ST. KITTS-NEVIS-,NGUILL.1 ..ND C..RIFEST,'


The three gems of the Caribbean, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla bring

their own peculiar Caribbean touch to C..RIFEST., in the form of colourful
acrobatic and grotesque masquerade bands and impressive works of art.


These bands in historical costumes will depict the strange

happenings of times past when the dreaded Caribishi who named St. Kitts
"Liamuiga" drove the.first French and English settlers out of the land
with their war-clubs, battle-axes, poison arrows and red pepper smoke.

It will tell how the Ccribs fought Thomas Warner and d'Esnonbuc to
the last. They will portr-y the swashbuckling encounters between the
British and French, and of the Spaniards who sent an Armada of 38 ships
to exterminate every soul from the Islands.


But these Mcsquerade bands from St. Kitts-Nevis .-Anguilla will also

depict the spirit,zhythm and colour of the people of today who are a

blending of the European, Ashznti,Dahomey and a bit of Carib who first
owned the Islands.

It is at Christmastime in these three Islands that this spirit

blossoms forth unconstrained and frenzied. During this season there

is nearly a month of celebr-tions in the form of carnival, parties,
fairs and both planned and spontaneous parades and road dances.

The big days are December 26, 27 and January 1. It is then that

the mPsqueriders come out in dazzling costumes of colourful features,

plumes, beads, leather and cotton doing their acrobatic feats to the
rhythms of folk instruments.


Most of this festivity is centred in St. Kitts with its forested
slopes of volcanic hills, rushing streams and jagged cliffs rising from
foaming breakers and beaches of black volcanic sands and gay and
lovable people.

Most of this festivity is a blending of the past with the

present-day Caribbezn in unique folk form. The 22-day Creative Festival

will absorb the rhythm and beauty of this festivity and thrill a

hundred thousand people.

( Oliver Hunter)









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