St. Martin’s Community Fest, a tribute to calypso legend Lord Rhaburn, and the return of the fire engine parade are among the highlights for this year’s September Celebration events so far.
by Khaila Gentle
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Sept. 13, 2022
The month of September is halfway over, and the festivities are in full swing. The past two weeks of events make up only a fraction of the National Celebrations Commission’s extensive September Celebrations Calendar, but all can be said to be true embodiments of the chosen theme for this year.
Giving Our Heroes Their Flowers
The Living Legend Concert held on September 9th saw Belize’s King of Calypso, Lord Rhaburn, honored for his invaluable contribution to Belizean culture and heritage. The National Celebrations Commission, along with the Belize City Council, inaugurated the Lord Rhaburn Plaza beside the Memorial Park in honor of the beloved musician.
Gerald “Lord” Rhaburn, 86 years old, is a pioneer in calypso, brukdown, and soca in Belize, with many of his hit songs having solidified themselves as a staple in the country’s September celebrations. The tribute to him is one of the many ways in which the Ministry of Culture has been making an effort to honor local legends—or “give them their flowers”—while they are alive.
A Martin’s Fest to Remember
The Saint Martin’s Community Fest has quickly become a much-anticipated annual event for persons living in Belize City, and this year, the festival’s post-pandemic return saw its largest turnout yet.
The festival, held on Sunday, was a day of clean fun for all ages and featured performances from a wide range of Belizean artists, many of whom have roots in the Saint Martin de Porres area. Entertainers included Supa G, Ernestine Carballo, King Rome, TR Shine, Britney Starr, and Cocono Bwai.
According to KREM Radio DJ and host of the event, Brick City, Martin’s Fest was previously set to occur in June, but after being postponed due to circumstances out of his control, the event ended up taking place in September.
“It originated in June. And then we pushed it back and we were going to do it in July as well when there was a state of emergency—which felt bad for me, because, as the organizer, and the brain behind it, I didn’t see why that should have affected us in any way … but again we have to follow all protocols, so we did that and we’re back again,” he said.
Now, the DJ is hoping that the festival can find a permanent home on the September calendar, alongside all the other celebrations.
“It’s good. They say good things come to those who wait, because I wish and I pray now that they put it eena the September calendar fi the celebrations,” he added.
Concerts Galore
September 20th, 2022 will see the long-awaited return of the Belize Soca and Culture Festival, with famed musicians Kes the Band, Nadia Batson, and Baby Cham headlining the Independence Day Eve event. The days leading up to Belize’s Independence Day, however, have also seen their fair share of concerts, including on September 9th when local artist Lova Boy graced the stage along with Jamaican singers Tanya Stephens and Christopher Martin.
This past Saturday, the Belize City Council hosted its 10th of September Bram 2022, which featured an array of local entertainers and musicians, including singer Brithney Starr, steel pannist Alexander Evans, and the Cumbia Boys Band.