AS the competition is seemingly on to see which of the four designated Jounen Kweyol activities scheduled to take place around the island tomorrow will be the best, the organiser of one of the events is placing one foot forward and stating that theirs will be the one to beat.
Patrish Lionel, who is the Chairperson of the Jacmel Kweyol Festival Committee said come Sunday, one can look forward to a day that will send people back in time with foods, activities and even items on sale that are all as authentic as you can get.
Lionel said: “From the moment you hit the Roseau gap entering Jacmel, you will see why the agricultural theme was chosen for us, and even though (tropical storm) Mathew tried to destroy our crops we will rise up against it. In Jacmel you will see how the banana will be used in different ways, to eat, and in arts and craft. Our farmers market will have agricultural products on display and will include a rich history of the plantation. We are also hoping to have printed by then a Jounen Kweyol booklet with information on the Roseau Valley. Jacmel is talented and has also produced two Queens from the La Wenn Kweyol pageants we have participated in.”
Not wanting to leave out other major factors of the festivities, she added: “You can look forward to an assortment of delicious Creole cuisine and snacks including fudge, bull, lamant, coffee tea and penmi. Also, throughout the day there will be an exhibition in Kai Pye. There will be a mud house, we will also show how the dead was buried long ago and how the sick was taken to the hospital. We will have kabowes on display…look out for that one! Bamboo bursting, log sawing, farmers’ exhibition, children’s games, coconut oil making, medicinal herb display, sugarcane juice making and local bread making.”
Lionel said, over the years, there has definitely been a watering down of the festival, and cost had become a dominating factor, replacing the original community vibes of the festival. However, she said this year, her committee has taken a few steps backwards in order to move leaps and bounds ahead.
She said: “I can definitely say that this is a costly venture. You see the thing is long ago people believed in koudmen and helping one another. Nowadays everything is for a cut. In speaking to one of the members on the last committee for Jounen Kwéyòl in Jacmel which was held in 1997, he stated that most performances and labour were done at little to no cost. Everyone chipped in and helped where they could. Our committee has from the start been saying that we wanted the event to be as cultural as possible, but while we would want that, one must understand the cost that is involved. “Hence from April we have been hosting activities to raise funds to meet the cost of the event. We’re trying to add activities that are unusual but cultural and in keeping with the theme. We have asked that certain items not be used or sold at the event as this is not Carnival or square. We want the children to play and learn the games of long ago, and remind persons how things used to be back then.”
Giving a rundown of scheduled activities, Lionel said: “We’re beginning with a Creole mass at the Church of the Holy Family in Jacmel. This is from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. However vendors will be on the field already with their breakfast items. Since there are two other churches in the vicinity which end their services at 12.30 p.m. our programme will begin from 1:00 p.m. with various cultural performances which include children’s dance, tanbou and solo dances, Creole jokes and storytelling and masqueraders. Then there will be a break and in the evening around 5:00 p.m. we will have some local performances from the likes of Prosper, Black Pearl, Subance and Mighty, Siah etc. and the Headline Band which is Wanjma.”
