Diving Into the Local Culture on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia
This year, St. Lucia will celebrate its first Centenary of Independence. The date marks the birth of the Republic of St. Lucia and as a nation, she looks on her 250th birthday in 2017 as the birth of an era.
Her vibrant culture stands resplendent to her shores as the country’s national symbols are everywhere you look – towering palm trees along the roadsides, a colourful array of musical instruments, brightly coloured flags and the ever-present red, yellow and green flag, all of which combine to make the island a cultural melting pot.
But what will it be like here in 2017? In a country brimming with history and tradition, we asked several of her artists and writers to share the sights and sounds of their time in this little island.
Bryanna Gumbs
I grew up in the northern island of Dominica, and at the age of 7 I was given a “pony” by my grandmother to ride along the beach. She had purchased him from the Island of Martinique in the Caribbean as a kind of souvenir of her son who had served his country (and had even won a medal for bravery).
Although she had raised me on a horse, riding in the sun and enjoying myself on the beach, a few days after I came back from Dominica, my grandmother passed away. It was only after her death that I discovered horses were a very big part of my family heritage.
I have been surrounded by them ever since. Horses are something we all need. They are our best friends. They make us stronger, they get us to places faster (I know how hard it would be to drive a car), they make us more social, and they have the most amazing stories to share.
The saddest part of horses is when they get sick and you love them more than ever.
I wish I did not have to leave the horses I love and see where they are going to go, but we must do what is necessary in this life to carry us through to the next.
The country has an incredible amount of history. At the age of 5 I joined the first national horse show, won prizes and traveled to places such as England, France, Spain and the United States.
When I decided to move to England to study, I was
