分类： Entertainment

The Ministry of Tourism and the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) have officially launched the 25th edition of the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF), unveiling a dynamic artist lineup and commemorative theme for the highly anticipated cultural showcase. Scheduled for October 24 to 26, 2025, at Windsor Park Sports Stadium in Roseau, the festival will be held under the theme: “Global Echoes of the Nature Island: Celebrating 25 Years of Creole Music, Magic, and Memories.”

The silver anniversary edition celebrates a powerful blend of music and cultural pride, featuring the voices of regional icons, local legends and global stars across three nights of performances. With a strong focus on Creole identity and Caribbean musical excellence, the 2025 festival reinforces Dominica’s role as a leader in cultural tourism.

“The World Creole Music Festival is a cultural flagship that has elevated Dominica’s visibility and amplified the voices of Creole people everywhere,” said Marva Williams, CEO of the Discover Dominica Authority and Director of Tourism. “As we commemorate 25 years, we are proud to present a line-up that reflects the evolution of our sound, culture and Caribbean identity.”

Night One: Fire & Foundation — Friday, October 24A tribute to the pioneers and powerhouses who helped shape Caribbean music:

• Burning Flames (Antigua)
• Midnight Groovers (Dominica)
• Halibut (Dominica)
• Gilles Fontaine (Dominica)
• Nu Look (Haiti/USA)
• Romain Virgo (Jamaica)
• Oswald (St. Maarten)
• TK International (Dominica)
• Steel Pulse (UK/Jamaica)

Night Two: Creole Carnival — Saturday, October 25 A pulsating showcase of Creole expression and cross-Caribbean energy:

• Asa Bantan (Dominica)
• WCK (Dominica)
• The Bouyon Assembly (Dominica : Rohie, Ridge, Pudaz, Kenny G, Quan, DJ MJ, Little Boy, Faithi “Bouyon Barbie,” and Ebony Empress;Guadeloupe: Jixels and Shanika)
• First Serenade Band (Dominica)
• Gordon Henderson (Dominica)
• Ophelia Marie (Dominica)
• Lynford John (Dominica)
• JoéDwét Filé(Haiti/France)
• Kes The Band (Trinidad & Tobago)
• Spice (Jamaica)
• Vybez Kartel (Jamaica)

Night Three: The Grand Finale — Sunday, October 26 A world-class close featuring regional icons and international chart-toppers:

• Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
• Bunji Garlin & Fay-Ann Lyons (Trinidad & Tobago)
• Extasy Band (Dominica)
• Ezra “Da Fun Machine” (St. Lucia)
• Kassav (Guadeloupe & Martinique)
• Michele Henderson (Dominica)
• Elisha Benoit (Dominica)
• Trilla G (Dominica)
• Nice (Dominica)
• Reo (Dominica)
• Shelly & Signal Band (Dominica)

The World Creole Music Festival, first held in 1997, has grown into one of the Caribbean’s leading cultural events. It celebrates Creole music in all its forms—zouk, bouyon, kompa, reggae, dancehall, soca, afrobeat, and more—while promoting regional unity and artistic innovation.

Fans, visitors and culture enthusiasts are encouraged to plan an extended stay—whether for a few days or a full two weeks—to soak in the festival atmosphere, enjoy fringe events before and after the main stage performances, explore Dominica’s breathtaking attractions and experience its warm island hospitality.

For more information and ticket purchases, visit www.dominicafestivals.com and follow Dominica Festivals on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for ongoing updates and exclusive festival content.

Antigua and Barbuda will be proudly represented by Peetron and Enoch Thomas in the forthcoming International Calypso Fusion Project, organized by Touched by an Angel, a distinguished gospel promotion organization based in Jamaica and New York. The project is scheduled for release later this year.

Enoch Thomas, winner of the inaugural season of Praise Break Antigua & Barbuda, brings his exceptional vocal talent and dynamic stage presence to this prestigious collaboration. Joining him is Peetron, acclaimed Singer, Calypsonian, and Humanitarian, recognized for his dedication to advancing Antigua’s cultural and musical heritage.

Both artists are committed to making Antigua and Barbuda exceptionally proud through their contributions to this project. Peetron expressed sincere gratitude for the opportunity and anticipates the project’s success will significantly elevate Antigua’s musical presence on the international stage, particularly through the rich tradition of calypso.

