[music] [music] [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] [music] Heat. [music] [music] [music] Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Let me recognize the honorable Greta Roberts, the Minister for Culture, Youth, Sports, and Community Development. Honorable Oscar George, the Minister of State, Honorable Lakia Joseph, the Parliamentary Representative for the Push Constituency, Mr. Wilson Matthew, chief cultural officer. We also have with us Miss Karine Po, Secretary to the Cabinet, staff of the Division of Culture, members of the media, listeners and viewers of this press conference, Miss Rosalyn Paul. Good morning everyone and welcome. As we observe our 40th year of independence, a number of activities are planned and today we look ahead to all that's in store. So to get us started, I would like to welcome the Minister for Culture, Honorable Greta Roberts. [laughter] Good morning to all. Of course, I must recognize the honorable Oscar George, my minister of state in the ministry of culture, honorable Joseph, Mr. Ursa Matthew, chief cultural officer, and of course our staff at the cultural division, Miss Karen Po, cabinet secretary, Roslin Paul, consultant at the Ministry of Culture, the media, invited guests, everyone, listeners, a blessed morning to you all. We got up this morning very cold morning but just knowing that we are launching the independence activities it suddenly became warm especially when DBS began playing that Jinping music this morning. Oh my god this got me in the mood. I was brushing my teeth and I was moving my legs at the same time. So that was good. Thank you so much me dear personnel for always being there to carry our activities to promote all the events that we are having and of course as you bring celebrations into communities across Dominica. We value your partnership as always and we look forward to your continued support. So thanks for being here with us this morning. Independence is a special time for us as Dominicans and our celebrations remain strong and those important events are on the national calendar. It is a season when we celebrate our culture. We honor generations who have worked and sacrificed to shape our nation. And of course, it's a time when we reflect as Dominicans on our collective responsibility for Dominica's continued development. This year, our 40th year of celebrations will be held under the theme, our journey, our legacy, our future. Our journey, our legacy, our future. The theme captures the full story of our nation. It calls us to reflect on the journey that has brought us up to this point to preserve the legacy entrusted to us. And of course, it is a call to us to work together to create a stronger future for generations to come. We have prepared as usual a wide range of programs of a program of activities that will allow our Dominicans both young and old and those abroad to participate in this important national celebration. The celebrations will begin this Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th, with the National Days of Prayer and Thanksgiving. We encourage churches and all faith-based organizations across Dominica to participate fully by including special prayers for our nation in their services. We also also encourage all Dominicans to dress in national wear or any form of curl wear on Sunday and on Saturday when you go to your places of worship. We always begin the season by giving thanks to God for his continued blessings upon Dominica and by praying for peace, unity, protection, wisdom, and prosperity for our nation. Wherever you worship, let us join our hearts together in prayer and thanksgiving. Now, the official opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 26. Saturday, September 26. The chief cultural officer is here. They have been working very hard at the cultural division and he will expound on this later when he comes to the podium. October will once again be observed as patriotism and heritage month with activities intended to deepen national pride particularly among our children and our young people. So throughout the month of October, we are encouraged to wear national and cultural attire and to participate in our hard quay Fridays. Creole Friday wear at Creole. This will be observed on October 2nd, October 9th, October 16th and 23rd. So these are the four Fridays in October. On October 16th, observance will include the Jun P where we get our baskets ready. And October 23rd, we will feature Jun Chapo Pie. I know our small business people are busy making those hats. We had some beautiful ones last year. I intend to see even more beautiful ones because I needed one for myself. So let us see how we can get all those hats on display as early as possible so all Dominicans can wear their hats and carry their little p on those two days October 16th and October 23rd. The program also includes our district cultural festivals, which will give communities across the island the opportunity to showcase their talents, traditions, music, dance, dress, and of course, local cuisine. And of course, our chief cultural officer will provide us with a little more information on that. He's smiling because he knows all the great plans he has for us. Other important activities will include the independence art exhibition, history week, the eol libla memorial lecture, the national emblems week, flag day, creole in the street and our various macket days with a difference. So these of course will be held in Roso, Portsmouth, Maragot and Maho as usual. National Heritage Day this year will be observed on Sunday, October 18th in the community of Push. I was expecting to see a lot of smiles there. You know, the last time we celebrated Heritage Day in Push, Cultural Officer Con, correct me if I'm wrong, I think that was in 1989. >> Yes. long long time ago. So we uh yeah and a lot of people were not born yet. I think I was just born at that time too. So that means that means I have to go I have to go to pay bush this time. This remains one of the major community-based activities on our independence calendar and it provides the opportunity for communities to highlight their history and character and of course being their host host community to show us all what they have to offer. So I know the people in Pusha are busy preparing and we have our pal