Once more Havana, was the host of music and fraternity during the 16th edition of the International Festival of the Caribbean Song.

Stewart Krohn, the president of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), the main sponsor of these festivals, said to Excellences magazine that these gatherings have an integrative scope. On his behalf, J. Patrick Cozier, CBU'S General Secretary, said that the central objective of the festival is to promote the union of the Caribbean peoples. He also added that the festival was aimed at helping the young Caribbean talents to get into the international market. Likewise he stated that this 16th edition has been the largest of them all. Cozier highlighted that the dissemination of Caribbean rhythms was one of the most important results throughout the fifteen years of the festival. To the well-known calypso and reggae, cumbia has been added as well as merengue, rumba, and salsa. CBU was set up in the seventies on the occasion of a meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean with the aim of providing a cultural information and serve as a protecting umbrella which comprises the broadcasting stations of this region. The Festival of the Caribbean Song started in 1984 in Haiti. Then this event was not well known by the nations of the region. That is why on that occasion only six competitors attended the event and they were recorded in a small studio. The ten final competitors came from Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Surinam, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent, Grenadines and Cuba. Tyrone Williams, the competitor from St. Vincent and Grenadines won the first place with the song "Rise Caribbean" which according to his own words, during the presentation, this is a call for unity and love among the Caribbean peoples. The second award was for the singer Sally Elwin from St. Lucia and the third one for Ángel Camé Abdul from Cuba. Excellences magazine granted other three prizes along with Tryp Hotel Group, the first prize won a week in the hotels Habana Libre Tryp and Tryp Cayo Coco. The second awarded was given a weekend in Varadero Beach along with the Gran Caribe chain, and the third one was given a weekend in this attractive and significant tourist resort. Next year the festival will be held in Surinam where this beautiful event will continue involving the feeling that was summarized by Steward Krohn: "Tonight we are citizens of a nation, a family: the Caribbean family."