Caribbean Calypso
a Signature Experience Event at Wildewood Downs
Wildewood Downs Members embarked on an exciting adventure full of color and fun for our Caribbean Calypso Signature Experience! The vibrant event was full of tropical themes, the sharing of the rich Calypso culture’s history, steel drum music, wonderful traditional dancing, and a variety of tasty dishes.
It wouldn’t be a Calypso event without a poppin’ street parade, so that’s exactly how we kicked off this event. Members came together with our fabulous social and wellness directors to dance their way down the hallways and streets of our community. Everyone came dressed for the occasion, with the ladies in big bright ostrich feather headpieces with lots of sparkling gems and the men in adorable wicker Havana hats. While making our way through the community, Members got a Caribbean instrument to play, which filled our halls and street with tropical beats.
After all that fun, dancing, and music, it was time to recharge with some delicious and refreshing exotic fruits and mango mimosas. Everyone enjoyed a lovely spread of jackfruit, passion fruit, dragon fruit, kiwis, and many other interesting fruits! While enjoying these healthy treats, everyone learned more about Calypso culture’s history while tropical music continued to create a Caribbean Island vibe. Ms. Jen Wochner, Archivist and Digital Services Librarian at the Music Library at the University of South Carolina, shared Calypso culture, food, music, and the creation of their special instruments. To finish the talk, Ms. Wochner opened the floor for a Q&A where Members could get any of their pressing questions about this lively culture answered.
The immersion into the incredible culture continued with a wonderful live performance from Calypso Sumba Dancers led by Ms. Giullianna Soares, the CEO of Cola Samba Explosion! This fabulous group travels worldwide to share the Caribbean culture and dance styles. These dancers took our breath away with their vibrant outfits. The dancing was so much fun that Members even jumped up to join in on the performance!
Once the dancing was over it was time for our Jamaican Me Happy Hour with the amazing Mr. Tim Mathias on the steel drum. During the event, Members danced their way over to the Tekka Bar, which was handmade by our outstanding Maintenance Director, Mr. Allen Baker. At the bar, everyone had the choice between every flavor of refreshing wine coolers and other tropical drinks, of course, fit with umbrella straws!
