The Dominican Republic Project

I recently completed a whirlwind tour of the Dominican Republic sponsored by the Canadian Embassy and Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). I performed at the annual Jazz Festival with Dominican jazz artist Patricia The Dominican Republic Project Perela. I played at several Embassy functions including a photo exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of Canadian/Dominican relations. I traveled with the Canadian Ambassador and Embassy staff to the dedication of several projects sponsored by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). I visited cocoa plantations that were provided with drying and fermentation technology so that the farmers could avoid middlemen and receive much more money for their crops. I attended the opening of an aqueduct project funded by the CFLI that provides potable water for about 600 people who have never had clean running water. The gratitude of the people and their impoverished conditions are something I won’t soon forget. We also were at the grand opening of a computer lab/library at a school in Cabarete. This was completed in partnership with the DREAM Project (Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring Project). The Ambassador hosted ‘A Taste of Canada’ reception where I performed the event was followed by the Dominican premiere of the Denis Arcand film, ‘The Barbarian Invasions’.

This was an amazing experience and I came away from it with a sense of purpose. The prospect of holding a Bluesfest in the Dominican in spring 2005 is on the horizon. Each year I am an instructor in the Blues In The Schools (BITS) in Ottawa. This is a charitable foundation that brings blues music and musicians to local schools. The intention now is to bring Blues In The Schools to the Dominican Republic. Plans are being put into place to accept donations of gently used musical instruments. (in return for a tax receipt). The instruments will be donated to schools participating in BITS in the Dominican.