by Emmanuel H. Joseph
Government Information Service
 One of the groups on parade at Saturday's
opening
Thousands of Dominicans lined the streets of Roseau from the intersection of Dame Eugenia Boulevard and King George V Street to the Pottersville Savannah as activities to mark this year’s Mas Domnik got off to an extravagant start on Saturday, 12th February with a grand parade through the streets of Roseau onto the Pottersville Savannah, Carnival City. Sixty-four (64) groups and floats with participants from the corporate sector as well as schools from around the island joined the massive trail of persons parading through the streets of Roseau. This figure is twenty-five (25) more than last year’s, making it a 60.9% increase over last year’s participation.
Along the traditional contestants for the Miss Teen and Miss Dominica, the princess show and the junior monarch, new additions like Miss Dominica State College and Miss Fly City brought additional contestants on parade.
 Crowd looking on
The parade culminated at Carnival City where the official opening ceremony took place. Among those addressing the opening ceremony were: Chairman of the Carnival Organising Committee, Alwin Bully, Chief Executive Officer of LIME Jeffery Baptiste, Hon. Minister for Culture, Youth and Sports, Justina Charles and Hon. Minister for Tourism and Legal Affairs, Ian Douglas.
The Carnival Organising Committee Chairman issued a call to the youth and Dominicans at large to support carnival in tangible ways to ensure continuity of the celebrations.
 Head of the Carnival
Organising Committee,
Alwin Bully
“...But it did not happen by chance, ladies and gentlemen. It happened by a lot of hard work by a number of people. I would like to thank our various committees for all their wonderful work that they have done. We would like to make a call. My call this afternoon is again for young people to get involved in the organisation of carnival because with you, as the next generation, we look forward to your support. We look forward to you taking over in a few short years. I would like to make a call to the private sector and to all other entities within Dominica. Carnival is not just something that is organised by the Carnival Development Committee or the Dominica Festival’s Committee or the Discover Dominica Authority. It is something that has to be organised by every single Dominican. It touches every single Dominican in one way or the other whether you participate or not. So you cannot be relying on what one small group of about twenty (20) or thirty (30) people to organise this festival. I invite the private sector at the start of this carnival season to reflect on what it is they can do to make this festival a bigger, better festival.”
The Hon. Minister for Culture, Justina Charles said, in her brief remarks, that there is reason to preserve our carnival.
 Hon. Minister for Culture,
Youth and Sports,
Justina Charles
“Carnival, for us, is a time to showcase our various artistic and creative expressions, colour, glamour and exuberance. From the traditional Mas with the sensay, lapaud kabwit, steelband and calypso to the modern expression like buoyon and creative costumes. Dominica’s carnival is certainly a unique one in the region which we must continue to promote and preserve.”
 SMP Mas in the playground
In his address to the crowd gathered at Carnival City, Hon. Minister for Tourism and Legal Affairs invited Dominicans and non-Dominicans alike both here and abroad to come and participate in this year’s carnival celebrations as he boasted Dominica’s carnival as the most spontaneous in the world.
“I want to extend an invitation to all Dominicans in the Diaspora and visitors in the region and in other areas looking for an opportunity to experience what carnival is really about, to visit us for 2011. Come and celebrate carnival 2011 in Dominica like nowhere else in the world, we have been able to put together a diverse mix of carnival activities that will satisfy your varied tastes and ensure that you have a memorable carnival and today, I am sure you got a taste and indication of that.
 Hon. Minister for Tourism
and Legal Affairs,
Ian Douglas
Mas Domnik is the real Mas; the real Mas not only in Dominica, but in the region and the rest of the world. Mas Domnik is the real Mas because Mas Domnik is vibrant, Mas Domnik has colour. Mas Domnik has the authentic masquerade you saw on the road today from Grand Bay, St. Joseph, Portsmouth; you saw the sensay on the road and all of the other revellers that can be found nowhere else in the Caribbean but only in Dominica. Mas Domnik is spontaneous; it is an outpouring of creativity and fun for all our carnival revellers and for our carnival celebrations.”
A number of groups performed on stage as part of the entertainment section. A picture album captures the moment as it happened both on the road and on stage.
The calendar of activities for this year's Mas Domnik is also available for viewing. A video highlighting the afternoon's proceedings and that of the entertainment portion of the night's ceremony has also been made available for viewing on the GIS website. |
