Mottley Opens Carifesta XV with Call for Unity, Legacy, and Caribbean Creativity
Prime Minister Mia Mottley last evening declared open the 15th edition of Carifesta in Bridgetown, Barbados, urging Caribbean people to embrace their culture, tell their stories, and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
Addressing a packed opening ceremony at the National Botanical Gardens, Mottley reflected on her own experience as a teenager when Barbados first hosted Carifesta in 1981, saying it shaped her imagination about the possibilities of Caribbean civilization. She stressed that despite challenges of war, climate crises, and economic uncertainty, the region’s creativity has always flourished, even in the most difficult times.
“For these ten days we have come together to create, to express, and to work with each other. The Caribbean has never waited for calm to create. We have created some of our best work in storms, under tyranny, and oppression,” Mottley said.
The Prime Minister outlined a diverse ten-day programme, highlighting cultural showcases ranging from drama, gospel, arts and craft, to concerts featuring regional stars such as Machel Montano, Burning Flames, and the Caribbean All Stars. She also pointed to events like the “Big Conversations” with leaders including Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and historian Sir Hilary Beckles, and a fashion show featuring Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty.
Mottley welcomed delegations from across the Caribbean, as well as participants from Africa, Cuba, Panama, and Venezuela, underscoring the festival’s wider connection to the diaspora. She noted Panama’s historical ties to Barbados, recalling that more than a century ago many Barbadians left to help build the Panama Canal.
A central theme of her speech was the role of young people in carrying the region’s culture forward. She urged students present to treasure their Carifesta experience and share it with future generations. “Fifty, sixty, seventy years from now, you must tell the story of today to your children and grandchildren,” she said.
Looking to the future, Mottley announced that her government had signed an agreement to acquire the archives of Banyan Productions from Trinidad and Tobago, which hold four decades of Caribbean cultural history. She pledged that these digital records would be made available to all Caribbean people as a resource for learning and creativity.
“This Carifesta must leave a legacy a legacy in the minds of our young people, and through the electronic marketplace Barbados is committed to creating for practitioners of Caribbean civilization,” she said.
Mottley closed with a call for resilience and optimism, reminding the region that its people are its greatest resource. “If we rise with a pep in our step, with the spirit of our people, our food, our music, and our stories, then despite all that we face, we can be optimistic about the future of this Caribbean region,” she declared.
The evening concluded with a vibrant cultural showcase, and festivities are set to continue today with the first “super concert” at the National Botanical Gardens, followed by events across Bridgetown over the next ten days.
Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley
Scenes of proud Guyanese in Barbados for the opening of Carifesta XV
