San Fernando celebrates with Freedom Festival

HUNDREDS of people of African descent are expected to take to the streets of San Fernando on the morning of August 2, to give thanks and celebrate their heritage in this first-ever African Emancipation Day observance.

The Prime Minister announced in April that Cabinet approved a name change for the Emancipation holiday and, from August 1 it would be known as African Emancipation Day.

His rationale for the addition of "African," he explained, was that, “The time has come for us to make it quite clear what emancipation means; and who is being emancipated.”

He clarified that emancipation in TT meant the emancipation of enslaved African people, and that there was no comparison between slavery and any other form of human indignity.

“We are descendants of slaves. We have a duty to preserve our history, our legacy and make our claim without apologies to anyone,” Rowley said then.

In keeping with this philosophy, San Fernando mayor Robert Parris told the Newsday he wanted to bring a new experience to celebrate the ancestors and the birthright while attracting young Africans to immerse themselves in what is being offered. In this vein, he conceptualised a two-day Freedom Festival.

This festival, which will begin on Friday and culminate on Saturday evening at the Bandstand Harris Promenade, opposite City Hall, San Fernando, will incorporate a street parade, flambeaux procession, artisan market, fashion show and entertainment from local, reggae and Afrobeat artistes.

“I wanted to add something new to the African Emancipation landscape. Having been part of similar celebrations in other parts of the world, I wanted to do something out of the box to attract the younger audience.

"The theme was also deliberate in that while it celebrates our African ancestry, at the same time we wanted to celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of us as a people in San Fernando," Parris said.

“San Fernando is a unique place – a rich multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic composition of people who all celebrate each other’s uniqueness. We will celebrate Freedom Festival together.”

Parris said this is all part of the cultural tourism thrust in the city.

The festival is a collaboration of the office of the mayor, the Emancipation Support Committee (ESCTT) and Empress Aje Music.

In a July 30 interview, Empress Aje said the initial plan was to host the two-day celebration starting on the actual holiday, August 1.

She explained ESCTT, one of its partners, asked for the date to be pushed back by a day so as not to compete with its celebration in Port of Spain on Thursday.

Nevertheless, she said she anticipates maximum participation to mark this first-of-its-kind celebration in San Fernando.

“This celebration is the brainchild of the mayor, who wanted to celebrate African people in a way they would appreciate who they are, love their skin, love their hair.

“He did not just want the normal emancipation music, but an event that feeds information, empowers people. He saw this as an opportunity to empower African people, so that those attending must leave empowered.

“We all know that Afro-Trinidadians are the group of people to whom most criticisms are directed towards, from the young people to the adults."

As is customary with every African celebration, one must pay homage and reverence to the ancestors. In keeping with this tradition, from 7.30 am there will be a pouring of libation when spiritual leaders will offer prayers and blessings for the journey they are about to undertake.

The procession will then push off from Hatters panyard, Lady Hailes Avenue, to King’s Wharf, High Street and Library Corner, ending at the bandstand, City Hall, which will be converted into an African village.

At the bandstand, there will be addresses by the mayor, parliamentary representatives and from MPs and a spiritual leader. This will be followed by performances by the Embacadere Travellers, Lady Adana, Tigress (Joanne Rowley), Neptune School of Arts, and Empress Aje.

There will be a two-hour break and entertainment will resume at 3 pm. During the break, visitors will have an opportunity to visit the artisan market, where African meals, clothing and craft will be on sale.

There will also be a kids' corner, Parris said, where information and knowledge will be disseminated in an effort to expose young African children to their rich heritage.

“In this corner, there will also be a display of art pieces submitted by students from different schools in the city. Months ago, we had asked the schools to submit pieces from this Freedom Festival. The art on display is for sale and monies earned will go back to the schools which submitted the pieces.”

Entertain will resume at 3 pm, and will include artistes such as Eunice Peters, Joanne Foster, reigning San Fernando Monarch Pharoah, pannist Shaquille Flogo Forbes, Mc Kevin Foster, Naomi Sinnette, Tamika Darius and her son Xhaiden Darius, and San City Steel Orchestra.

Friday evening’s session will culminate with a flambeaux procession around the promenade.

On Saturday, fashion will take centre stage as models will display various brand and styles of local African wear.

Performances on Saturday night will include Nigerian Afrobeat artiste Adesoja, reggae artiste Kerry John, TT’s own soca/calypso diva Terri Lyons, Wasafoli Dancers, and Fonclaire Steel Orchestra bringing the curtains down. Damien Melville will be MC on both nights.

Aje explained the choice of reggae and Afrobeat has to do with the gravitation of young people to these genres of music.

Parris said he does not anticipate any major traffic changes, on the basis of a procession by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church which he attended last Sunday, and which he said went off without a hitch.

“The TT police service must be commended. We were able to walk in double file and the procession was seamless. I anticipate the same arrangement to apply for the Freedom Festival. No streets will be blocked off except the section between the bandstand and City Hall."

He invited all to come on down and participate in the festival, promising a memorable experience.