Grenada to stage Carriacou Maroon and String Band Music Festival, know deets

Grenada: Grenada is all set to stage the 2023 Carriacou Maroon and String Band Music Festival from April 28th- 30th, 2023. The official launch of the festival will be taken place on March 31, 2023. 

The launch ceremony will be held at Main Streets, Hillsborough and feature the keynote remarks of the government officials of Carriacou. The festival will showcase the vibrant and graceful culture of the community and there will be various cultural performances on the launch day. 

Sweet strings will captivate the visitors and audience at the Maroon Festival from April 28th – 30th.

Plans are in progress for the staging of the 2023 Carriacou Maroon and String Band Music Festival. Anderson “Leftist” Matheson, Coordinator of the Cultural Secretariat, is spearheading the plans, along with a team of volunteers.

He said that the April 28th-30th festival will involve the participation of groups from Carriacou, Grenada and Union Island. Matheson said a decision was taken to not include a foreign artist this year, but to focus on showcasing mainly the rich cultural heritage of the twin-isle parish of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Over the three-day festival, performances are expected from groups involved in big drum and quadrille dancing, Shakespeare Mas’, as well as from a number of other local musical bands.

This year, the festival’s Friday night will take the form of a village maroon, which will be held in the northern community of Bayaleau. Thus far, said Matheson, they have received overwhelming support from the villagers.

The Maroon Festival, a Saturday night event, is usually held at the Belair Heritage Park. 

However, because the park is not in a state of readiness, the event – dubbed “Cultural Explosion” – is being held at the Botanical Gardens, Hillsborough. The festival will culminate on the world-famous Paradise Beach.

Matheson said that while they have reached out to a number of sponsors, they are open to more and are also asking for volunteers to assist during the three days of festivities.

The festival is supported by the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and Local Government.