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Dominican Republic – a nation that shares an island with Haiti and has a rich and vibrant culture, amazing food, warm weather, jungles and mountain and sun-soaked beaches. Beaches such as Playa El Valle in Samana – home of the annual eco/camping festival called Quelonios (this year the 5th edition was hosted from March 4-6). The festival is dedicated to encouraging community and good vibes while highlighting the importance of protecting DR’s beaches and conservation of marines life, especially sea turtles. As a matter of fact – the word ‘Quelonios’ is what they use to describe baby leatherback turtles. The beach on which is the festival is hosted has a section – unavailable to the public, which actually see Giant Leatherback Turtles next every year – much like Shell Beach in Guyana. And this is where the connection lies.
In 2017, Gavin Mendonca, one of volunteers turned Directors was given the opportunity to attend CirculArt in Colombia, on behalf of the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival. CirculArt is the largest music conference in Latin America – a great place to tap into even more cultures and artistes alike. This is where Gavin met one Alex Matas – one of the directors of Quelonios Festival. The two quickly formed a bond over the fact that they both were involved in fresh new festivals and the fact that both countries were home to Giant Leatherback Turtles. Gavin was invited to attend, perform and present on Marine Conservation at the 2nd edition of the festival in 2018.
“The festival was an amazing experience! It’s awesome how connected we all are in so many ways, even though we live in different parts of the world and speak different languages. It’s also wonderful to know how nature and music has the power to bring us all together, to celebrate and live life”, says Gavin.
Both Quelonis Festival and the Rupununi Music and Arts festival host hundred of enthusiastic festival goers, some first time campers and some seasoned adventurers, and over the years both festivals have grown tremendously in terms of programming and their dedication to host events like these in their respective countries.
This year, the festival hosted it’s 5th edition from March 4-6 and Gavin once again found himself waking up to the roar of the Atlantic Ocean on the northern coast of DR in Samana. Hundreds of campers swarmed the camping area. All excited to be there after the pandemic shut everything down for more than a year. But in this new found time together – people seemed more caring and loving, warmer and happier to be together after such a long time.
The festival saw amazing performances at night from DJs pumping techno and house music in the wee hours of the morning, live musicians who seemed to be on higher levels after honing their skills during the lockdown. Tasty Dominican food filled the air with teasing aromas while children and adults alike frolicked along the beaches, dipping into the Ocean to play with the waves. Early morning Yoga, meditation, dancing and much more had attendees occupied throughout the day. What a wonderful sight it was to see, and an transformational experience for Gavin to be in the midst of all of it once again.
The festival seemed more organized than ever and the vibes were just perfect. At the end of the festival – a few big buses arrived to shuttle the obviously satisfied festival-goers back to Santo Domingo.
Gavin claims to have drawn many inspiration from attending Quelonios Festival and can see a bright future for the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival as well, as we continue to march forward only.
To learn more about Quelonios Festival visit http://www.queloniosfestival.com
