Patrons were in high praise for the recently-held inaugural Laborie Music Festival. The event showcased high quality of performances, culinary offerings and arts and crafts from the community.

Hosted by the Anse Kawet Crafters and Laborie/Augier Constituency Council, the event was held on Sunday afternoon, March 2, 2025, at the Papèl Craft Centre at Rudy John Beach Park in Laborie.

The music festival featured eats and drinks and craft on sale, face painting, stilt walkers, La Marguerite and La Rose groups. There were also live musical performances by the Laborie Steel Orchestra, KC Most Conscious & The Galvanize Yutes, Red Beans, Shem Meluce, Asa Joseph, Xtra Luv, Twadisyon O’Pyay, LM Stone Family Band, and Yannette “Oshun” James.

The event formed part of Saint Lucia’s 46th Anniversary of Independence Celebrations and was sponsored by the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) and the Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs.

During the brief opening ceremony, H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, applauded Laborie’s many attributes, including its breathtaking views, delicate handicraft, and warm and friendly residents. 

The Laborie Music Festival formed part of the bilateral collaboration project, the “Community Business Revitalization Project”, which targets four Saint Lucian communities. Laborie is the second community to benefit under the Project.  

“This project aims to support local SMEs by integrating the community’s existing businesses, tourism resources and cultural heritage with modern marketing strategies,” said Ambassador Su. “Our goal is to explore with you your own products and unique local experience, which would boost local economic opportunities and attract visitors accordingly.”

Under the Community Business Revitalization Project, several events -- including a Dasheen Festival -- were organized in the first host community, Fond St. Jacques, a community popularly known as the “Dasheen Capital of Saint Lucia”. 

“We try to bring in ideas encouraging the community to explore their own specialty and capitalize on it to transform it into an attraction, so that tourists could go and not only try the local delicacy, but also explore the historic church and the Agro-Tourism Park there,” said Ambassador Su. “With the successful model of community-driven experience last year, this year we are strengthening our work here in Laborie. By promoting the thriving business environment, we are trying to ensure a sustainable local economy and hence, enhancing the community’s appeal to both visitors and investors. The success of community commerce relies on a combination of many factors. All of them play a crucial role.”

Ambassador Su expressed appreciation to Hon. Alva Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs; Hon. Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs; the Ministry of Commerce; the Laborie/Augier Constituency Council; the Laborie Development Foundation; the Papèl Craft Centre, Anse Kawet Crafters, and colleagues from the Taiwan Technical Mission for making the event a success.

Hon. Alva Baptiste, who is also Parliamentary Representative for Laborie/Augier, thanked the Taiwan Technical Mission for its unwavering support to initiatives being undertaken in Laborie, including the newly-constructed Laborie Market which will be officially opened shortly.

He said the music festival not only provided an avenue for people to showcase their talents, but also created certain social benefits, adding that the music festival will become part of the community’s annual calendar of activities.

“Undoubtedly, it fosters community spirit, social cohesion in a very big way, and a sense of great pride for us as Laborians,” said Hon. Baptiste. “But having the Airbnb sector, we want to develop this festival to the point whereby people will gravitate in large numbers to Laborie to attend this festival. We shall be developing our sites at Majomel and Morne Le Blanc to create added attractions so that while they are here for the music festival, they are able to partake in the fascinating beauty of our constituency.”

Hon. Emma Hippolyte, who is also Parliamentary Representative for Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques, said  she was pleased that the southern community was focusing on boosting its craft, music and other exquisite attributes.

“It is important that we do so, especially as we think of tourism and the uniqueness of Laborie and Saint Lucia and the whole issue of tourism. One of the areas of concerns that we have is that the craft that is sold to the visitors needs to have more of a local flavour,” Hon. Hippolyte explained.

Hon. Hippolyte added that by capitalizing on the community’s strong offerings, residents can derive an improved share of the economic spin-offs from the tourism sector.

“I am pleased that you are developing for yourselves a very distinct niche in the tourism sector,” she stated. “That is what we want to see. Every community in Saint Lucia is unique. Let us embrace our uniqueness, build on it, be proud of it, and let our visitors have a unique Laborie experience when they come here.   

Meanwhile, Mr. Lydra Chiquot, Deputy Chairperson of the Laborie-Augier Constituency Council, thanked the Taiwan Technical Mission, the Anse Kawet Crafters and Hon. Baptiste for initiating the rehabilitation exercise to assist with refurbishment, capacity building and tourism linkages through the crafters at the Papèl Craft Centre. 

“We will continue to create relations to foster community spirit within the constituency, especially the Laborie village,” she said.