Date of World Creole Music Festival 2020 changed to 1 week before Creole Day

Marva Williams

The World Creole Music Festival’s schedule of dates has been changed for the first time in years.

Rather than having the Festival fall on the weekend before Independence Day, the “3 nights of pulsating rythmns” will be held one week earlier (from October 23rd to 25th 2020) .

Marva Williams Events Coordinator at the Dominica Festivals Committee, speaking at a press conference today when asked if the change of date will affect the number of visitors who come for the event she indicated that she does not believe that will be the case.

Williams went on to explain, “If you love the World Creole Music Festival then you will come for the World Creole Music Festival.” She further explained in coming to the decision that from an organizational perspective they made various recommendations and questions were asked.

Williams pointed out that the logistics of the event were also examined as well as the whole independence calendar. “I believe the decision was made at a government level and our aim was just to put the information out early enough…”

This was in order to allow those who were just waiting for that information to book their travel arrangements.

In a press release yesterday ( Tuesday, January 28th ) the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) indicated that the festival will be held one week earlier to accommodate preparations for celebrating the country’s 42nd anniversary of Independence on November 3rd, 2020. The following excerpt from the release explains briefly how the Festival fits into the schedule of events around the Independence season and what to expect culturally from the show:

The WCMF which is part of the wider celebrations for Dominica’s annual independence anniversary, and is preceded by a variety of cultural events, competitions, and fringe musical events, has become well known for attracting some of the region’s major acts in the creole musical genres like Cadence-lypso and Bouyon from Dominica, Zouk from the French Antilles, Compas from Haiti, as well as other genres with Caribbean and African roots, like Reggae and Dancehall from Jamaica, Soca, and Calypso from Trinidad and other Caribbean islands and Afro-beat from the African continent.

Barring  2014 and other extreme conditions such as 2017 when the festival was cancelled due to Hurricane Maria or in 2010 when night two (October 30th) was effectively postponed to the afternoon of the following day due to Tropical Storm Tomas, this is the first significant alteration in time or date of the WCMF.

 

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34 Comments

  1. No name
    January 31, 2020

    You must be dumb. Should I say to my boss I need more days holiday so I could go to my country because sewo is more important than my job? You seem to be forgetting it takes 2 days to reach Dominica and 2 days to reach back to where you leave

    • Man bites dogs
      February 3, 2020

      @No name, this is your problem between you and your employer what suits you will not suit someone else go get a life!

  2. Pipo
    January 31, 2020

    If you must change it why not put it between Christmas and New Year?It doesn’t have to be October you know when we still in the rainy season. People have free time between Christmas and new year. It is cold in North America and a lot of our people visiting family anyway plus we are in the middle of the tourist season. Yes, I think that would be an excellent time that does not clash with carnival either. Think about it.n

  3. Pong Bef
    January 31, 2020

    So what? Get a life and move on, that train don move on already. Next!

  4. Diafish jab
    January 31, 2020

    Who come come already and who don’t don’t! Either way I there. Hopefully we will see a segment of 42 years of Calypso road march on day 2 or 3 in a prime spot in the itinerary please. Our local calypsonians who give so much joy need to be appreciated alongside other International creole stars. Let’s go!

    • Casio
      February 3, 2020

      lets not mix the stages. i not coming to creale fest to see no calypso.

  5. KID ON THE BLOCK
    January 30, 2020

    You UWPites who are making those ridiculous unthinking comments should take into consideration that this year 2020 is a leap year and that additional calendar day and the time it fell made the difference. Stop pointing fingers and blame anyone. You all like too much politics.

    • Alice Wislon
      February 1, 2020

      Based on the response to if it will affect the number of visitors, hilarious, not even data based on an analysis given. Its If people.love theyr will.come,. Jesus, do tour research donyou knowing it will be profitable. If people love it… my ….. Same sturdiness again.

    • Man bites dogs
      February 1, 2020

      Hi KID, these guys are a bunch of arrogant losers and donkeys no amount of education would teach donkeys how to read a book 📙 🤣 🤣 🤣

    • Casio
      February 3, 2020

      are you a fool. firstl what does uwp have to do with it? so, everybody that disagree is a uwp supporter? the governement is making a pooor decision. because i disagree i am a workers? the ignorance and stupidity of your mindset Kid on the Block is really representative of your name. quite childish. no kids on my block if that is the case. secondly, an additional day in 2020 makes no difference. Creole fest has alwasy begun on creole day. it last the weekend. this year independence day is the tuesday after creole day. i do not see the problem. if anything it is perfect. Are we saying that we canot clean up windsor park in time? Are we saying we are that ill prepared ? what we cannot have a national parade 2 days after creole fest in the same venue?

  6. cc
    January 30, 2020

    Will they have any events the week leading up the festival on Oct 23-25?

    Will CITP start on Oct 26?

  7. gressis
    January 30, 2020

    Very good idea. I think we need to be flexible to move things that makes sense. The change will cause a nice flow, especially for folks wanting to enjoy all the events.

  8. January 30, 2020

    money is not a factor in that dominicans will find money for party like they always do

  9. RastarMarn
    January 29, 2020

    Ok so all that said, when is the date for the festival???

    ADMIN: October 23rd to 25th 2020. It’s now included in the article.

    • Paskie
      January 30, 2020

      But that’s all if the corona virus some how magically subsides and disappears into thin air, and the all clear is given. You did think about that, right? Bc testing the new vaccine on the virus will happen in 3 months. These are non human trials. Human trials may take 1 year. So, if you haven’t considered that as yet, you better should. Probably should wait for the all clear before finalizing your plans.

      • January 31, 2020

        Why put your plans on hold. They are right make plans early if some disaster arrive that could always change you cannot sit and wait to see what going to happen always plan ahead great job.

