Memoriam | Birthday And Pre-Jounen Kwéyòl Fiesta In Honour of Sir Dunstan St. Omer

PRESS RELEASE – The newly formed Dunstan St. Omer Art Foundation and the Hon Derek Walcott have teamed up to celebrate the memory of the late Hon Sir Dunstan St. Omer who died on the 5^th May this year. On his birthday, Saturday, October 24^th 2015, St. Lucians are being invited to a memorial service and pre-Jounen Kwéyòl mini-fiesta at the Jacmel Church and grounds from 9.00a.m. to 2.00pm. Plans are to make this an annual Kwéyòl Heritage month event at the Jacmel R.C. Church which houses one of St. Omer’s most famous murals.

The day will begin with a memorial service at 9.00am which includes performances by Natannia St. Omer (dancing to “O Paradis”), Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, Derek Walcott, Yannick James and Anwar Leonty. During the Jounen Kwéyòl –style mini-fiesta following the service there will be dance performances by students of the Marigot Secondary School and the Claralight Quadrille & Traditional Dance Group of Choiseul, songs by the students of the Anse la Raye Infant School and Ethan Fletcher, Story telling by Pin Jo’k and music by the Roseau Combined School Band and the Jacmel Community Band.

The Folk Research Centre encourages the public to support this new event on the Kwéyòl Heritage Month calendar.

The Folk Research Centre had declared Sir Dunstan St.Omer a National Cultural Hero in 2007 at a ceremony held at the Jacmel R.C. Church.