Festival Kreol takes to the airwaves

This is the week in October when the Creole community of the world gathers in Seychelles for the annual Festival Kreol. The Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Alain St.Ange was on the NEWS EXTRA TV program on SBC TV (Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation) explaining the importance of this annual event of the Creole people of the world. “The Festival Kreol in the Seychelles is the only gathering of all the different Creoles, and in this festival, the diversity that exists in speaking Creole, in writing Creole, is clearly showcased. This year, the Creole islands of La Reunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Martinique, and Haiti will all join together in Seychelles in a unique explosion of Creole music, food, and culture extravaganza,” Minister St.Ange said.

The one-on-one interview was conducted by the news presenter, Michael Payet, who questioned Minister Alain St.Ange on pertinent points about Festival Kreol and on the program for this year’s edition of the festival. The Seychelles Minister also said that Seychelles had clearly achieved their objective through this Festival Kreol as it has not only raised the profile of everyone who feels he or she is a Creole. “Today no one who is a Creole is ashamed of saying that he is so. We are all proud to be associated with the Creole culture as islanders. This was not always the case, and the Festival Kreol organized for the Creole community of the world has helped in a big way to achieve this respect and visibility,” Minister St.Ange said.

The Minister also used the NEWS EXTRA TV program to speak about the drive by Seychelles as an events-based destination. He said that Seychelles had since days gone by been involved in staging what was then called fancy fairs often organized to coincide with a religious feats as a means to fundraise. “These were mini festivals in their own way, but today instead of just burgers being sold and hoop-la with the aim of grabbing a liquor bottle, a degree of culture has been added to the event, and the opportunity for the people of Seychelles to get up and be counted as small entrepreneurs through innovation and the want to use the events in Seychelles for business opportunities,” Minister St.Ange said.

The 2013 Festival Kreol is being staged for October 25 in Victoria, the Creole capital of the world.