This final instalment on Carifesta XIV in Trinidad and Tobago will focus on the performing arts, and a bit of literature, with particular attention to Guyana’s contribution. There is much more to say about Carifesta, and it cannot be said in these three discussions, but this review will bring a halt to the subject until it becomes appropriate again.
The major observation is that there was considerably more attention paid to the performing arts this time as opposed to what has been happening since 2013. This upgrade in performance, includes some variation in the trends where drama is concerned. But the attitudes to the ‘Country Nights’ continued, as did Guyana’s continued rise to prominence and impressiveness in these areas.
The performance trends in dance have seen a bit more stability, with less noticeable fluctuation over successive festivals. There was a noted rise in this discipline in 2015, and this was sustained in 2017, and certainly this year in Trinidad. Over the past two Carifestas (2017 and 2019) Guyana’s dance has been considerably stronger, and this country has shown that it can hold its own alongside the powerhouses of dance in the Caribbean.
