Music, culture and heritage enthusiasts are to be thrilled again when the Monchy Mizik En Kweyol (MMEK) Committee presents on Tuesday May 5th its annual jazz staple “Monchy: Mizik En Kwéyòl”.
The event was conceptualized in 2012 with an aim to promote local artistes and facilitate the participation of indigenous musical ensembles during the very popular Saint Lucia Jazz Festival (now rebranded the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival). In addition, the organizers endeavored to stimulate local economic development in the
community of Monchy by encouraging vendors to capitalize on the event by offering their goods and services to the public.
Confirmed acts for 2015 include The Royal Saint Lucia Police Band, a band graced with Saint Lucia’s most talented musicians and known for having an inexhaustible repertoire of music; The Secret Band, a folk band from La Bourne, Monchy acclaimed as the best solo group on the island; Avot Servis, a local band producing a combination of folk, regional and international blends performed in a sweet mixture of English and Kweyol; and The Invader, Saint Lucia’s multiple calypso monarch who will be performing his complete Creole repertoire.
Headlining the event will be the Derek Yarde Project (DYP), a local band known for its perfect renditions of calypso, zouk, cadence, etc.
Meantime two other artistes complete the Monchy lineup this year, namely Olivia, a young and energetic artiste seeking to make her mark on Saint Lucia’s musical landscape, and traditional folk group Manmay La Kay.
All in all, the objective of the event is to share in the spirit of the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, promote ethno-musicality and contribute to the overall diversity of the festival through greater local community participation. The event has been branded a cultural showcase of traditional music, dance, art and food.
From inception, members of the community have been involved in the vision for the event and are again being asked to participate in and contribute to the development and implementation of the show. The inaugural show took place on 8th May, 2012 at the Monchy Square. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday 5th May, 2015 in the centre of Monchy at 7:00pm.
Gold Sponsor for the event is Digicel – Be Extraordinary.Silver Sponsors are the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, Bounty Rum, Du Boulay’s Bottling Company – agents for Coca-Cola. Other sponsors include Invest St. Lucia, Piton Beer, Domino’s Pizza, 1st National Bank (St. Lucia) Ltd., Michel’s Electrical, and Power Plus Sound System. Token Sponsors include Tomty Northern Tool Rental and Rayneau’s Hardware.
