Festival Gala well received

Organisers of last Friday’s Fish and Dragon Festival Gala at the Frank Collymore Hall should take a bow.

This event was not only smoothly staged, but it was a pleasant start to the annual Fish and Dragon Festival, which is now in its sixth year.

This night’s show was presented by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Barbados, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Barbados. Its staging is part of celebrations of the Chinese Lunar New Year and it gave all present an opportunity to experience a taste of Chinese culture.

Among persons in the audience were the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Cleviston Haynes and former Central Bank Governor, Dr. DeLisle Worrell. Additionally, in attendance were several government officials including Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Cynthia Forde; Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Senator Dr. Romel Springer; Leader of the Opposition, Bishop Joseph Atherley; Environment Minister, Trevor Prescod; and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Arthur Holder. They and other guests were treated to performances by the visiting Jilin Province Art Troupe.

The Troupe, which comprises some award-winning performers, begun with a lively musical piece titled ‘Greeting Spring’. This was done by an Instrument Ensemble, which included performer Liang Yuchen. The piece gave patrons an idea of the mood of people in spring.

Other pieces on the night included dances – ‘Tiger and Bandit Mountain’ and ‘Ode to Pear Blossoms’. There were also solos such as ‘The lively Lantern Festival and Sentiments of the Yellow Earth’ performed by Feng Fu, who played the suona, which is a woodwind musical instrument; ‘Pipa Solo: Ambush on All Sides’ by Chen Yue, who played a Chinese Lute; and the humorous ‘Peking Opera: Changing Masks’ by Wang Lei. The latter piece is a skill show originating from the Sichuan Opera. As the actor moved around the staged and into the crowd, he removed a mask which showed a different expression, to the surprise and delight of the audience.

Although all the night’s pieces were well received, the final performance ‘Peking Opera: Havoc in the Dragon Palace’ was a hit with the audience. This performance by Wang Pengfei, Xie Lintian, Guo Hongyu and other members of the Jilin Province Art Troupe was entertaining. It was based on the Chinese novel ‘Journey to the West’ and the central characters were the monkey, turtle and shrimp. Patrons watched as a fierce battle unfolded as the monkey tried to get the weapon he desired from the palace while attempts were made to stop him. Members of the Troupe’s aerobic skills were showcased throughout this performance. (MG)