Repair. She's going to be excited to talk about it and let us know what they have in store. From October 19th to the 22nd, the Botanic Gardens will come alive. Always comes alive during that time with Tea Vage Creole offering another vibrant celebration of our food, music, language, craft, and way of life. I know a lot of people are looking for those times because cray treol has become a very big thing. Our national pageantss will also return. A cultural officer will tell us a little more with Miss Wabduet pageant on October 21st and the national Madame Wubdy pageant on October 20th. Both of them of course will be at the Masak indoor facility. The World Cray Music Festival, everybody knows once that time of year comes around, this is what they're looking for. This will be held from October 23rd to the 25th at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium where we bring Dominicans regional and international performers for three nights of what remains pulsating rhythms of Creole music and entertainment. Young people will take center stage at the national youth rally on the 29th of October followed by Zuk Crayol Jun Crayol and the National Dress Parade on Friday October 30th. The celebrations will continue with our cultural extravaganza and eat fish day on October 31st ahead of the most and much anticipated national cultural gala which will be held at the Botanic Gardens on Sunday, November 1st. Our celebrations will culminate with the National Day Observance Ceremony on Tuesday, November 3rd. The National Day of Community Service on Wednesday, November 4th, and this year's Community Service Day will combine both beautifification activities with practical practical infrastructure projects in communities across the island. So we invite all Dominicans at home and abroad to take part in these activities. Display your flag proudly. Wear your national and cultural attire. Attend the activities in the communities. Support our artists, our musicians, our farmers, our vendors, our designers and small businesses. But most importantly, use this period to teach our children about our history and the values that define us as a people. Independence is a time to celebrate who we are, remember those whose sacrifices brought us this far, and to recommmit ourselves to building that peaceful, united, prosperous Dominica. So at this time I want to thank the cultural division, the independence committee. A lot of people put this together. I'm just the one sending the message. the local government department, the discover Dominic authority, the ministries of education and tourism, the office of the prime minister of course, the cabinet secretariat, our community organizations, sponsors and all partners involved in organizing this year's program. I also wish to thank again you the members of the media for your support you have consistently given to our independence activities your coverage helps us to reach the public to build excitement and to encourage greater participation so I look forward to your presence as usual throughout the season so once again let us embrace this year's theme our journey our legacy, our future and celebrate independence. Let us celebrate independence, 48 years of independence with pride, gratitude and a renewed sense of responsibility for the future of our country. So at this time I wish to pass on I would think to Mr. Matthew who will give further details on all what I have said before. Thank you so much for being there. I appreciate it. Uh there's nothing left for me to say except of course to thank the honorable minister for culture, youth sports and community development for her preview of the independence activities being celebrated under the theme or journey or legacy or future. I just want to acknowledge Dr. Kimon Joseph the head of the UEIE global campus who has joined us. So as the minister said next on our agenda is Mr. Ursen Matthew the chief cultural officer and he will provide us with further details of the independence program. Mr. Matthew [applause] >> double introduction. Thank you very much. Um let me begin by acknowledging the head table and other invited guests the secretary to the cabinet honorable Oscar George Dr. Kimon Joseph Mr. Roslin Paul, consultant, cultural consultant. Pleasant good morning once again to everyone. Many people's favorite time of year is fast approaching. But everybody has that something that gives them that special feeling around this time of year. This year we celebrate under the theme our journey, our legacy, our future. And it all commences over the upcoming weekend as we celebrate the national days of prayer and thanksgiving. That's the 18th to the 20th of September. And some may ask why is the Friday included? But if we are praying as a nation for a nation then it must be inclusive of all who reside in the nation regardless of religious domin denomination or ethnicity and that has been the message for some time now. Many are asking what is going on for the opening of independence? How are you going to top what you did last year? Interestingly, after last year's opening parade, we asked ourselves a qu a question at the division. How does a parade feature amplified jingping music, round dances, ballet, live creole cuisine or indigenous kalinago people, a mobile marketplace, druming a sam, portrayals of the national flag, marching band, and so much more. And still a distinction could not be made by some between the intended vision and a carnival parade. Oh, so we had to think a little bit. So we made a conscious decision to put our creatives minds together once more and what we came up with is a concept that symbolizes our cultural journey which we will call voage kilty. Get it? >> Yes. >> Right. >> So picture this with me for a minute. You step into the gates of a cultural utopia that draws you deeper and deeper in. The further you go, the more it tells you the story of who we are and what we do. Voyage Kilty. In addition to every focal point that you have come to expect from the opening parade, you will witness features that we were never able to capture in the original format. A model kalinago village. A destination Dominica waterfall. Yes, a waterfall. A cre old fashioned show. A live media presentation that features qual and all other indigenous languages. Aerial acrobatics, live painting, and