Outdoor festival season is not over, yet.
Just as cool fall arrives in the city, there will be a chance
to warm up with some funky reggae music courtesy of the
Afro-Caribbean festival Saturday, at Memorial Park downtown
from noon to 10 pm.
"There's a surprising large Afro-Caribbean community here, about 11,000 that want to share their rhythms and culture with everybody, from reggae music to drumming to dancing. They will make you think we are still in summer mode," said Blaise Cherif, president of the festival.
This year, second for the event, there are a number of changes in the festival designed to make the event more popular said Cherif.
"Last year had about 250 persons attending at Sacre-Coeur School on Notre Dame Ave. but we decided to move to a more central location this year. I hope to double our participants," said Cherif.
There is a variety of artists on the festival roster including Bosco at 1:30 pm, Baladi National Baladi at 2:45 pm, Spirit of World Drumming at 3:30 pm, Umurisho at 4:30 pm, Prince Diabete at 5:30 pm. Lazo at 6:30 pm and Umurisho again at 7:30 pm.
Prince Diabete is from Guinea, West Africa and at 16 years won first prize in an international kora musical instrument competition in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Now he tours worldwide incorporating reggae, rap and blues into his work.
Lazo is a top reggae band, having won Top reggae performer of the Year from the internationally recognized Canadian Reggae Music Awards.
The Afro-Caribbean community is growing said Cherif.
"We have people coming here from Jamaica, Trinidad and Haiti plus those from Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Chad and the Congo, even Burundi," he said.
Tickets are $20 adults, $15 for children and students at Black Cat Too, caribbean Kitchen, Village International or phone 665.5934 or visit www.fesacs.com
