NCF’s Revolution concert airing Monday

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has added another body of work to its catalogue of content in the form of a special virtual folk concert to air on all NCF channels at on Monday, August 23, at 6 p.m.

The production entitled, (R)Evolution, will debut on the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

(R)Evolution features a cadre of local creatives including: The Most Honourable Dr Anthony “Gabby” Carter, Adrian Green, Mahalia, Sunrokk, Faith Johnson, Jabari Browne, StonedwithCupid, Riddim Tribe, Dancin’ Africa and the Israel Lovell Foundation.

For people of African descent, the Season of Emancipation has historically been a commemoration of the end of chattel slavery and the beginning of freedom from servitude, however the folk concert approaches the topic from a new and fresh, yet still reverent perspective.

Delivering this new perspective is author of the concert script poet Cyndi Celeste who said she felt honoured to partner with the NCF on the project.

“This was a great challenge for me. When I think of things like freedom, emancipation, and reparation justice, I have strongly mixed feelings. On one hand, there is the knowledge that the pursuit of freedom and equality is a necessary and ongoing endeavour, however, on the other hand, I cannot neglect to acknowledge that it is an exhausting thing. I wonder if people occupy this space like me where we believe in the fight as much as we are fatigued with it.”

“I also wanted to try to offer a solution, of sorts” she added, “one where the kind of revolution we are trying to bring about is in flux, is constantly changing, and because of that, our perspective on it has to adapt all the time as well. I wanted to give this empathetic view of emancipation, and that’s really how the idea for (R)Evolution was born.”

Chief Executive Officer of the National Cultural Foundation Carol Roberts-Reifer said the Foundation was excited to give voice to a new generation of social commentators.

“We are well aware that there is a segment of our society who hears the word emancipation and experiences a mixed bag of emotions including fatigue and disconnect. So, we set out to strike an intricate balance to not only engage our younger artistes and cultural practitioners for their perspective, but to be able to hear and reach a mature demographic as well.

“The airing of this original piece is a most fitting way to mark The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition,” the CEO said.

It was during the night of August 22 to August 23, 1791, on the island of Saint Domingue (now known as Haiti), that an uprising began.

Those events played a key role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Since 1998, UNESCO has recognised the day as The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

(R)Evolution can be viewed on Monday, August 23 at 6 p.m. on NCFBarbados on YouTube and Facebook or thencfBarbados on Instagram the NCF’s social media. (PR)