so much more. Couple that with the usual suspects. Yes, Di will be there of course. Wat and everything you enjoyed last year and the year before and what you have is our first ever walkthrough parade called Voyage Kilty. That's the third time I'm saying the name so it will stick. Now what I mean by a walk through parade is that you the audience will enter that domain and that is at the mol gate or the gate of the botanical gardens closest to UI and you proceed along the route to the end point and the end point will be the bathro gate by the basketball court. But along that route on either side of the street you'll bear witness to all of the different attractions as you advance embodying that cultural journey. What that also does is manages the gaps that you normally associate with a mobile parade as well as provide more manageable situations for from a security perspective. And I know the police will like that as well. So Saturday 26th of September 4 p.m. start point/ue gate at the botanical gardens. Come see where this cultural journey takes you. Vash Kilty. We're doing it again. Of course, like it or not, Buyo is one of the major driving forces behind Dominica's culture at the moment. And so, at the end of that cultural journey, we will feature arguably the hottest combination in Booya music today. DJ MJ and MV on the keys. If you do not know who they are, go back to the prime minister's budget address. If you if you do know, then you have an idea what to expect. And the beauty of it all is that those who come for the headline will inadvertently be exposed to the traditional and cultural expressions. They would have no choice. Don't tell them I said that. I must commend my team at the cultural division for delivering on the circumstances all circumstances circumstances and I must must commend the cultural groups and service providers who always come through for us even when they threaten um to not participate or not provide their service because remuneration is overdue and that's just me stating it nicely but they have so much confidence and belief in what we do they keep coming back do not understate their importance One of these years we will be left empty-handed. Sometimes it can get saddening or discouraging when we have to try to convince so many that cultural development is an investment into the cultural products that attract visitors to our island. Remember our excitement for the endorsements we got from IO speed and Jesse Wu and the other influencers. Remember Carrie Fest last year? Every time we want to display who we are and convince others to bask in our lifestyle, we turn to a cultural product. Nobody is here trying to entice visitors saying, "Look at our beautiful balance sheets." Nope. Cost is just a negative on a financial statement, but investment is for the greater good with benefits in the long run and in this case ultimately developing our society, keeping us rooted as a people and also developing a cultural product. So that falls perfectly in line with the recent pronouncements concerning the development of the creative industry sector and the orange economy that you heard at the budget address. So, we have some way to go, but I trust that we'll get there eventually with more time and deeper dialogue. We will all overcome these challenges. We remain appreciative of the unwavering support that we get from the public. And we want you to know that we have only scratched the surface. There's a lot more that we can and will do. We remain thankful for the prayers of people like Miss Gillis, our prayer, our prayer warrior, our families and other support systems, the independence committee, the national cultural council, our sponsors, our partners. Without you, we are nothing. The rest of the independence season takes a familiar format with cultural festivals, history week, the EU libla lecture and exhibition. National emblems week, flag day, heritage day, TV lash qual music festival, market day for difference at at varying locations, national cultural gather, national day of community service and all of the other staple events that you are well aware of. I am particularly excited about the Madame Bob pageant. For the first time in a long time, we have seven, yes, seven contestants [applause] and one will emerge victorious and carried that title of Madame Wobbd with the class and pride of which is it most deserving. Yeah. The Miss Wdette pageant is another big deal. Five beautiful young ladies will v for that title as well. We have gotten numerous calls concerning Jun Creole or Creole Day and the National Dress Parade. Boy, last year was beautiful. All you must put Groovers back on the road again. Stay tuned. >> And there's so much more that I have to say and want to say, but of course, everything cannot be captured right now in this moment. So stay tuned for all of the exciting updates as we go deeper and deeper into the independent season. I want to end by reminding everyone that on Saturday the 26th of September we are pushing the envelope once more with Vayash Kilty our first ever walkthrough parade 4 p.m. Botanic Garden starting point Mol the UI gate and I want to encourage the public to come out in large numbers to view that spectacle. Thank you. [applause] >> We thank uh Mr. Matthew, the always enthusiastic chief cultural officer for giving us that preview and I think we all got a very clear picture of what the opening will look at and what look like at the Botanic Gardens. So, thank you so much, Mr. Matthew. As you heard, Heritage Day will be celebrated in Push this year. And today we have with us the parliamentary representative, Honorable Lakia Joseph. >> [applause] >> Good morning to everybody. Good morning to Miss Roberts, our Minister of Culture, and Mr. Matthew, our chief cultural officer. I also recognize our cabinet secretary, and Mr. Oscar George, and Miss Paul, our consultant in the Ministry of Culture, as well as Miss Kimmon George. I also see staff from the Ministry of Culture, Kwana and um DBS radio and our personnel from the Ministry of the Prime Minister's Office. Sorry. But today I am here with an invitation and I'm hoping that by the time I finish you'll be deciding who you are bringing along with you to pay Bush. And as the parliamentary representative, I am delighted to invite Dominicans at home and