Nearly a dozen groups from around the island will converge on ‘The Strip’ to showcase some aspects of the festival, including a demonstration of the society’s hierarchical structure, singing, dancing, food and fundraising.
Today’s séance is the precursor to next Tuesday’s feast of La Rose when the grand fete is held in Belle Vue, Vieux Fort.
Held on August 30 each year, La Rose – also known as the Feast of Saint Rose de Lima – forms an integral part of the Saint Lucian pastime and has played a major role in bringing communities closer.
Fifty-three-year-old Terrence “Cosol” Alexander is from Desruisseaux, Micoud, and has been described by his peers as the glue that keeps the Blanchard La Rose Group together. The group consists of 46 members and meets regularly to plan activities and discuss their future.
Alexander’s involvement in the La Rose society has spanned more than 20 years, initially serving as a “policeman” for two years, five as prince, three as king and the past ten years as chantwel. His initiation into the La Rose society came about when he was a boy and would ask his parents to bring him along when they attended their séances.
“Despite all these challenges, we still make sure that we do what we can – as little as we can – to keep the culture alive,” Alexander said. “We want future generations to know the significance of this tradition.”
While speaking with The VOICE about the group’s participation in this year’s activities, Alexander’s determination came through in his breaking voice: “Our financial situation is a little bad this year, so we’re a bit late in preparing for the festival. But we’ll try our best so as to continue the tradition.”
While Alexander admits that the community must support the preservation of La Rose, he believes the government and other agencies need to play a more critical role in that regard. Alexander also zeroed in on another factor – the youth.
“Usually, whenever a wake is being held for a La Rose member, I would pull a crowd when I sing. That’s when you find a lot of young people coming out to show support. You would be surprised to see the number of young people in Desruisseaux dancing to the La Rose songs word for word,” Alexander explained.
Over the years, attracting the youth to participate in the festival has been cited as one of the key elements to keeping the tradition alive. As such, organizers are hoping that parents bring their children along to the grand séance and grand fete to get an appreciation of a festival that people like Alexander still cherish.