This initiative represents a vibrant fusion of calypso and gospel music, showcasing the distinctive sound and talent of the Caribbean to a global audience. We encourage everyone to follow the journey of Peetron and Enoch Thomas as they bring the spirit and culture of Antigua and Barbuda to the world.

Two filmmakers walked away from the Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025 with grant funding to kickstart co-productions, thanks to support from the Inter-American Development Bank—marking a tangible outcome of a weeklong event that moved beyond conversation and into transformation.

The forum, presented by Caribbean Tales Media Group and the Department of Creative and Performing Arts at UWI Cave Hill, concluded its five-day convergence on June 18 with a bold message: The time to build is now.

Producers and delegates from across the Caribbean, Africa, Canada, the UK, Europe, and the U.S. issued a united call to design, fund, and activate local film ecosystems without waiting for the “perfect” conditions. Held under the theme **Decolonising Co-Production**, CCF 2025 brought together over 50 producers, industry delegates, and creatives to interrogate the systems that determine whose stories are told—and how. The forum challenged participants to shift their gaze from scarcity to opportunity.

As **Frances-Anne Solomon**, CEO of CaribbeanTales and co-creator of the forum, emphasized: “It’s great to tell the story—we’re already good at that. The real question is: where will you get the money? Who can you collaborate with to make your project real? These two points must always be front and centre.” Rather than reinforcing narratives of lack, the forum served as a live lab for real-world opportunities for filmmakers to forge meaningful partnerships and build with what they have.

High-profile contributors included:

**CCH Pounder**—Acclaimed actor, CCF Steering Group member, and activist.

**Lorraine Toussaint**—Celebrated actor, producer, and cultural trailblazer.

**Ava DuVernay**—Renowned filmmaker, producer, and activist.

DuVernay’s virtual keynote was a standout moment. In a direct message to emerging creators, she dismantled the myth that big budgets make better films: “If your first idea moves you way outside your budget—pivot. Use what’s around you. The best films often happen in the smallest spaces.”

The forum tackled structural barriers to equity across key pillars:

**Day 1 – Decolonising Policy & Legislation**: Reforming frameworks that hinder equitable content creation.

**Day 2 – Decolonising Financing**: Disrupting traditional funding streams to centre Black and Global Majority creators.

**Day 3 – Decolonising Content**: Preserving cultural authenticity while scaling reach.

**Day 4 – Decolonising Distribution**: Building inclusive, sustainable distribution models.

**Day 5 – Decolonising Co-Production**: Forging cross-border collaboration rooted in equity.

Key stakeholders—including **C15 Studios**, **Caribbean Creative Fund**, and major partners such as the **Inter-American Development Bank**, **Invest Barbados**, **Barbados Tourism and Marketing Inc.**, **Barbados Film and Television Association**, **Canada Media Fund**, **Picture NL**, and the **KZN Tourism and Film Authority**—joined the forum to offer funding insights and forge next-step pathways.

**Felicia J. Persaud**, CEO of Invest Caribbean, moderated a pivotal panel on financing and pointed to a lack of infrastructure: “Few Caribbean countries have usable tax incentives or co-production treaties. While a handful—like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad & Tobago—offer tax rebates, many, including Barbados, are still playing catch-up.”

**What’s Next: Turning Vision Into Industry**

With over 30 producers participating in intensive sessions, 20 industry delegates engaged, and hundreds more reached through public programming, CCF 2025 delivered more than discussion—it produced a working blueprint for regional film industry growth.

**Key recommendations from forum attendees include:**

Establishing robust film tax incentive programs across the region.

Negotiating formal co-production treaties with countries like Canada, South Africa, and the UK.

Developing inter-island agreements to enable seamless Caribbean collaboration.

As one of the few forums of its kind, **The Cross Continental Forum is a real-time lab for creative disruption**, and with next year’s application cycle opening soon, it continues to position Caribbean and Global South storytellers not on the margins—but at the center of global storytelling futures.

Antiguan DJ and artist DJ Who has seen a surge in regional and international bookings following the viral success of a recent YouTube video.

The entertainer, known for his high-energy performances, has secured slots at several shows and carnivals across the Caribbean and the UK, with promoters from UK Carnival events and Grenada’s Spice Mas reaching out for collaborations.

Regional and International DemandWith Antigua Carnival just weeks away, DJ Who anticipates even more bookings as his popularity grows.

His track Mash Up Road has also attracted attention from regional artists seeking features, further expanding his reach.