abroad and all of our visitors to join us in Push on Sunday, October 18th, 2026 for Heritage Day as we celebrate 40 years of independence. P 48, sorry, years of independence. PEO celebrated heritage day in 1989, 37 years ago. And at that time, I remember clearly >> [laughter] >> We were preparing to welcome Dominica again and we intend to take the celebration up several notches this year. Those of you who were there with me in 1989, I'm sure you have your stories to tell. And this year we want a new generation miss for laughing. [laughter] This year we want a new generation to make memories of their own. Bring your children. Bring your grandchildren. And let them see for themselves what you have been talking about for all of these years. Our day begins with mass at 10:00 a.m. at the St. Matthew Chapel or the Push Catholic Church. We'll gather in thanksgiving for our community, our people, and the opportunity to celebrate together. I encourage everyone to join us from the beginning. And after mass, we move on to a matter that I know will have everyone's attention. Sunday lunch, a proper local Dominican pebbush lunch. There will be a variety of foods for vegan and vegetarian guests. And for those who say, "Honorable Joseph, once it tastes good, put some on my plate." We have you in mind, too. So, you can give your pots a rest that Sunday and let Pebbush do the cooking. Bring your family and enjoy a meal while catching up with friends and neighbors. Sometimes the best part of a Sunday lunch is the conversation that makes everybody stay a little longer. Our cultural gala and exhibition will be the highlights of that day. And we are putting all things Push on display. There'll be musical instruments, photographs our community of our community elders and activists, local products and produce and so much more. Come ready to look around, ask questions, and discover something you did not know about the pay bush community. Those photographs alone could get some good conversations going. You may recognize a relative or a neighbor or finally put a face to a name you have heard for years. Bring somebody who know the stories. They may end up giving you a whole history lesson before you leave that display. And please let the children listen in. These are the stories that help them understand where they came from. We want them to leave knowing more about the people who helped build the community they call home. Our local products and produce will give visitors a chance to appreciate what our people grow and make. Take a look, meet our producers, and support their work. You may discover a new favorite made right here in Push. Now, let me share an announcement that I know many people will be happy to hear. If you know, and if you don't know, the Push Nature Boys are making their return. If you have been telling the younger ones about them, here's your chance to stop explaining and bring them along. We look forward to giving the Nature Boys a wonderful welcome back. We'll also have performances by Little Boy and Quan, the Pbush Cultural Group, the Push Drummers, the Capushin Cultural Group, and many more. With that program, I would suggest very comfortable shoes. You may arrive saying, "I'm only going to watch." But once those drums start, we will see how long that plan lasts. Wear your white with a hinge of madress. Bring your friends and come ready to enjoy yourselves. Our performers will bring their talents and we want an audience ready to give them a lot of encouragement. During the cultural gala, we'll honor one of our very own elders. That will be a special moment for our community. And before my friends in the media try to get an exclusive, that name will remain a surprise. You can ask me nicely about the press after the press conference, but my answer will still be see you in pay bush on October 18th. I really do want people there for that moment. Our elders deserve to hear our appreciation and feel our love. I want our children to see a community standing proudly with one of its own and saying, "Thank you. We value what you have given." As parliamentary representative, I am proud to help bring our people together for this celebration. We have so much to share and I want visitors to leave having enjoyed themselves, learned something about pay bush and felt the warmth of our people. That is a beautiful way of to celebrate 48 years of independence, enjoying the culture that belong to us and giving the next generation reasons to cherish it too. Of course, a day like this takes work, and I sincerely thank the Pebbush Heritage Day Committee for everything going into the preparations. To the cultural division, thank you for working so closely with us as we bring it all together. I also thank the Ministry of Culture and the government of Dominica for the continued support. To every resident of Push and the wider Push constituency, thank you for your support and community pride. Let us make our visitors feel welcome and give them plenty of good reasons to come back to pay bush. Members of the media, please help us carry this invitation across Dominica to our pe and to our people overseas. And remember, you are invited as well. Sunday, October 18th, 2026. Push mass at 10, lunch, cultural gala, and exhibition. Make your plans, organize your families, and tell your friends. I'm giving you plenty of notice. So when the photographs come out after all, please do not tell me, "Miss Joseph, I did not know." In 1989, Push made memories and in 2026, we'll be making some more. I look forward to welcoming you to pay Bush. Thank you. [applause] Okay. Thank you, Miss Joseph. After this, I think we're all convinced we're headed to pay bush. [laughter] Thank you so much. Uh this actually brings us to the end of our very concise press event intended to give you a preview of the independence celebrations for this year. Of course, you'll hear much more going forward from the staff at the cultural division led by Mr. Matthew. I'm sure Kwana probably wants to have some pray interactions after we end here and we will facilitate that. To the rest of you, thank you so much for being with us. Capsac, thank you for spearheading this and members of the head table, thank you so much for the information you've provided. To all of you tuned in, thank you for joining us and good morning. [applause]