Consciousness-Filled World HIV/AIDS Day!

Last night there was an HIV/AIDS benefit concert sponsored by the Ministry of Health HIV/AIDS Unit. It was held at Pigeon Island National Park. It featured local artists, Wezon, Maches, Ninja Dan and Rupee from Barbados. Rupee is a big-name regional artist, so I was surprised and skeptical to hear that he was playing a benefit show, and that there was no publicity! At one point someone said that AIDS is his cause because both of his parents died from it. Then I said, that’s really too much. I don’t believe it. But it’s true. So from there the only shocking thing was that there was next to no publicity for the show.

In the end that was a good thing! (for the concert, not really for the fundraising aspect) There were only 100-150 people at the show. The venue is outdoor, right on the sea. It was a perfect location because everyone could dance but not get all hot and sweaty. Last year when I saw Rupee for my birthday, it was at Gaiety, a nightclub. It was fun, but crowded and people didn’t really dance. This time there was a whole crew up in the front dancing… with me at the front! Most of the Peace Corps who were there are newer and unfamiliar with the music, or just not in the dancing mood. So I rocked out with Saralee and Lisa from work. We had a blast. It was one of the most fun concerts I’ve been to, next to Ozomatli at Summerfest 2000. It really reminded me of old days in high school, going to see The Gufs or Pet Engine with Michelle and Katrina, feeling like we were in on some really great secret with this band and coming out of the show totally pumped up. It was also one of the most fun times I’ve had EVER in St. Lucia.

But all of this was underlined by the AIDS message of the show. They handed out condoms at the door and a lot of the people were wearing AIDS awareness T-shirts. They say that there are one million—or some ridiculously large number—of new AIDS orphans in Africa every year. That number doesn’t mean a lot to me and is easy to forget or just say, "Gosh, that’s a lot". But putting a face on the situation really changes it.

So share the love, but do it safely!