  10. Sami
    January 29, 2020

    On the contrary many people are already facing a dilemma after having already made hotel, flight and job vacation time arrangements. If the issue is cleaning up the park to be ready for the National Youth Parade on the 2nd and the Military Parade on the 3 then as a
    Committee you look at the logistics and Make It Happen. The park can be cleaned in time for the Youth Parade. The clean up should start as soon as Sunday night festival activities start to wind down. The last night is usually done between 2and 3. Employ a larger group of people for a shorter period of time. After the Youth Parade is over. The final breakdown and clean up can be done in time for the Military Parade the next day. It’s called work….thinking out of the box…there are thousands of Dominicans coming into Dominica who would willing stay a couple extra days to get the full experience….from CITP to Nov 3. We have to step up…production and logistics are not rocket science.

  11. Long Memory
    January 29, 2020

    How can it be the first time they moved the date in 23 years, when they moved the date in 2014?

    It’s even on DNO: https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/entertainment/dda-explains-reasons-wcmf-date-change/

    ADMIN: Thank you. The article has been corrected.

  12. Shaka zulu
    January 29, 2020

    Most Dominicans working and leaving overseas make the pilgrimage home to enjoy the festival and at same time celebrate the independence. The problem is most folks get 2 to 3 weeks vacation and if its that early by time u get CITP and festival you ready return. Independence celebrating missed. Sounds lime the government is trying to slowly transform the WCMF to a music festival and that is just the beginning of the slow move away from the essence of the event. It has already lost its creole appeal and uniqueness so why not remove it from creole day. That decision was made by government so it is politics. By the way Don’t they have work to do than planning what fay creale fest should be? I see where this is heading. Just call it the labour government music festival. Like everything it will soon be dead and we will be going to st.lucia enjoy the World creol music festival. They have direct flights and cheaper

    • Toto
      January 30, 2020

      My boy is government decision. That is Papa Doc-Doc decision, no argument he rules and rest of us can go to hell.

      • Me
        January 31, 2020

        Go to hell and suchez sell.

    • Let's be smart here
      January 30, 2020

      I see absolutely no reason for this change economic wise. Individually who come for fest usually dont have enough leave to stay 2 weeks plus in Dominica for Independence. This change is idiotic and needs to be revised. What should be changed is the Carnival date hence, to not compete with Trinidad and Guadeloupe. Ko

  13. Concerned Citizen
    January 29, 2020

    I’m confused. The article says “Rather than having the Festival fall the weekend before Creole day…” shouldn’t it read “Rather than having the festival fall ON the weekend OF creole day…”? To my knowledge the festival starts on Creole day at night…
    Anyway, this was a ridiculous decision. It has been that way for years and the Independence celebrations have always gone on. Why change it now? And like BMB said, what about people who get paid at month end? Smh

    ADMIN: The article has been corrected. It should have read “before Independence Day…”

  14. BMB
    January 29, 2020

    That move makes NO economic sense. One week earlier = 1 week before pay day/month-end. For some people that’s nothing, but for me, and I’m sure many others, where I getting the money one week before I “Draw” nuh? But hold on a while nuh…..on another note…hear dat..“I believe the decision was made at a government level and our aim was just to put the information out early enough…” So…what you’re really saying Marva, the Dominica Festival Committee is defunct? They have no decision making authority? It’s best allu change the name to the, “Dominica Festival Recommending Committee”.

    • Garbage!!!!
      January 29, 2020

      Garbage!!!! people come to get some creole plus music. Another thing do you guys take Miami carnival into consideration.
      Obviously a Government with no vision the nation will perish

      • January 31, 2020

        Nonsense who cares about Miami carnival. We are Dominican and we cannot sit ant worry about what is going on in another country for us to plan our festival. So you are trying to say we should not have carnival at the same time with Trinidad? Although I think we should change carnival
        so we can have more tourist come to DA. but it would be hard we should look at putting carnival with independence. But nothing is impossible because we use to work half day on Wednesdays and was change to Saturdays so any thing is possible. I know lots of Trinidadians that would like to visit Dominica for carnival but they not going to miss their own.

        • Toto
          February 2, 2020

          Chupes man. So what all them Dominicans doing in the US then. Only to make money to come and make fete here? Use your brain man if you got any.

        • February 4, 2020

          Correction to my comment. we use to work half a day on Thursday and it was change to Saturday.

    • No name
      January 29, 2020

      That’s a stupid idea. How will it not affect the number of visitors. I was planning on going down for independence (creole fest and independence day), now I have to choose which one I want to be there for. Looks like whoever made that decision didn’t take into consideration those of us who work overseas

      • January 31, 2020

        What is the big deal here Independence is November 3rd. If you check that’s 2 weeks is 14 days from the 23 -Nov. 6 is 14 days which is two weeks so what the fuss about you come down on the 22 Oct. return 7 Nov.

    • Amarossa
      January 29, 2020

      You all like too much controversy in this country! They giving you 9 months in 2020 plus November and December of 2019 to put aside your money. Let me do a little maths for you: $50 × 9 months (January – September) should give you MINIMUM $450.00
      So if you’re really interested in going start putting aside your money seriously all now so, instead of running by Fast Cash for money 2 weeks before the Fest. All you Dominicans need to learn to buckle all you belt and save!

      • A New Day
        January 30, 2020

        The change of date can be given a chance it sounds ok, maybe it might be better.

      • Ripe patat
        January 30, 2020

        You need to learn how to think critically. It’s still going to impact turnouts because people will not go for both events. Think about the tourists.

    • Man bites dogs
      January 30, 2020

      @BMB, you talking rubbish while you at it can you please suggest to us your preferred date for the world creole music festival 2020? Please No mmmmmm 🤔😂😂😂🤭

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