Dominica’s Minister of Tourism, Ian Douglas, announced today that the 13th edition of the island’s World Creole Music Festival will take place from October 30 to November 1, 2009.

The WCMF is not just a festival for us in Dominica,” Douglas said, “It is a meeting point; an event of significant cultural and tourism value; it is our way of showcasing the unique Creole heritage and culture of the millions of people of the Creole world… in the music, the cuisine, the language and the various strands of this cultural diversity which is best mirrored at the more than one month of exciting activities during the month of October. The 13th edition of this magical event is about to be fully launched with the greatest hope for an entertaining yet successful display of the very best of our creative and artistic genius. This will be reflected in the celebrations of Dominica’s 31st anniversary of independence and the various activities that will highlight the country’s continued march towards greater self-reliance and cultural freedom. It will bring to the fore that sense of national pride, symbolizing the strides we have made towards developing a national cultural identity.”

The line-up released for the “Three Nights of Pulsating Rhythms” will include:

Friday, October 30- Swinging Stars; La Perfecta; MFR band; Patrick St. Eloi; Zin and Alan Cave; and Machine A Swinger

Saturday, October 31st: Dlux Band; Icons of Zouk; Sweet Mickey; Morgan Heritage; Triple Kay

International and Caribbean Vibes.

Sunday, November 1 : WCK; Cadence Icons; Maxi Priest; Michele Henderson; Roy Cape All Stars and Nature Boys.

The World Creole Music Festival was created in 1997 as a means of boosting tourist arrivals to the island during the important independence celebrations and to increase revenue from stay-over visitors coming to the island for the celebrations. The festival was conceived out of the need to provide a platform for Dominican musicians and musical expressions as well as to expose the island’s culture to a more diversified world audience. It was also meant to build solidarity and collaboration between Dominican artistes, music producers and intellectuals and others in the creole speaking countries of Guadeloupe, Martinique and St Lucia as well as from Francophone Africa, Louisiana, Haiti, Seychelles and other parts of the world.