The Dumbest Idea
For years now we have been trying to put on a Virgin Islands Festival and we have not been at all successful. Now, according to the news report on BVI News online, the Minister is now considering a proposal to have three separate festivals on Tortola which means the Virgin Islands Festival will now officially become a “three part” Tortola Festival celebrated in Road Town, East End and Carrot Bay.
In 2007 I wrote to the then minister Hon Andrew Fahie and in 2014 to the present Minister making proposals and suggestions in how to improve and make it a “TRUE” Virgin Islands Festival by getting all the Villages, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and all the schools involved. You can go to my Facebook page, The Virgin Islands: A British Overseas Territory and read the letter to the present minister.
We cannot expect to improve our festival as long as we continue to leave our History and Culture behind and leave out our Fungi music. The idea of having three festivals is not only ridiculous but nonsensical. However, we must remember here in the Virgin Islands proposals are only considered depending on the individual(s) that they come from.
It is time that we get serious and make our Festival a “Family Friendly Affair” and take out the “Carnival atmosphere. What we are supposed to be celebrating and remembering is too important to continue to leave out the schools, the other villages and the other islands.
Nothing was more disrespectful this year than the disrespect shown to our Fungi Bands. The fact that the official opening of the Village was on Monday July 27 but the Fungi Fest was the Friday night before clearly show that they care more about foreign entertainers that our culture. Is not Fungi Music one of our most important parts of our culture?
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