Carnival frenzy in the air |07 February 2013

Italy is ready to thrill the audience on Saturday February 9 during the carnival float parade with a combination of ancestral costumes and choreography from ancient Rome.

According to tourism ambassador Dorothy Furneau “our Italian affiliates here have also entered into the rhythm of the carnival and we are making the last touches to decorate our truck and all costumes are ready”.

The Italians have chosen a theme reflecting the ancient Romans. The idea is to showcase the history and culture of ancient Rome at the time of the Roman Empire.  The float will consist of up to thirty participants, including soldiers, gladiators, senators and abacchanal party. 

Italy will not only thrill the audience but will capture them with a sort of magical display of soldiers dressed in traditional “res militaris” which will be followed by a senator surrounded by ladies having fun in a truck covered with the design of the coliseum. Entertaining the audience will also be the gladiators showing off their strength as they duel each other.

The sound of music will be heard with a miscellany of songs from two of the most famous movies: The Gladiator and Ben Hur, as well as adding something from the modern era with dance music from the 70s.

“This year we are well prepared and I'm happy that all the participants are JJ Spirit Foundation affiliated sponsors and I'm proud that we have been able to represent Italy at our own cost,” said the Italian representative.

As for South Africa, the Cape Town minstrels have been taking part in the carnival since it was first launched in 2011 and this year they are ready to enhance their participation with six of South Africa’s best minstrel performers.

“There’s only one word to describe how we feel to attend the carnaval again this year…excited! And I can assure all our Seychellois families that we will be able to give them some of the best performances ever. This will be our 3rd year at the carnival and we now know what is expected to entertain the crowds,” said their representative, Kader Miller.

Mr Miller expressed the happiness of the South African performers for this great opportunity of a lifetime and their gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture as well as to the Seychelles Tourism Board for making everything possible.

“For all of the performers this will be the first time that they will be performing internationally and the first time that they get the opportunity to board an airplane.  They come from very poor communities and thanks to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Seychelles Tourism Board  for assisting us to make this a dream come true for them,” said Mr Miller.

“I want them to experience the good heart of the Seychellois people. We are coming to the carnival with the best performers, colourful painted faces and colourful costumes,” added Mr Miller.

The Indonesian delegations at the carnival will be represented by some of their most famous artists.  The highlights of the traditional heritage cultural dance from the Island of The Gods, ‘Bali’, is to be performed by Jessica Hudson, an Indonesian - ASEAN award singer, at the opening of the 2013 Carnaval International de Victoria in Seychelles.

The group has performed internationally and their Sekar Jepun dance has been staged during the official opening of major international events and world class conferences in Bali. The performance has been admired by many heads of state and dignitaries from all around the world.

The Indonesian representative, Nico Barito, has confirmed the participation of the Indonesian and ASEAN international performers “who will showcase to the world an unforgettable performance in Victoria, the Capital of the Creole World”.

“We thank the Bupati of Badung Regent in Bali who had agreed to participate in the 2013 edition of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Carnival in Seychelles, especially as Bali will bring the signature dance group Sekar Jepun,” said Mr Barito.

Sekar Jepun remains an icon of Bali’s traditional dance.  The Sekar Jepun flowers, also known as frangipani, are found in many paradise islands, including Seychelles.

“Victoria, the Capital of the Creole World is set to again play host to a carnival staged under the banner of the melting pot of cultures and we all remain eager to showcase togetherness alongside other cultures and peoples through this mid-ocean equatorial carnival of carnivals,” the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange said.

CHAM ART COMPANY is a group of Korean traditional music and dance performers who will dance and play the traditional drum called “Janggu”.

During the opening ceremony, the Korean delegation will perform five different Korean traditional dances.  The first one is “Korean Fan Dance,” featuring two fancy fans in hands.  The key points of this dance are the sound of opening and closing of the fans, as well as the beautiful shapes and patterns they create.

During the carnival procession, they will be on their float decorated as Korean traditional architecture. 

There will be three other types of dances to be showcased during the procession. The first is “Taepyungmu” which is the dance of the King and the Queen in Joseon Dynasty praying for prosperity and wellness of the people.

The other ones are “Janggu Dance” and “Jaenggang Dance.” Janggu is a kind of drum which the player carries on the shoulder and strikes with two sticks. The players will also perform dances while playing the Janggu.

“Jaenggang” is the sound of small bells in Korean language. The origin of this dance is from Joseon Dynasty which represents Korean people’s wishes for health, prosperity and happiness and the pride of living in the beautiful land of Korea.

The performance team has participated in various international cultural events in Canada, Qatar, China, Thailand, and Uzbekistan, to name a few.

On the same note, the Notting Hill Carnival Roadshow is also gearing up for this 3rd edition of the carnival. The Samba girls made such an impact last year that this year more girls will feature in the line-up. One of the girls was voted the Queen of Samba in the whole of England and made a presentation at the Olympics.

They will also be profiling the award winning Mahogany Carnival Arts. Their costumes are different from anything you would have seen before - clean lines, fantastic swirls and sublime fantasy.

Not to forget their very lively DJ who will be once again hitting the keyboards and doing his own voice-overs with the latest in club and carnival music.

“We will be hosting a workshop to demonstrate different aspects of the arts of carnival and some lucky Seychelles students will get the opportunity to wear some costumes and perform with us on the day. Notting Hill Carnival Roadshow will put on a show to remember,” said their representative, Claire Holder.