The 2022 Caribbean Heritage Festival, June 4, 2022
The day started off pretty nice, but this is around the time of year when Tampa Florida experiences erratic weather patterns. Anybody who lives in this region would know what I mean. All it takes is a few minutes to brew up a potent thunderstorm. Seems like the clouds come out of nowhere. That was clearly putting a damper on anyone showing up early. , Can’t fully blame Island Time on this one. We decided to brave the storms to experience this 17th annual event, and we would not be disappointed.
Upon arrival, the staff and organizers were very courteous. It was good to see a lot of familiar faces from the Caribbean community who showed up to show their support. While we were there, we made sure to explore many of the booths available selling local products. Everything from Fashion to cosmetics could be found; all with a Caribbean- American theme. All of our vendors were very kind and approachable. These are the kind of events that Alpha We love supporting; good vibes and spreading culture to the masses. Above all, bringing people together.
We made a few laps talking to different vendors and then it was time for the show.
The opening act included the youth who did a wonderful job with their Panorama presentation. It was great to see steel pan being played here in the United States by kids of varying ages. The sight of the youth engagement means that the culture has a way to move forward into the future which is always the objective.
After that, we had multiple performances by different artists local and from abroad. The headliner Sherwin Winchester was warming up as we started off with our local artists. Janelle came out and did a wonderful job getting the crowd in the right mood. Then came the sound crew’s own Krazy K. The crowd was definitely into the whole performance and loved every bit of St Lucian flavor. The Dennery Segment came to mind. You know the deal.
Then we had the powerhouse band Jah Movement. They always raise the bar and this was no different. I didn’t catch the young man’s name but if you were there you would remember the kid wearing a cast dancing to his heart’s content. Keep it up young reveler, we see you.
So before our headliners came up, there was a performance by a local Carnival band that presented the origins of Carnival. The costumes were very much representative of how carnival was celebrated in years past. Beautiful colors and the only complaint was that the parade was too short. You know we love a long parade. People in a fetting mood is our ting!
Then came Mr. Winchester to the stage. I have rarely seen an artist engage with a crowd like him. He got everyone up on their feet dancing around and participating in all kinds of fun.
I thought we definitely had a great time at this event and we will be featuring a lot of the local organizations on-site as the time comes.
All in all ….good job Cando and team keep it up. We look forward to next year.
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