Caymanian heritage showcased at Red Sky at Night

By Lindsey Turnbull

Organised by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s (CNCF), Red Sky at Night took place at the Harquail Cultural Centre on Saturday and was an explosion of colours, sounds, aromas and tastes, all showcasing Caymanian culture, heritage and tradition.

The event came at the end of CAYFEST, which was 20 days of music, poetry, film, workshops, visual arts, storytelling and dance that was held throughout the month of March.

There was so much to see and do at Red Sky it was advisable to go early, when the Cayman Islands Folk Singers began proceedings in fine style. Steel panners greeted people on arrival with their lilting melodies and entertainment culminated in performances by Swanky Kitchen Band and Heat.

There were more than 50 local artists and artisans who lined the Thatch Walks section of the event, bedecked in red sails to keep out the late afternoon sun, with locally made  jewellery, clothing, artwork, wonderful jams, jellies and sauces, plants and more, all on sale for visitors to peruse.

Benton Conolly is an incredible craftsman who makes the most beautiful wood pieces out of mostly Cayman Mahogony. He had an impressive display of his word work creations at the event.

Mr Conolly uses his talent to present far more than just a beautifully honed piece of wood; instead he recreates items from Cayman’s past to enable people to connect with a time gone by with a useful and expertly crafted item.

One such item is a water glass.

“Back in the day we use them to find fish,” he explained. “Before selective fishing like spear fishing, you could choose which fish you wanted to catch. We chose what fish to catch by putting the water glass in the sea and then, when it’s not a fish you want, you take it away. For example, if you were targeting turbot that day we would wait until the turbot arrived, then lower the water glass in slowly, find the turbot, and then pull up.”

 Mr Conolly advised using this useful tool you could see 40 to 50 feet clearly in the ocean, a real aid for fishermen. He said he learnt how to create such incredible pieces from working alongside his great grandfather.

“My great grandfather, Arthur Dilbert, was one of the premier boat builders in Cayman Brac. He made coffins, he made catboats, he made all sorts of stuff! I grew up working and learning with him, learning all sorts of stuff,” he said.

Mr Conolly showcased a wooden toolbox that he had crafted, which would have been the type of item in which his grandfather would have used to carry his tools, as another nod to his past. Wooden chopping boards, glass holders and much more were also on display for event-goers to purchase.

At Red Sky, artist Wray Banker was enjoying playing Wauri, an old African counting game much beloved by Caymanians from times gone by.

 “It’s now traditional in the Caribbean and they even have world championships,” he advised.

Mr Banker said they make the boards themselves, and, while the board he was playing with was made out of breadfruit wood and not ideal (ideal being Cayman mahogany), it was a case of making do with what they had.

“Making do is traditional in Cayman,” he confirmed.   

Event goers ought to have arrived hungry as a separate section was dedicated to food, Café Cayman, which offered local dishes to eat there or take home. As well as the food, the delightful Thatch Walk and the main stage areas, the Visual Arts Society’s Creative Kids area was a brilliant place in which to allow children artistic freedom, while the Caymanian Village section brought to life a Cayman Islands of years gone by. Heritage demonstrations such as the importance of backing sand for the local community, as well as interactive cultural displays that evoked the islands’ fascinating past, entertained the crowds.