Seventeen members of The Mayoumba Folkloric Theatre travelled to Antigua and Barbuda recently to participate in the second annual Antigua and Barbuda International Dance, Music and Folklore Festival.
Mayoumba, Anguilla’s premier cultural group, which evokes memories of long-forgotten ancestral songs and string-band music, responded to an invitation from the Department of Youth and Culture to participate in the international festival.
The Antigua and Barbuda International Dance, Music and Folklore Festival is aimed at educating participants through systematic hands-on approach to specific disciplines in the performing arts. Moreover, it also provides an avenue for all of the participating countries to showcase their cultural attributes in dance and song through indigenous chants and instruments.
This year, the festival was held over a five-day period from April 23rd to 27th featuring folk dance and cultural music groups from Dominica, St. Lucia, Anguilla, Guyana, Montserrat, South Africa and host country, Antigua and Barbuda. The International Dance Symposium featuring renowned dancers and speakers from Dominica, Antigua and St. Lucia was held during the day on Saturday 27th April.
Mayoumba’s unique mixture of live music, created by the acoustic guitars, banjo, güira, congo drum and traditional bath pan bass, was the melodious background to the full-range of voices were a hit with the appreciative audiences during their performances held at the Dean William Lake Cultural Centre. Particular standout songs were “Balanceo”, “Better Woman” and a new song in the group’s repertoire written by Patsy Adams “The Orange, White and Blue”. The group has already been invited back and given the dates for next year’s festival with the prospect of an exclusive Mayoumba Night at next year’s festival.
The Mayoumba Folkloric Theatre would like to thank the Department of Youth and Culture and the Anguilla Tourist Board for assisting in sponsoring the group’s participation at the annual festival. Thanks also to Mr Laudat and his committee members of the Antigua and Barbuda Festival for being such wonderful hosts.
The Mayoumba Folkloric Theatre is a non-profit group committed to preserving Anguilla’s cultural heritage through music, song and dance. They are the recipients of Anguilla’s Badge of Honour and Queen’s Certificate and a Pioneer Award from the Anguilla Tourist Board.
The group currently performs at private events, most recently at The Book Launch of Patsy Adams’ “Yellow Dad”, View Fort Estate and Four Seasons Resort.
