Concept of Logo

The stylised African image in a state of pregnancy depicts the continuance of our predominant heritage.

The flower in her hair...

the germination of European influences

The style and design of lettering...

the land of aboriginal Amerindians which we inherited

The colours...

the national colours of Trinidad and Tobago

The theme...

'She becomes more beautiful'

The Tobago Heritage Festival is a unique occurrence on the Island of Tobago in the Caribbean, which attracts thousands of tourists each year from many parts of the world. It is essentially a folk festival and its greatest strength lies in the fact that it is an authentic demonstration of the folk heritage of Tobago.

The Festival was conceptualized by the late Dr. J. D. Elder, a famous son of the soil and certainly an icon in anthropology. The basic pillar of heritage for him was that communities should empower themselves and depict an aspect of our cultural heritage, thus ensuring continuity and preservation. The participants, that is, the people themselves, the village folk who each year demonstrate their history in food, dance, drama, song, or a combination of all.

The Festival is prepared, planned and produced by an Organizing Committee appointed by the Tobago House of Assembly. This Committee facilitates the communities or villages by providing financial assistance, technical assistance, infrastructural need, training and sponsorship. This total 'grass roots' participation of the villages is a major factor, which contributes to the character of the Tobago Heritage Festival. The language of the people is the language of the Festival.

Another interesting phenomenon of the Tobago Heritage Festival is the varying ages of the participants. There is great teamwork and camaraderie between the old and the young in the villages and it is amazing to see how they interact on stage, singing, dancing and dramatizing aspects of their heritage. This ensures that the folklore tradition of TObago, while being handed down by the elders in the comminities, is guaranteed to be kept vibrantly alive by the manner in which it is performed by Tobago's younger generation.

The emphasis of the Festival is folklore information through language, music, dance, reported attitudes, oral history, handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth or performance.

Some influences on the music and dance have come through our historical experiences where various nations that colonized Tobago certainly left their footprints on our culture.

Every year, different villages are given the responsibility to produce a day of activities culminating in a theatre-like show which will depict one aspect of our heritage. Village Councils and village groups work together to create a show that competes with other villages despite the fact that the Festival is non-competitive. Some villages organize day tours to trails, and historic sites in their villages. Visitors can experience the culinary delights and interact with the warm and friendly villagers, gaining an overall feel for the beauty that Tobago offers. Some villages have become synonymous with certain events for the Festival, either because of event popularity or the fact that the event has been there for many years.

Some of the more popular events include:

• Moriah and the Ole Time Tobago Wedding
• Les Coteaux and Folk Tales and Superstitions
• Black Rock and the Sea Festival
• Pembroke and the Salaka Feast
• Charlotteville and Natural Treasures Day
• Plyhmouth/Bethesda and the Ole Time Carnival
• Mason Hall and Games We Used to Play