The Cayman Islands Folk Singers will be performing their concert, Home and Away, at the Harquail Theatre on Friday, 26th February as part of the 2016 Cayfest Festival of the Arts.

The much-anticipated show will feature Cayman’s best-loved folk songs and kitchen dance music. As the name suggests, Home and Away will also take audiences on something of a musical journey by sampling songs from a few of the places to which Caymanians have cultural ties. Much like the Folk Singers’ performances in the past, the concert is very likely to inspire nostalgia amongst audiences, who do not often get to hear these time honoured songs, other than at a Folk Singers’ show.

The Cayman Islands Folk Singers were formed in 2009 by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF). The group is a company of amateur singers and musicians primarily dedicated to preserving, celebrating and propagating the musical traditions of the Cayman Islands.

In the years since their inception, the group has been showcasing Cayman’s rich musical heritage, telling ‘the Caymanian story’ through song. The Folk Singers have an impressive repertoire, of Caymanian compositions, such as music from “Aunt” Julia Hydes, as well as beloved songs from around the region, including some from Jamaica, Belize and Guyana.

The group has performed at a number of local events, such as the Cayman Islands National Museum Anniversary Celebration, the opening of Miss Lassie’s Mind’s Eye and at Camana Bay’s annual Christmas Breeze concert.

Artistic Director Henry Muttoo says that the preservation of culture is one of the performance group’s priorities, “It is necessary to preserve our folk music; we need to remove these songs from ‘behind the breadfruit tree’, where they were being obscured from the imaginations of our young people, and bring them centre stage for all to enjoy.”

Tickets for the Cayman Islands Folk Singers’ Home and Away concert are on sale at Foster’s Food Fair Strand location, Health Care Pharmacy in Grand Harbour, Funky Tangs and the Harquail Box Office. Prices are $15 for adults and $10 for children.

The Home and Away performance is a part of CNCF’s annual Cayfest for the first time. For a full festival schedule and more information on Cayfest events, log on to www.artscayman.com/cayfest, email Rita Estevanovich at [email protected] or call 949-5477.