Hundreds of Guyanese attended the Pre-Carifesta Concert held on Sunday at the Fairfield Halls and Theatre in Croydon, UK and many declared their intentions to attend this year’s festival.

According to a press release from the Guyana High Commission which organised the event, many persons braved the inclement weather to attend the concert giving a further boost to the buzz surrounding the festival. The Commission said world-renowned flautist Guyanese Keith Waithe who is expected to attend the festival, performed with the Macusi Players, Aubrey Bryan and his club 257 Steel Combo, the Morbee Quovadians, Farah Ramjohn, Nishi and Alan Cooper, Indian classical dancers, the Budhu Sisters and tabla player Ashiq also performed. UK television and media personalities Guyanese Juliet Alexander and Rianna Scipio also attended the gala event.

Commissioner Laleshwar Singh encouraged the audience to visit Guyana for Carifesta X. He recalled that the concept of Carifesta was drafted at a meeting in Georgetown in 1970 which resulted in the August 25-September 15, 1972 festival as “the nostalgia that pervaded the audience could not be contained.”