Dominica World Creole Music Festival

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Bass heavy beats from open doors and windows anchored the sounds of busy streets, the smell of creole spiced meats hung in the air and bright colored patterns enlivened the crowded sidewalks like flowers blooming in the desert. The pulsating sensual delight on the streets of Roseau could only mean that it was the end of October and the Creole Festival was back! With each trip we find new reasons why we want to return to Dominica. 2008 was not only the 12th annual World Creole Music Festival, but also the 30th anniversary of Dominica's independence. We witnessed this in the overbooked flights and hotels, and in the crowds that we encountered when landing at Dominica's port via the Express des Isles ferry. All of this just added to the excitement in the air!

The annual World Creole Music Festival is a three night music festival featuring five music performers each evening and showcases Creole music, particularly bands from Dominica, Martinique, Guadaloupe and Haiti, as well as other music styles from Africa and the Diaspora. Local Dominica traditional dance and culture acts are interspersed between the main music performers. The shows start around 8pm each evening and continues until sunrise, therefore music fans are treated to long music sets from the performers. This year's line-up featured equal parts musicians from Dominica and leading bands from abroad. Friday Night started with First Serenade, Ophelia, Waitukubuli Dance Theater, Jeff Joseph & Gramacks, Tradibelle, Oliver Ngoma, Nasio Fontaine, Carimi and WCK [Link: Friday]. Saturday Night started with MFR, and then Swinging Stars, Tabou Combo, Sean Paul, Djakout Mizik, and Triple Kay International [Link: Saturday]. Sunday Night started with Belles Combo, then Julie Mourillon, Kassav, Machal Mantano, Midnight Groovers [Link: Sunday]. After witnessing the entire event, our conclusion is that it was the local Dominican bands - featuring Cadence, Soca, Calypso, Reggae and Zouk all flavored traditional elements of Dominica and Creole music, won the spot for best acts of the festival. This was despite the heavy dose of top foreign acts invited to headline the festival. The more familiar we become with Dominican music, the more we appreciate the originality and complexity of it. Every year we come away with fresh ways of looking and experiencing the music, for example this year we were particularly struck by the similarities between aspects fo Haitian and Congolese music. Furthermore we have found no better place than this festival to experience how the variety of musics from Africaand The Diaspora nourish each other.

The fact that Dominica also happens to be a nature lovers paradise makes this a favorite annual cultural and musical pilgrimage of ours. It has been only 50 years or so that the communities in Dominica have been connected by road. Jerome Mellow, Ron’s father was one of the island’s first engineer/operators and laid out several of the roads that connect the towns and villages. Ron’s insihgts makes the journey over these roads as satisfying as the destination. As the road winds in and out, up and down, there is very little level land in Dominica , he describes the scenes we pass and makes note of what changes since the last time he passed through. We sit back and enjoy the ride.That is the goal ot our travel page, not only to suggest possible destinations but to share our pleasure on the road. Consider it a work in progress as we look forward to updating, and not a guide as much as rough template for the visitor to make their own discoveries. We spent most of our time in Roseau but made several trips and those are documented here.

Africasounds has been covering the World Creole Music Festival for the better part of the past 4 years, and we've witnessed it grow (some festival goers we met actually were quoted saying the festival has "grown up" into its new stadium digs). Two years ago, the festival was transfered from the field grounds (large field, with a stage erected and surrounded by large storage crates which acted as walls) to its present home of the past two years, a spacious arrangement in Dominica's brand new National Stadium. While last year's festivities were marred by unexpected growing pains (sound, lighting and logistical issues due to hosting an event for the first time in the brand new stadium), this year Val Cuffy and the Dominica Festival Commissons did an excellent job ensuring the necessary preparations. Because of this, the 2008 World Creole Music Festival went without a hitch; superb sound, ample lighting, good flow between the acts, ample security, plenty of room for concert goers to spread out within the stadium. To top it all off, the bands delivered their promise as well - every act was top notch with groups performing energetic and emotional sets of music for their adoring fans.

[Click Here To Continue To Friday Night's Feature]