Wednesday, a Haitian delegation left Port-au-Prince to Bridgetown, Barbados, to participate in the 13th edition of the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA), which will take place from Thursday 17th until Sunday 27 August on the theme "Asserting our Culture, Celebrating Ourselves".

According to the proposal of the Artistic Direction of the Ministry of Culture, the Haitian performances in the XIII CARIFESTA, described as a kind of artistic and cultural "Olympic" artistic and cultural, are included in the categories: music, dance, theater and fashion. In addition, fewer than 6 Haitian personalities will take part in the Symposium, where they will debate Caribbean cultural heritage themes.

For Minister Toussaint, the CARIFESTA Festival, held every two years in one of the CARICOM member states, "is an excellent pretext to celebrate our identity in the area and to promote our talents."

Program of Haiti in the XIII CARIFESTA :

• A citizen parade in the form of narration of the highlights that have marked the evolution of the Haitian people ;

• A musical trilogy featuring 3 generations of artists and tourist ambassadors from Haiti:

  - The Vodou Jazz generation with Sara Rénélique, Jehyna Sahyeir Celestin and Fabienne Denis ;

  - The Emerging Generation including artists Mandela Jean Francois, Fermilus Mackenson Fils Lenor aka F-Mack and Clints Pavelus;

  - The POP generation featuring Haitian stars Rutshelle Guillaume, Jonathan Perry tells J-Perry and Michael Benjamin aka Mikaben.

• Performances mixing dances, theaters, songs and visual arts such as: 21 Nanchon, Xpression; Artists such as Erol Josué, Linda Isabelle Francois, Val Jeanty, Oscar Jean Baptiste or groups such as Nègès Fla-Vodou, the National Theater Dance troupe, etc... ;

• Music performances provided by the groups : Tabou Combo, Sweet Micky, Boukman Eksperyans et Ti-Coca & Wanga Nègès ;

• Speeches at the symposium by Lyonel Trouillot, Nesmy Manigat, Emmelie Prophète, Rose Nesmy Saint Louis, Jean Euphèle Milcé and Jerry Michel.

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre