Festival Kreol of Seychelles
Festival Kreol of Seychelles
Late October is the ideal time to visit the Island archipelago of Seychelles. That is when the three main islands (Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue) play host to the oldest “Pan-Creole” festival in the world, the Festival Kreol. This cultural event is considered the largest and most important one in Seychelles and lasts for an entire week. It is a celebration of the unity of the otherwise diverse Creole culture and gives both locals and tourists the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the rich and exciting lifestyle that is Creole.
The week of the Festival is chock full of events and activities. There are culinary events, conferences, academic competitions, poetry readings, fashion shows, street processions, concerts… the list goes on and on!
The Festival begins with the Opening Ceremony, as most festivals do. The speeches and presentations are taken care of first so things can really get rolling and the street party can begin. Traditionally, the partying continues well until the sun comes up.
Several other annual events take place during the week of Festival Kreol. There is “Lakadans’, an annual rendez-vous, or jam session that draws the best-known performers of the area. This is the biggest musical performance of the Festival. It is not, however, the only musical event. “Kreolisimo” is a musical production featuring the students from both the National College of the Arts, and the School of Music performing in trios, groups and solos. Unlike Lakadans, the music of Kreolisimo tends to pay tribute to the more traditional musical influences of the culture.
For the youngsters, there is the Moman Kreativite, an annual variety show that allows the children of Seychelles’ schools to showcase their many talents. There is also a painting competition for the young visual artists, and quizzes and public speaking competitions for the academically minded.
Language is an important part of the Creole culture. In a nod to this, the Konferans Lengwistik is an important part of the Festival. This is an internationally attended writers and linguists conference where the discussion centers on the significance of the role of Creole language around the world.
No festival would be complete without a wide array of street performers. The Animasyon dan Lavil offers a variety of street shows featuring musicians, actors and story tellers. The content of all the performances is of course, 100 % Creole.
Two other very popular events of Festival Kreol are “Dimans Kreol bor Lanmer” or “Sunday at the Beach” and “Fon Lanmal”. Dimans Kreol bor Lanmer occurs, as the name suggests, on Sunday. This is an all day event taking place both on the beach and in the water, and consists of music, games, crafts, water sports, coconut tree climing competitions, raft racing and of course, an abundance of food and drink. Fon Lanmal is an annual fashion show with a Creole flare, highlighting the work of the young desiginers of the region.
The week wraps up with another huge party, the Bal Asosye. This traditional dance usually starts about 8 in the evening and goes all night long! In addition to the lively music, Creole dishes and alcoholic beverages are provided, and soup is served around midnight to give the revelers a much needed boost of energy. In the early morning, at the moment known as “larg dilo”, day-break is announced by the musicians. The host of the event will at that time offer up the remaining beverages and the “Krayon”, the last dance of the evening, is played.
By this time, you will probably need a relaxing day at the beach to recover from Festival Kreol!
