The Grenada Drum Festival
The idea for the Grenada Drum Festival was born when Livingston Krumah Nelson, the Director of the Tivoli Drummers visited Guadeloupe in 2000 and witnessed the festival of the drums referred to as Gwoka. The Drum Festival Committee was formed in January 2001, and the first Drum Festival was held, with the following objectives:
- The display of traditional drumming, dancing and rituals surrounding the drums.
- The facilitation of workshops in dance and drumming.
- The Display of the various types of drums.
- The Showcasing of skilled drum players
GRENADA DRUM FESTIVAL COMMITTEE
President and founder Krumah Livingston Nelson, is also the director and founder of the Tivoli Drummers.
Krumah Nelson (President)Kester Lyons (Chairman)
Alyotha Thomas (Secretary)
Royan Charles (PRO)
Bernard Alexander
Kyron Greene
Bertrand Holder
Edwin Charles
Composition of
- We are a non profit organisation base in the village of tivoli., st.a ndrew’s
- Comprise of volunteers and performers. The organisation is dedicated to the promotion of the drum culture and by extension the tivoli drummers.
- We are now a registered organisation.
History
- The organisation was formed in 2000 and held the first ever drum festival in the english speaking caribbean in 2001 in grenada.
- Held the first three events from 2001 at the tivoli hard court.
- Move to seamoom in 2004
- Move to moonlight city in 2005 and 2006
- Was unable to host the event in 2007.
- Hosted the event in krumahville in 2008
- Would host the 2009 drum festival in kramahville tivoli.
Mission
The mission of the grenada drum festival committee is to host an international drum festival, while at the same time maintaining the traditional and aesthetic values of the drum, and to heighten a greater awareness and participation in drumming as an authentic art form rooted in the people.
Activities
The grenada drum festival committee work together with the tivoli drummers which is the performing arm of the organisation to execute a series of activities. The main activity is “drum moonlighting”. Drum moonlighting is an outdoor event which is held mainly from january to may. It is geared to feature story telling, ring games, hill and toe dances, castillian (cassian) folk singing, etc, under the moonlight in a free and fun fill evening. There are strong request to extend the time for drum moonlighting which is under consideration at the moment.
- Other activities involved participation in carnival, street drumming, drum making and repairs, workshop in drumming and dancing etc.
All our activities are geared to culminate in the hosting of drumfestival which is held on the first weekend in may.
Festival Objectives
- Promotion of the Drum Culture and the fostering of cultural exchanges between all people of the Caribbean Community.
- To host a major drum festival in a rural community. (3) Initiate workshops and formation of youth drumming groups in Grenada.
- To bring together drummers from the region.
- To heighten the acceptance of drumming in the region.
- To make drums available and affordable to schools and other groups.
Past performers
- Tobago - culture shop, drummers of tomorrow and charlotteville tamboo rhythm band
- Trinidad – marlick folk performing company, pritzgarland kelly village and zion youths, dr. Douglas and the whiz drummers
- Dominica - karifuna group
- St. Lucia – charmalion, soufriere action theatre
- St. Vincent – nzimbu brown
- Canada – drum theatre togethrness
- Usa - new jersey taiwanese performing group
- Martinique – vwa bel damn, am4
- Barbados – sankofa and dancin; africa