Delegation leaves for Carifesta
Today a contingent made up of a wide cross section of Belizean entertainers and artists is on its way to St. Kitts and Nevis to participate in Carifesta seven. The event, one of the region’s most spectacular cultural showcases, is set to start on August seventeenth. We caught up with the delegation at the airport.
Beverly Smith Lopez, Director, Belize Arts Council
“As you know Carifesta is one of the grandest festival in the entire Caribbean. Belize is sending a very strong delegation. As you know we have Andy Palacio and the Punta Rebels, who are going to be in the super concert. That is very special for us and is going to be a highlight for the Caribbean festival.”
Andy Palacio, Singer
“Our participation in Carifesta, on the musical side, will feature Punta Rebels and myself. The main thing will be super concerts on opening night and other acts to follow. The super concerts will be people like Jimmy Cliff, Bonny Wailer, the Mighty Sparrow, Beanie Man, David Rudder from Trinidad…and I think we’ll be in very good company.”
Beverly Smith Lopez
“In addition, however, we have the Mayan group, a bookfair, headed by chief librarian Ms. Joy Ysaguirre. We have the Image Factory that have done a wonderful job of putting together our national art show that will be there.”
Gilvano Swasey
“My participation in Carifesta concerns the visual arts, which will be in three sections. Actual paintings we’ll be hanging up, we’ll have a video and we’ll have a slide presentation of other works that we were not able to take to the show. The Image factory was approached by the Arts Council to do this thing. Also we have created a catalogue that documents the artists, so people can know about them and we are creating a website so everyone can check out and get in contact with it.”
Beverly Smith Lopez
“This year we really think we have put together a true Belizean contingent and we hope to be the best ambassadors ever.”
The twenty-five-member delegation is being headed by Marcial Mes, Minister of Rural Development and Culture. For regular reports on the celebration stay tuned to Channel Five.
