More pan for Heritage Festival

This year the Tobago Heritage Festival Committee (THFC) intends to showcase this country’s steelband and calypso as special features of the festival.

The 2006 festival, entitled ‘Two Decades and More Beautiful,’ was launched at a small gathering at the Kapok Hotel on Thursday and is expected to draw a larger crowd than past years because of the time and effort placed in the planning of the show.

Annette Alfred, Cultural Officer of the THFC said, last year the festival did not incorporate enough steelband music, so that, this year the committee allocated one day for a pan festival which would feature several steel orchestras from Tobago performing the heritage theme song as well as a Caribbean folk song on the night of the show.

She said the committee focused on “professionalism” this year with emphasis placed on stage management, acting, maintaining punctuality and on the authenticity of productions.

Alfred said more funds were put into marketing the festival with plans for a road show in North America to encourage university students and nationals living abroad to come to Tobago for the festival.

Garnet Peters, chairman of the THFC said over $1 million was allocated towards the Junior Heritage Festival to afford bigger cash prizes and to provide groups with funds for costuming and other expenses.

He said the committee realised that training was necessary to increase the professionalism of the junior extravaganza, so that training was provided for students in dance, drumology, singing, acting and other areas.

Peters said the committee planned to include a “junior project” within various communities for the 2007 Heritage Festival.

The launch was followed by a street parade down Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain and onto the Brian Lara Promenade, Independence Square, where various villages from across Tobago showcased their talent and handicraft items.

This year’s festival which is scheduled to begin on July 14 with an opening gala at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, will feature cultural items including Natural Treasures Day, Old Time Tobago Wedding, Ole Time Carnival, Christmas Customs of Yesteryear, Folk Tales and Superstitions and Sea Festival.