Dominica's Karifuna Cultural Group Celebrates 43rd Anniversary

Dominica's Karifuna Cultural Group honored its 43rd anniversary under the theme "Wi Nou La." The celebration occurred online due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Dominica. The Karifuna 43 Anniversary Virtual Show, which aired on November 27, 2021, is available for viewing on the Karifuna Cultural Group's Facebook page. The show highlights a wide range of performances from throughout the group’s lifetime, including the bird and war dances (thecaribbeannewsnow.com).  

Founded in 1978 to revive the Kalinago Culture and showcase it to the world, the Karifuna Cultural Group has been educating people through dance, music, and other art forms for over four decades (thecarbbeannewsnow.com). The group has flourished through its opportunity to represent Dominica in several festivals, trade shows, and educational forums at regional and international levels, including Martinique, Guadeloupe, France, Trinidad & Tobago, the US Virgin Islands, England, USA, and the Expo2020 in Dubai (thecaribbeannewsnow.com). The Karifuna Cultural Group also participates in Carnival, the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF), Independence Celebrations, and International World Indigenous People Day. According to the Karifuna Cultural Group's president, Prosper Paris, the group's cultural performances are viewed as a major attraction for the Dominican public and visitors to the island (dominicanewsonline.com).                                         

Additionally, the group is putting effort forth to restore the Kalinago Language, which they consider to be the backbone of the Kalinago culture (dominicanewsonline.com). The group also organized and funded the first-ever Inter-School Dance Festival and Kalinago History Quiz Competition (dominicanewsonline.com). Other undertakings of the cultural group include publishing a Kalinago cookbook and recording its first compact disc, "Nou Se Kalinago" in the year 2000, of which six tracks are in the Kalinago language (dominicanewsonline.com). 

Finally, the Karifuna Cultural Group has also been featured in many documentaries and movies, including Seven Nights, The Spirit of Jaguar, Orchid House, Chocolate Pollen, and Columbus (thecaribbeannewsnow.com). 

Sources: 

dominicanewsonline.com 

thecaribbeannewsnow.com