tidings
Corey Connelly
Cultural activist Jesse Taylor has applauded the involvement of young people in this year’s Tobago Heritage Festival.
After a two-year absence, the festival, titled Reflect, Rebirth, Rejoice: Reigniting The Flames of Our Legacy, returned in a personal format.
But it was no ordinary two-week cultural extravaganza.
This year’s event ran from July 22 to August 1 and featured just four village presentations from Charlotteville, Les Coteaux, Pembroke and Moriah.
Other events included the Miss Heritage Personality pageant, the Heritage Calypso Monarch and Extempo pageant and the Emancipation Day procession and concert, which drew the curtain on this year’s celebrations.
Taylor, a cultural officer II, THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transport, told Newsday: “It was nice to see the revival of what I would call the local spirit. And this was evident from the way the youth gravitated towards what was over the years, not a common practice.
“It was more for the elderly. I think the message is getting out there and it’s been a joy for me to see generally young people following and embracing their culture.”
He said this bodes well for the preservation of Tobago’s heritage.
“Certainly, I would encourage the push for the youth heritage festival because we see where it’s going.
“For me, we’ve already lost a generation between Annette Nicholson-Alfred, Cynthia Alfred, Rawle Titus and others like Miriam Scott, Elvis Radgman.”
Taylor believes the festival could be better packaged for regional and international audiences.
“I think we need to plan ahead so that there can be a dedicated effort to put the heritage where it can really be absorbed not only by our natives on the island, but also regionally and internationally.”
“I think we should also translate what we say in our dialect, because I have had guests who were here from the region and internationally, who could not understand even when they were at home, seeing it through other media.”
Taylor, who performed at Pembroke’s Salaka Festival, said significant sums of money are spent on costumes and organizing events, “But I don’t know that we’ve effectively used those things to our advantage.”
For example, he believes the Emancipation Day street parade could be incorporated into the island’s domestic, regional and international marketing plan.
“I was pleased with the fact that the parade route was shortened, so we got more of the parade because it was more compact, and we utilized a space that I now find can be used for many other things on the island. “
Taylor also welcomed the shortened version of the festival.
“I especially liked the way the calendar of events was done. It’s a good way to go. You don’t have to do many villages.”
