Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival
Established in 2001, the Carriacou Maroon Music Festival is a unique event indigenous to Carriacou, celebrating the islands rich history and culture. The festival is supported by the Grenada Board of Tourism, the Ministry for Carriacou & Petite Martinique Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, and sponsored by national, regional, and local stakeholders.
In 2010 this event will merge the maroon celebration with string bands competition into one comprehensive venue. The objectives of the Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival focuses on preserving our rich cultural expressions and showcasing it to others by attracting visitors from North America, Europe and the Caribbean in one setting, one spirit, as one united island. The maroon festival epitomizes food, music, and culture. It is about bringing people together, eating, drinking, dancing and celebrating.
The Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival will offer visitors the chance to witness the traditional Caribbean practice of a 'maroon' - a celebration offering thanks for the last harvest and asking for good fortune during the upcoming planting season. The three-day festival is marked with traditional songs, dance, food and other cultural performances. The beating of drums thumps out the rhythm that pulsates throughout the celebrations and beckons all the surrounding communities to come and join the fun at the festival village.
Scheduled for April 30th to May 2, 2010, the three-day festival will begin on Friday night in the village of Bogles. The Bogles Maroon consists of the traditional Carriacou feast, featuring a menu of smoked foods such as pork, beef, mutton and chicken, along with local staples like rolled coo-coo (corn), rolled rice and stewed pigeon peas, followed by drumming and big drum dancing.
On Saturday night the venue will be the historical Belair National Park; a 3 acre lush plateau located 800 feet above sea level and is known as a centuries-old traditional meeting place for islanders. During the weekend of the festival, the park will be transformed into an authentic festival village with a maroon centre and a dedicated stage for cultural presentations. The main musical centre will be set amid a canopy of trees and the Belair Park Great House, which is a colonial period building known as the centre piece of the park. The main stage will be housed at the bottom of a gentle slope, providing a natural amphitheatre effect.
The third and final day, family day, will take place on Carriacou’s finest beach; Paradise, with string band performances, children’s events, and swim races, providing a perfect complement to a weekend full of Carriacou’s heritage.