking for? what sold out? what beverages and food items that were sourced locally? I kown we do not produce beer anymore? If that Information is not collected for improvement then we are just a bunch of headless chickens. After 20 years is the revenue from the festival used to finance the next year or is it gov cash infusion with no real positive returns? Is this just another show for politicians to display thier perverted predatory and animal behavior?