Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival

The Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival, normally held at the end of April,celebrates the African roots of Carriacou’s people with three days of activities.

The term Maroon is traced to the Spanish word cimarrón meaning "fugitive” or “runaway" and applied to escaped slaves with who took to living in the mountains. Slaves often escaped within the first generation of their arrival from Africa.

In their hideouts, the Maroons preserved African languages, much of their culture and religion. They also retained the knowledge of medicinal herbs and practice of drumming and dancing when the herbs were administered.

The first part of The Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival features maroon traditions through the sharing and eating of smoked foods and the spirit of unity expressed through drums, songs and dance.

carriacou maroon & string band festival

Honoring Maroon customs continue the second day at the Belair Park Heritage Village with big drum nation dances, quadrille dancing, Shakespeare Mas, drumming and dance groups from such places as Suriname and Venezuela. This is followed by a two-hour concert of string band music from Carriacou’s popular musicians and bands from other Caribbean.

Third and final day of The Carriacou Maroon & String Band Music Festival, held at Paradise Island, continues with string band music concerts and a varied menu of local dishes including fresh seafood.

For more information including this year’s festival dates, click here.

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