Festival celebrated pan Indo-Caribbean community
The 4th annual Holi Festival of Colors did not disappoint, scoring high marks with festival goers this past weekend at the Brian Piccolo Park in Hollywood. FL. This year’s festival celebrated the pan Indo-Caribbean community, including both local and international acts, as well as visitors from across the U.S. and the Caribbean.
Event coordinator and president of Jayadevi Arts Inc., Denyse Baboolal, thanked the festival-goers from across the region for “attending the annual Holi, Festival of Lights, and making it a success for its fourth year in a row.”
Known as “Holi” or “Phagwa,” the “Festival of Colors mean the coming of Spring and the triumph of good over evil and diversity in brotherhood,” said Baboolal “When we are all wear pink, purple green and yellow, there’s no race color or creed or gender. Everybody is just colored.”
And this year’s line-up certainly showed off the broad talents of this diverse community. The day’s entertainment included traditional dances from the Nrytya Mandali dance troupe from Palm Beach, as well as upbeat Indian and Chutney contemporary performances from Jayadevi Arts and Champa Chameli dancers. The Baithak Gana Warriors from Suriname, led by Rayen Kalpoe, keep the day’s energy high with rousing traditional tunes. Other performers included Mala Samaroo, Apache Waria, and Dienish Gangadin of Caribbean Vibezz, Ashley Ramnarine, and – all the way from Trinidad and Tobago – Chutney Soca Monarch semi-finalist Dave Lall.
In addition, the ever dynamic Guyanese-American talk show host from New York, Lakshmee Singh, served as master of ceremonies for the event, rallying members of the different nationalities from the crowd to dance-offs – both in the spirit of friendly competition, but also in the shared Caribbean celebration of good music, good food and sense of community.
