Evolving Tobago Heritage Festival

TOMORROW, Tobago's Heritage Festival concludes after celebrations that began on July 21.

The dovetailing of the two events is a reminder of how closely intertwined the histories and cultures of the two islands of Trinidad and Tobago are, and how important it is to support living retellings of our history of settlement, adjustment, and the effort to preserve and evolve the cultural traditions that were brought to these islands on cruel slave ships.

Our histories are not solely defined by the privations of the Middle Passage, they were unshackled by the inventiveness and spirituality of our forebears who celebrated their heritage in the face of determined efforts by colonisers to eradicate these markers of tradition.

In 2022, cultural activist Jesse Taylor noted the increased presence of youth in the event, saluting the resurgence in interest by young performers.

The growing presence of young performers, directors and musicians in the Heritage Festival will be key to not just continuance, but a refreshed enthusiasm to discover and interpret all that makes Tobago's cultural history so unique.

The 2023 edition of the festival celebrated everything from Tobago's traditions of calypso, J'Ouvert and Carnival to feasts, the island's natural beauty and complicated history, and the joyous spectacle of the traditional Moriah Old-Time Wedding, an event that was as much about music, celebration and community as it was about the marriage of two people.

Convened under the theme Homage: All Ah We And All Ah Who We Be, the festival called on the talents of local dancers, drummers and tambrin musicians across the spectrum of local cultural groups.

The Tobago Heritage Festival is a recent attempt to gather the cultural resources of the island. The first festival was held in 1987, supported by $1,000 from the Tobago House of Assembly and other donations.

That inaugural event began with five villages that had well-preserved and practised traditions, including Moriah, Les Coteaux, Charlotteville and Roxborough.

The 2023 event added $496,000 from sponsors to the festival's $4 million budget.

Originally sold as a tourism attraction, the Heritage Festival has always found its greatest strength and value as a reflection of the resilient spirit of Tobagonians and the spirited portrayals have won audiences and support on their own merit.

At a time when the relationship between the administrations of Trinidad and Tobago are strained by political conflict, the celebrations of Tobago's Heritage Festival and Emancipation Day are a reminder of how much unites our two islands and how important a respectful appreciation of our cultural traditions and differences remain to a shared national identity.