After declaring the 2023 Carnival season a success, Minister for Tourism Denise Charles is urging Dominicans to turn out in large numbers for Jazz and Creole 2023.
The Jazz and Creole Music Festival will be held on April 30th under the theme “Rainforest Fantasy”. According to a press release from the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), the theme aims to highlight the nation’s “Forest, our Flora and Fauna, Waterfalls, Rivers, Lakes, and Hot Springs”, in keeping with the Nature Island brand and a push to promote sustainable tourism.
The festival will follow Dominica’s 2023 Carnival celebrations and the DDA, Ms. Charles says, is encouraging all Dominicans to show the Jazz and Creole Festival the same enthusiasm and cooperation that was displayed during the 2023 Carnival season.
Meantime, the DDA and Ministry of Tourism are celebrating the success of The Real Mas, Carnival 2023.
Carnival in Dominica ran from its opening on January 14 to Téwé Vaval on February 22nd, and according to the DDA, the season was “packed with exciting events”.
“For just over five weeks, revellers enjoyed numerous Calypso events and national competitions, village and town carnivals, and pageantry at its finest,” the organization reported.
The season saw some grand wins, including newcomer to the Calypso Stage, Trilla-G, who captured the title of Calypso Monarch 2023. Miss Adicia Burton emerged winner of the Queen Show Pageant which was hosted by the Discover Dominica Authority, and Miss Kenisha Antoine of the Castle Bruce Secondary School walked away with the crown at the unforgettable Miss Teen Pageant. Najah Georges of the Thibaud Primary School captured the title of Carnival Princess 2023, while Nisha Prosper stole the hearts of judges to claim the Mother’s Queen Show title.
DDA also released the highly anticipated results for the 2023 Carnival Parade Competitions. In the awards for the opening parade, DOWASCO won first place in the Best Business Float Category and the Afro Royale Flag Wavers edged out NBD to claim the Flag Wavers Title.
In the J’ouvert Category, the Mahaut Lapo Kabwit Band was named Lapo Kabwit Band with the Largest Following and Signal Band’s Lumination was dubbed Best J’ouvert group. Chou Poul claimed three titles: Largest Ole Mas Group, Largest Lapo Kabwit and Best ole Mas Band.
Thuderbirds won Best Ole Mas Band in the Ole Mas Parade category.
Castle Bruce Primary School won Children Band of the Year and Castle Bruce Secondary copped the Secondary Schools Band of the Year title in the Carnival Monday Parade Youth Mas Category.
First Place in the Carnival Monday T-Shirt Band awards went to Amnesia’s Crazy Mess Display.
In the Carnival Tuesday Parade Costume Band category, Pulse Experience copped the Best Contemporary Band as well as the Adult Contemporary King and Queen of the Band titles. The Afrikulture Stilt Walkers were adjudged Best Traditional Band and also took the titles of Adult Traditional King and Queen of the Band.
Band of the Year went to the largest band, Hysteria Mas (See below for full results).
DDA says the nation celebrated “a clean, fun, and safe Mas Domnik 2023”, with preliminary numbers indicating 4,150 visitor arrivals for the period February 13-21.
While arrivals were 15% below figures for a similar period of 2020, DDA says the tourism minister is renewing efforts to surpass pre- Covid carnival arrival numbers and is in the process of appointing a special Carnival Task Force, “to review the product to ensure that we can certainly have many more visitors come in 2024”.
Ms. Charles and the Discover Dominica Authority expressed gratitude to the Government of Dominica, event organizers, Carnival patrons and all other stakeholders of Mas Domnik 2023.
Charles hailed the increased economic activity to the private sector and entertainers after a difficult two-year period of the COVID pandemic, and told stakeholders, “Your commitment and contribution was critical to the success of Dominica’s Carnival”.
