Chairman’s Note

I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your ongoing support of Spicemas and for generously contributing your time, talent, expertise, and resources to bringing Spicemas 2022 to fruition.

A special thank you to our major sponsors: National Lottery Authority, Grenada Tourism Authority, InterCaribbean Airways, Flow, Silver Sands, Coca Cola, Clarkes Court, Ariza, Glenelg, GRENLEC, Netherlands Insurance, George F. Huggins, NAWASA, and SOL Petroleum.

I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to the board and staff of Spicemas Corporation (SMC), and to you, our volunteers, including our competition judges and event commentators, who gave your time and services to ensure the smooth and seamless execution of Spicemas events.

I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge and thank the business community, especially, our small vendors and entrepreneurs, as well as visitors from across the region and the world who chose to celebrate Spicemas with us this year.

To our carnival stakeholders – our steelpan leaders and players, calypsonians, soca artistes, mas’ band leaders, traditional mas’ players, National Queen Show contestants and our skillful musicians – I commend you for the yeoman service rendered to protecting and preserving our rich culture and traditions. Without you there will be no Spicemas. A heart-felt thank you for all you do for our culture!

To characterize the last two years as challenging would be an understatement. The Covid-19 pandemic brought about a near global lockdown, unimaginable loss of lives, and a worldwide recession. I am certain that you, too, faced the harsh social and economic realities of the Covid-19 pandemic. You may have lost loved ones, faced financial insecurity, and even overcame the health effects from contracting the Covid-19 virus—and yet, when Spicemas 2022 came knocking on your door, you answered the call and rose brilliantly to the occasion.

Reflecting on Spicemas 2022 and the myriad challenges that you endured and overcame in the last two years, I am inspired and encouraged by your strength, courage, and tenacity, and I join the entire nation in saluting you for your unwavering and steadfast contributions to preserving our traditions and to ensuring that our culture lives on, despite the uncertainties that confront us as a nation and as a world.

As the chair of Spicemas and a lover of our culture, your generosity of time and talent, and your willingness to selflessly share your gifts with Grenada and the world humble me, and I owe each of you a debt of gratitude and my utmost respect.

To everyone involved in Spicemas 2022 – our sponsors, stakeholders and supporters – thank you, again; and, I wish you a safe, healthy, and successful rest of the year!

For the love of our culture,

Ambassador Arley N. Salimbi Gill
Chair, Spicemas Corporation (SMC) 2022