On Grenada’s sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, maroons are age-old celebrations expressing appreciation for a productive harvest and petitioning success for the upcoming planting season. They are expressions of joy; feasts and celebrations whose sights, sounds and smells surround the cooking and sharing of food within each community. Each village has its own traditions, but the celebration and sharing of the harvest is the common thread which binds them all.

The pulsing beat of the Big Drum is the lifeblood of the maroon celebration. Dancers whirl and sing in the local patois, songs that recall their history and announce their future aspirations. The beating of the drums lifts the heart and cures the soul, beckoning all, to join the ring and succumb to the rhythms.

During the Maroon Music Festival, the past meets the future with traditional performances featuring the Big Drum Nation Dance, String Band Music, Shakespeare Mas, Quadrille and African Dance, integrating with the more modern sounds of Calypso, Reggae, Soul and Blues. Belair Park will be transformed into a festival village, with the canopy of trees giving a natural amphitheatre effect.

For more information contact:

Grenada Board of Tourism - Carriacou
Tel: (473) 443-7948
www.grenadagrenadines.com

Carriacou Maroon Music Festival
Tel: (473) 443-6555
www.grenadines.net/carriacou/maroonmusicfestival.html