The tens of thousands of Belizeans in the tourism industry who lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been the focus of national attention. But over the 16 or so months of the economic famine brought on by the pandemic, there's also another group of citizens who have been quietly suffering.
Those are the Belizean musicians and artists who can't earn a living because social events have remained illegal since the implementation of strict social distancing protocols.
But, one Belizean American wants to work with the Ministry of Culture to provide them with a venue in Los Angeles to earn a wage and showcase their talent to the Belizeans living in the US.
He's Faron Smith, and the plan is to establish an annual Cultural Exchange for his "Belize Fest" event. This week, he hosted a zoom press conference to discuss how it would aid the artists in Belize who still can't work at this time. Here are a few excerpts from that discussion:
And of course, while the artists will get to showcase their talent, the largest gathering of Belizeans outside of Belize and the diaspora will get to enjoy a taste of entertainment from back home.