“I’ve had promoters try to book me before, but due to my hotel entertainment commitments in Antigua and Barbuda, I had to decline,” DJ Who explained.

“This off-season, I’m ready to take these opportunities head-on and represent my country on a global stage.”

A Call for Collective GrowthBeyond his own success, DJ Who is urging fellow artists to maximise their potential by registering their music on digital platforms and forming distribution collectives to push Antiguan music worldwide.

“Social media is powerful—artists need to use it strategically,” he emphasised. “If we work together, we can take our sound much further.”

With a catalogue spanning years and growing international demand, DJ Who is poised to elevate Antigua and Barbuda’s music scene—one carnival at a time.

A packed audience gathered on Wednesday as more than 60 performers took the stage in the Groovy Soca Monarch quarterfinals.

The event featured fierce competition as artists sought to secure one of 15 coveted spots in the semifinals. Organisers have not yet released the results.

The excitement continues this evening with the Jumpy Soca preliminaries at the Jack Idle venue from 7:30pm.

Semifinals are scheduled for 18 July at Carnival City, alongside a Cooler Fete headlined by Trinidad’s Young Bredda.

Finals will be held on 3 August, where nine Groovy and eight Jumpy finalists will compete for $50,000 in each category.

The Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO) Inc. today announced the completion of its June 2025 distribution, disbursing a total of $1,044,083.85 in performance royalties to members and affiliated music rights societies around the world. Payments will begin reaching earning members’ bank accounts from July 2.

The royalties reflect music performances that occurred during the 2023 period, with 44% going directly to ECCO members in the Eastern Caribbean and 56% allocated to foreign rights societies on behalf of international creators whose works were used in the region.

This distribution was made possible through licensing and royalty collections from a range of sources including radio and TV broadcasts, live events, festivals, hotels, restaurants, bars, and other licensed establishments across ECCO’s Six operating territories.

This milestone speaks not only to the cultural and commercial value of Caribbean music, but also to the importance of ongoing collaboration. For ECCO to continue carrying out its mandate of protecting intellectual property rights, members must consistently register their works, and regulatory authorities must continue working alongside ECCO to support fair enforcement and licensing.

“We are pleased to be making this considerable payout amidst the many challenges we face within the region, like the lack of compliance and respect for the copyright laws. ECCO remains committed to supporting the creative industries and the broader Orange Economy within the OECS,” says Martin A. James, CEO.

“We call on artistes, broadcasters, event organisers, businesses, and especially government agencies to work in unison with us to ensure creators are properly recognised and rewarded.”

ECCO has served as the region’s link to the global music rights ecosystem since 2009, representing creators in Six Eastern Caribbean countries- Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines.

“We express our profound gratitude to our members and partners for their continued trust,” says James, “and we remain resolute to ensuring the music made in our region is respected, protected, and fairly compensated at home and abroad.”

Get ready to turn up the volume and make your voice heard this summer, WTP FM 93.5 and 93.7 is handing the mic to the people with the launch of iNet We The People’s Choice, a bold and electrifying Soca music competition where the fans call the shots!

From July 4th to August 2nd, 16 of the hottest Soca tracks from Antigua and Barbuda will go head-to-head in a first-of-its-kind, text-to-vote musical face-off. Fans will determine which tracks advance through each round right up to the final showdown by texting their favorite song to shortcode 9350. It’s fast, easy and only costs $0.25 per vote.

HOW IT WORKS

• Round of 16: July 7 – 16
• Quarterfinals (Top 8): July 18 – 22
• Semifinals (Top 4): July 23 – 26
• Grand Finale: July 28 – August 2

At stake? A massive $15,000 cash prize for the winning song and an iPhone 16 Max Pro for the most dedicated voter. It’s the ultimate Soca survival, powered by the people.

“This is more than a competition,it’s a celebration of local talent and a revolution in how we engage with music on the airwaves. iNet We The People’s Choice puts the spotlight on the fans and the artists and brings a whole new level of excitement to the Carnival season,” said Ryan A. Gittens, General Manager of WTP Media Network. “We’re proud to lead this moment in this histor ical moment. Antigua and Barbuda, it’s your turn to choose the hottest soca sound for summer 2025.”

This dynamic showdown is more than just airplay, it’s interviews, updates and digital hype all wrapped into one thrilling month of Soca madness. Fans can follow every beat, vote and victory on-air and online through WTP FM’s social platforms and hashtags: