• Show begins at  8pm each night
• Tickets are EC$50 per night or EC $120 for all three nights.
• Contact creoleheartbeat@gmail.com or (767) 616-3457

Montage Domnik is a collection of new stories and poems by both published and unpublished authors from Dominica.

Learn more about the authors on their Facebook Page: Waitukubuli Writers.

Proudly published by River Ridge Press, Dominica, “Montage Domnik” is now available as an ebook on Amazon at https://amzn.to/39LN0Zw

DOMFESTA, an annual event running from May 3rd to May 31st 2017, has just begun. It’s festivities will run right up to another annual event – Jazz ‘n Creole.

A wonderful way to acknowledge the sweet sounds of this genre of music, Jazz Fringe Events kick off the festival by spreading the experience in several locations around Dominica. This year we have the renowned Courtney Pine as the Headliner for Jazz ‘n Creole Main Stage event on June 4th. Active since the 1980’s, he established his name as a jazz saxophonist, however he is a multi-instrumentalist.

Listen to one his tunes HERE!
Get more details for DOMFESTA and Jazz n’ Creole. See you there!

Hand-crafted Chapo Pay are common in Dominica, where we have many talented craftsmen and craftswomen who continue to practice the skills they were taught by their grandparents.

One such talented woman is Ms. Jistine Fontaine, sister to the late Prime Minister Hon. Pierre Charles.

Jistine creates these beautiful hats herself. She makes the straw from screw-pine before weaving the hats into various designs and adding the creole touches, madras clothe and a flower or two.

Do you have your Chapo Pay for the 2016 Independence Season?

If not, feel free to visit Jistine. She is located at the corner of Independence and Hillsborough Streets. Once Cruise Season starts, you can find her on the Bayfront at Booth #2.

Her hats are reasonably priced and beautifully crafted in both men’s and women’s styles!

The Process

Making the ‘straw’ from screw-pine is not an easy task!

Watch this fantastic video from the Cultural Division that shows how screw pine is processed and then made into different products. The mini documentary is less than 5 minutes.

• For more information about Traditional Dress in Dominica visit avirtualDominica.com

The festival showcases a number of artists from around the Caribbean, US and the UK – with a Caribbean focus. Through lectures, workshops, music, readings and plays, NILF is for anyone interested in revealing, or tapping into their creative side.  This year will feature:

• Author Oonya Kempadoo from Guyanya/Grenada;
• Writer/Actor/Critic Vladimir Lucien from St Lucia;
• Scriptwriter/Director Christopher DeRiggs from Grenada;
• Author Alick Lazare from Dominica;
• Poet, Researcher/Consultant Jean Barfleur from Guadeloupe;
• Author/Editor Polly Pattullo from UK/Dominica;
• Author Kristine Simelda from US/Dominica;
• Actor, Poet, Playwright, Director and Cultural Critic Travis Weekes St Lucia;
• Poet, Teacher and Blogger Faizah Tabasamu from St. Maarten; and
• Delroy Williams, Tamara Lowe and Yakima Cuffy from Dominica.

For more information about the festival, see their calendar of events here, or visit their website www.dominicalitfest.com, and see you there!

Simelda admits that some readers may recognize Dominica in her story, but says that the novel could be set anywhere where cross-cultural confusion exists. “I wanted to address the high price of enchantment; the danger of going out on a limb in search of romance and adventure, and the difficult lessons learned while dangling there.”

The author has initially decided to try her luck in publishing an e-book, but a paperback version will soon follow. “A Face in the River is a tale of tenacity, bravery, and foolishness set against a backdrop of spectacular beauty,” she says. “I am pleased with the feedback I have gotten so far: Those who have read the book have called it a rollicking good story that keeps them engaged from start to finish with never a dull moment in between.”

This is Simelda’s first published full-length work, but her stories have already appeared in online journals. In 2014, one of her pieces of short fiction, “Brother”, was published in “Jewels of the Caribbean”, an anthology of 15 stories by writers from around the region which also included Dominican Delroy Williams. “I was proud to have my story selected for this collection,” she says, “especially as it was cited as one of the three outstanding entries of over eighty submitted.” You can read excerpts from the book and order on Amazon and follow Kristine’s literary progress on her website: www.kristinesimelda.com

For further information please contact: Kristine Simelda, Tel: 767-449-2669 or E-mail: krystals@cwdom.dm

Early December, Graffiti street artist DA Cruz traveled to Dominica as part of regional tour organized by the Alliance Française – a tour intended to engage youth and artists to use graffiti art to improve urban spaces.

Along with local artists Earl Etienne and Trini, they created a mural inspired by a combination of Kalinago petroglyphs and Cruz’s trademark – ancient and traditional South and Central American masks.  Perhaps obscure at first glance, one can’t help but pause to look and ponder.   Regardless of how one feels about it, this mural is an expressive addition to the side of a bleak Roseau City building.

Dominican author Alick Lazare takes us by the hand and helps us understand the emotions and perspectives from a time long gone.

Through his historical fiction he weaves together a story through the eyes of a voice lost in time and place. In such a  retelling of events,  history is made so much more personal and Mr. Lazare does the genre of Historical fiction justice.

Dive into his latest book, Kalingo Blood, and see for yourself!

Read more about Alick Lazare here