Cultures unite in their love of music at Goombay Festival
Florida, USA Hot sun, cool breezes and the unmistakable sound of steel drums. Eyes closed, it was easy to mistake downtown Pensacola for a Caribbean island.
On Saturday, the historic Belmont-DeVilliers area was awash with the sounds and scents of the Goombay Festival. The fifth annual event featured reggae, calypso and steel drum performances throughout the afternoon and evening, along with various food and merchandise vendors.
Second tenor steel drum strapped to his chest, Larry Adams strolled through the crowded Belmont parking lot with other members of the University of West Florida Percussion Ensemble. The 23-year-old was enjoying his first Goombay Festival.
"It's great to see so many cultures and different types of people in one place," Adams observed. "Personally, it's really cool to walk around, playing for everyone. It's very freeing."
And downright infectious.
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