A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD OUR SOCIETY - CARICOM S-G TELLS CARIFESTA VII OPENING

Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mr. Edwin Carrington, has appealed to Caribbean artistes participating in CARIFESTA VII in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis to take advantage of new technologies to enhance the effectiveness and the economic profitability of their cultural product. Speaking at the official opening ceremony of the Region's premier cultural festival on August 17, Mr. Carrington also pledged the CARICOM Secretariat's support in enabling the artistes to help build the Caribbean Community through music, literature, dance, among other things.
 

"As you the younger artistes take over the stage, with the charge to continue the building of a truly sustainable Caribbean Community, worthy of the aspirations of all our people, I implore you to follow the devotion, commitment, and the professionalism of those who have gone ahead, and without whose contribution many of the concepts and mechanisms of unity which are with us today, would hardly have been conceived of, much less forged," Mr. Carrington said.

Of particular relevance, I appeal to you to take advantage of the new technologies to enhance the effectiveness, outreach and the economic profitability of your cultural product. We of the Secretariat stand ready to work with you, as we have been doing, to provide you with the support to achieve these ends," the Secretary-General added.

Mr. Carrington reminded the CARIFESTA participants that the Region's biggest cultural extravaganza offers them a unique opportunity to build "our Caribbean society".
 

"...I appeal to you not to squander the opportunity which CARIFESTA and such other occasions afford you," Mr. Carrington said. "The future of the people of the Caribbean, to a large measure, rests on your contribution."

Carifesta VII runs from August 17 to 26 in the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Activities for the 10-day festival include a series of "Super Concerts", featuring several prominent Caribbean artistes, including the reigning calypso monarch of Trinidad and Tobago, Shadow, the Order of the Caribbean Community awardee, the Mighty Sparrow, Krosfyah out of Barbados, world renowned reggae artist, Jimmy Cliff and Jamaican dub singer, Beenie Man.

Bunny Wailer, Sanchez, David Rudder and Charlie Roots will also put in individual appearances.