The 26th iteration of the iconic World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) kicked off on October 23 in Dominica, marking a landmark career milestone for Martinique-based creative Maureen Voyer, who earned the honor of delivering the event’s opening set. For Voyer, the performance coincided with her very first trip to Dominica, a journey that exceeded every one of her pre-event expectations. In a post-show exclusive interview, Voyer shared that her core goal when stepping onto the stage was to forge an immediate, intimate bond with the local crowd, sharing her distinctive creative energy and full artistic world to introduce audiences to her body of work. She lauded Dominica’s residents for their overwhelmingly warm, welcoming reception, noting that the laid-back, vibrant cultural vibe made her feel instantly at home, despite never having visited the island before. Voyer went on to express a heartfelt hope that the festival would spark a sustained cultural exchange between the two neighboring Caribbean islands: she advocated for more frequent cross-visits between Martinique and Dominica’s artistic communities, noting that the two populations share deep cultural similarities that have yet to be fully explored. She confirmed she would jump at the chance to return to Dominica for future events if invited. While Voyer’s debut experience was uniformly positive, homegrown Dominican Dancehall talent Colton “Colton T” Thomas faced unexpected last-minute challenges during his festival set. The artist revealed that technical scheduling cuts left his team with only 20 minutes to deliver a fully rehearsed, carefully curated performance that had been planned for a far longer runtime. Forced to rearrange his entire setlist on the spot mid-show, Colton T noted the entire performance felt rushed, but he was quick to praise the local audience for their remarkable patience and unwavering support through the unplanned disruption. He emphasized that his team had poured extensive effort into preparing for the famously discerning Dominican festival crowd, running multiple rounds of rehearsals and conducting deep local market research to craft a set that blended modern Dancehall energy with beloved local Bouyon music rhythms, including both high-tempo party tracks and smooth, slower-paced modern cuts. He highlighted that his 2026 breakout hit “Rule You” landed particularly well with the crowd, as fans joined in to dance the traditional local cultural moves to the track’s infectious Bouyon-infused beat. The three-day 26th WCMF also featured standout sets from a stacked lineup of regional and international talent, including KLASS, legendary reggae artist Capleton, Dominican star TK International, the iconic Midnight Groovers, Skillibeng, Ridge & Pudaz, and fan-favorite DJ duo MJ & MV.
Martinique’s Maureen Voyer hails WCMF debut; Colton T reflects on challenges during performance
