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Annual celebration showcases Ottawa’s vibrant Indo-Caribbean culture

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Performer Sunita de Souza wowed the crowd with her fusion of Classic Indian-style dance. 

Story and photos by Brandon Rushton

On June 6, nowhere else in the city could you find a more lively and proud group of people coming together not only for a great cause, but for a good reason – to celebrate one of Canada’s most vibrant cultures.

The Canadian Indo-Caribbean Organization of Ottawa (CICOO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and keeping alive the cultural heritage of Indo-Caribbean people in Canada. Each year, they gather to celebrate a Trinidad and Tobago holiday named Indian Arrival Day, which commemorates the migration of Indian peoples into Trinidad. This year marks the 170th anniversary of this event. The actual holiday takes place on May 30, but is celebrated during the first weekend in June here in Ottawa. The celebration is continually organized by CICOO Chairman, Peter Maharaj.

Indo-Caribbean people in Ottawa and some from afar, commemorate the community they’ve introduced and helped thrive in Canada by showcasing cultural entertainment such as music, dance and authentic food. This year, the annual event took place at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall in the heart of downtown Ottawa.

“In this multicultural, diverse country it is a great privilege for us to be able to celebrate all of our ethnic celebrations, adding to the pluralistic fabric of this fantastic country – Canada,” said Dr. Vidhya G. Tota-Maharaj, the Consulate General of the Republic of Trinidad and one of the evening’s keynote speakers.

Tota-Maharaj was just one of many prestigious speakers who took part in the CICOO celebration. Representatives from both the Conservative and Liberal parties attended, as well as Vanessa Ramhit-ramoop, also of the Republic of Trinidad.

While the speeches were heartwarming and very appreciative, the real show didn’t begin until cultural entertainment got underway. Many different talents took the stage to show off their Indo-Caribbean flare. There was everything from an upbeat tin drum performance to a belly dance troupe that had the crowd clapping.

One such performer was Sunita De Souza, a Canadian-born dancer of Indian decent. She dazzled the crowd with a modern fusion of Classic Indian-style dance.

“Dancing gives her the opportunity to actually understand and learn about the Indian culture”, said her smiling father, Herman De Souza. “She really enjoys it,” he added. It was her first time performing for the CICOO, but the organization has already shown interest in bringing her back for next year’s event.

The night was lush with vibrant colours, strong tastes, and eye-popping entertainment for the whole family. Most of all, smiles were abound throughout the entire evening. Every attendee was either proud to celebrate their Indo-Caribbean culture, or just happy to be a citizen of the most diverse and accepting countries in the world – one that allows such celebrations to flourish.

Showing that they’ve not only brought their colourful culture to Canada, the Indo-Caribbean people also showed off their philanthropic values. All ticket, drink, and raffle proceeds were donated to both the Camp Misquah, an organization committed to providing summer camp opportunities to disabled children, and the Ottawa Humane Society.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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