Caribbean Cultural Festivities Association Announces Its 32nd Annual Carifiesta - July 8th 2006

The 32nd annual Parade will be staged along Rene Levesque Boulevard on Saturday, July 8th 2006 and will culminate at Place Emilie-Gamelin (Berri Park).

Carifiesta is an annual event produced by the Caribbean Cultural Festivities Association, (CCFA) a non-profit organization registered in the City of Montreal. The purpose of this event is to 1. Produce an annual Caribbean style parade to the City of Montreal called Carifiesta. 2. To develop and encourage cross-cultural expansion within the Montreal area. 3. To educate youths and adults in the arts, music, crafts and culture of the Caribbean.

CCFA will also host their Junior Carnival on July 2nd 2006 at Bill Durnan Arena
CCFA officially launches Carifiesta on date to be announced later.
Additional information on these events will be forthcoming.

For more information about Carifiesta events contact Caribbean Cultural Festivities Association at 514-735-2232; email caribbeanculture@bellnet.ca or visit www.carifiesta.ca

Carifiesta History:
Carifiesta, the local name for the Latin American ritual of carnival or masque parade dates back to the days of slavery in the Caribbean islands. For Quebec's Caribbean community, the Carifiesta Festival is an adaptation of the traditional pre-Lenten festivities which precede the Mardi gras Carnival celebrated throughout the Caribbean. Our festival took as its model the Trinidad & Tobago carnival. With large costumes, calypso music, steelpan, and hundreds of masqueraders dressed in exotic costumes.

Over the years, the festival has adapted to include many groups of Haitian origins, with their own music and style of dress. More recently, we have been joined by some groups from the Latin community. The festival is thus more representative of the Montreal community.

The festival is characterized by shows, dances, performances featuring different types of Caribbean music-calypso, zouk, reggae, racine-as well as the vibrant music of steelbands. Colorful "bands" of brilliantly costumed performers fill the streets with joviality and dance.

Carifiesta is viewed as an affirmation of the splendor and creativity of the Caribbean community: a festival which brings joy, happiness and spirituality to both participants and the masses of people lining the streets to view the parade. Herein lays the major contributions of Quebec's Caribbean community towards the cultural aesthetic of the region. Apart from the parade, there are other events leading into Carifiesta. The Junior Carifiesta, is for children between 2 and 16 years. The King and Queen Show, where masqueraders with the most elaborate and original costumes are selected to be the king and queen of Carifiesta. The Calypso Monarch, also a key figure in the festival is chosen as well.

www.carifiesta.ca