Antigua and Barbuda's Culture Minister, Eleston Adams, was quoted by China’s Global Times as being disappointed at what he called the indifference shown by most of his Caribbean colleagues for the event.

 

Culture ministers from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica and Curacao attended the celebrations, which ran from 16 to 25 August.

"I regret to say that I am disappointed about the absence and indifference of the culture ministers in the Caribbean states for the Carifesta," Mr Adams said.

"Culture should be more prominent. If we want to reap the benefits, especially the tourist industry, each country should have a ministry of culture," he added.

 

However, as the Carifesta mantle passed from Suriname to Haiti, that country’s President Michel Martelly flew in for the closing ceremony and even took to the stage to perform, as only a former singer-turned-politician can.

 

He was not alone. Other singers at the closing ceremony included Suriname’s President, Desi Bouterse, and Haitian-American hip hop star Wyclef Jean – all setting a new music benchmark for Carifesta closing ceremonies. 

 

The 12^th Carifesta will take place in Haiti next year, under the theme of “Unity is our strength”.

 

Caricom Assistant Secretary General Colin Granderson has recommended that Suriname’s innovation this year of a Caribbean Marketplace for the Arts – bringing international booking agents and art promoters to the festival – should be continued at future stagings.

 

 

Jamaica’s one-stop entertainment hub – From 1 September, Jamaica will start work on an Entertainment Registry providing everything you need to know about Jamaican musicians and entertainers.

 

The registry will be managed by Jamaica’s Tourism and Entertainment Ministry and will also certify and register all Jamaican entertainment practitioners.

 

It will certify and register local entertainment practitioners and will also provide background information for foreign embassies asked to issue travel visas.

 

The idea is that the hub will be a portal for information on any Jamaican entertainment service, company or performer.

 

Caribbean Intelligence© understands that, in turn, people in the industry will find information on tax waivers, travel visa advice and other provisions that they might need to know about.

 

The Registry will, however, also include ratings, so artists will also find their performance style rated on a measure from G to PG.

                  

 

Her son was the Grenadian prime minister whose death resulted in the 1983 US-led invasion of Grenada.

 

Mrs Bishop had always said that all she wanted before her own death had been to know where her son’s body had been buried. 

 

 

Global Notting Hill - Take a Caribbean base and add global flavours and what do you have? Notting Hill Carnival.

 

Caribbean Intelligence’s foray around the two-day festival turned up a wide global range of cultural showcases. 

 

For your enjoyment, here’s the video where one woman truly enjoyed her roots at the Nigerian Corner area at the Carnival.  

 

And the top picture in this Caribbean Intelligence© News Brief is from performance group Kinetika Bloco, an Arts Council-backed charity that helps young people develop creative skills. 

 

With a distinctly Brazilian flavour, the band of young British people danced through the streets of west London to the sound of batucada drumming and a brass band.

 

There was some unscheduled entertainment to be had, including an impromptu act by three London police officers who quickly went viral on social media. The video was being retweeted furiously on the night of 28 August.

 

Never mind Life on Mars, this was The Bill meets Strictly! If you’re one of the few to miss it, click here to catch up. 

 

In the words of one Twitter user picked up by Caribbean Intelligence© (@caribintelligen): “Now this is what I call community policing!”

 

Many of the formal bands continued to keep a Trinidad flavour – after all, the Carnival was started 49 years ago by homesick Trinidadians.

 

From the perspective of one famous Trini, soca songwriter Fay-Ann Lyons, attending this year: “News reports said over a million ppl [people] were on the road for carnival, that's almost all of Trinidad, shy a couple hundred thou. nice!”

 

Trinidad’s Carnival has come a long way! We hope you enjoy our picture gallery.

 

 

St Lucia answers wanted – Also making the London news this week has been the plea by the mother of a 20-year-old woman for answers about her daughter’s death in St Lucia.

 

Hannah Defoe was electrocuted when she dived into a swimming pool while on holiday in St Lucia last year.

 

The inquest into the July 2012 death has so far been adjourned.

 

Hannah was the cousin of England and Tottenham footballer Jermain Defoe.

 

Her mother Hope still wants to know how the tragedy happened and why Hannah’s body remained in the pool for an hour-and-a-half.

 

“I have been told that the wheels of justice spin slowly in St Lucia… Just give me what I need to continue grieving,” she told BBC London news. 

 

“This can be put right… faulty wiring can be put right.”

 

Emigration time for some Brits? If there was ever a time to consider moving to that Caribbean destination, it is apparently after the main annual holiday and returning to recession-hit Britain.

 

According to a survey by Global Visas, a UK company which provides Brits with visa and relocation services, 65% of those asked said they would consider emigrating to their holiday destination.

 

Just under a quarter said they would definitely look into emigrating, but to somewhere other than where they enjoyed their holiday break.

 

Global Visas global sales and marketing director Gary Smith said: “Since the start of the year, our UK office has received an increase in the number of requests for visa applications from Brits seeking a better quality of life and living conditions, as well as brighter career prospects.”

 

 

 

Quote of the week: “How I’m going to get out of this store to go board my flight to Zurich? #allthislove #lovemyfans https://twitter.com/usainbolt/status/372366213583622144/photo/1” Usain Bolt, surrounded by fans at an airport on the way to the next Diamond League athletics meet in Switzerland.