Tourists and locals countdown to Festival Kreol in Seychelles

Only four days left before Seychelles welcomes its 29th edition of the annual Festival Kreol, whereby it celebrates the Creole culture, traditions and history, the Creole people, the Creole identity, and the link to the Creole world.

All is set to welcome this 29th festival which will kick off on October 24 with the opening ceremony at the Stad Popiler in Victoria which is set to be spectacular with performances by well-established local singers and musicians as well as those from other Creole-speaking countries.

Members of the local press were given details of the program during a press conference held at the Department of Culture’s conference room at the National Cultural Centre in Victoria.

Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St.Ange said the 29th edition of the Festival Kreol is a preparation for its 30th anniversary to be held next year.

“We need to mark this year’s festival and make it a stepping stone for the Festival Kreol 2015, which will be a milestone for our country as we shall be celebrating the 30th edition of the annual festival,” Minister St.Ange said.

The Minister thanked the members of the Festival Kreol committee which is led by the Principal Secretary for Culture, Benjamine Rose, for coming up with a program filled with activities which cater to all ages.

“This year our program is filled with activities for all ages, and we have ensured that the general public will be able to take part in the festivities,” the Minister added.

“We need to make Festival Kreol the event whereby Seychelles and the Creole people join together to celebrate their identity. I call on all Seychellois to join in the Creole festivities during the coming days to show our very own unique Creole way and demonstrate that we are all proud to be part of the Creole world,” Minister Alain St.Ange said.

Minister St.Ange used the press conference to urge the business community in Victoria, the “Creole Capital of the World,” to decorate their premises and join in the Creole Festival décor.

“Our town will reflect an open-air arts gallery with paintings of Seychelles’ top artists being displayed along Independence Avenue in Victoria,” the Minister said.

This year there will be the official opening of the National Arts Gallery which will be based in the National Cultural Centre building which houses the Department of Culture. The gallery will be a marking point whereby Seychelles will recognize and give added-value to the works done by artists.

“We are proud as a ministry to also have our national arts collection which will be unveiled at the opening of the gallery, and this would not have been possible without the help of President James Michel,” Minister St.Ange said.

He also spoke on the Wall of Fame where artists who have greatly contributed to putting the Seychellois music at the forefront are recognized. This year, four artists – Jany de Letourdie, David Andre, Patrick Victor, and Jean-Marc Volcy – have been proposed by the Seychelles Musicians Association (SEYMAS), and chosen to have their very own star on the Wall of Fame.

Minister St.Ange also said the Seychellois nation needed to celebrate its identity all year round and not just during the Festival Kreol week.

Details of the program were given by Benjamine Rose, the PS for Culture, followed by coordinators of the committee who talked on the activities to be held during the week.

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .