Philippe Faure-Brac had never visited Habitation Clément before. World’s Best Sommelier 1992, member of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France with honorary status since 2015, he came to Martinique to look at rhum agricole from its very place of production: the cane, the cellars, the bottling and the tasting.
A first visit to Habitation Clément
AtHabitation Clément, in Le François, this visit had a special significance. Philippe Faure-Brac was already familiar with Clément rums, their quality positioning and their universe. He had also contributed to the book Rhum Clément, une histoire de famille, bringing his insight into the house’s aromatic precision, balance and tradition of excellence.
But he lacked the experience of the place. That of the light, the temperature, the atmosphere of the winery and the exchanges with the teams. “The first time in Martinique? I was going to say finally,” he confided, recalling that he had been hoping for years to immerse himself in Martinique’s rum culture.
This visit, organized by Clément rums, brought together two worlds: that of French sommellerie and that of Martinique’s rum heritage. Two different worlds, but united by the same requirement: to understand what a product says about its territory.
From cane to bottle, precision is the guiding principle
The day began with an immersion into the production process. Philippe Faure-Brac visited the bottling line used for JM and Clément rums. Guided by William Caster, participants gained a deeper understanding of the precision and technical standards involved at every stage of the bottling process.
There, he observed what he described as an “extremely precise” process, supported by an industrial operation where “everything is mastered, controlled and optimized.”
This precision is not a detail. On the site, 2 to 3 million bottles are bottled. Teams monitor the actual degree of alcohol, the apparent degree, the obscuration, the buffer tanks, the regulation tank and the first bottle out of the filler. The tolerance indicated during the visit is very tightly controlled: for a rum displayed at 50 degrees, the actual degree may be between 49.7 and 50.3.
This rigor gives rum a different interpretation. Behind the festive image of ti-punch or planteur, there is a set of controls, gestures and technical decisions. For Philippe Faure-Brac, bottling represents the last finishing touch before marketing, but it can only be understood by going back to the origin: sugar cane.
He spoke of blue and red canes, symbolically cut, tasted, chewed, to grasp what the raw material can already carry. Beyond the sweetness, he believes there are vegetal, woody notes and aromas that can be found in the final product, after fermentation and ageing.
Martinique's agricultural rum as a territorial identity
One of the highlights of the meeting was Philippe Faure-Brac’s take on Martinique’s agricultural rum. For him, the appellation d’origine contrôlée is not just an administrative rule. It reflects a history, a culture, a geology, a climatology and a precise process.
He insists on one essential idea: a rum produced in Martinique will not taste the same as a rum produced elsewhere, even on another island. This difference is not a matter of marketing rhetoric. It’s based on a typicity that is recognized, controlled and validated by accredited tasting commissions.
This is where the news goes beyond the simple visit of a great name in sommellerie. It’s a reminder that Martinique’s rhum agricole is a local product. It carries the memory of sugar cane, the history of the sugar mill, the work of the cellars and the patience of ageing.
An immersive experience for the winners of the SPIRIBAM competition
The visit also brought together the winners of the SPIRIBAM competition, invited to Martinique as part of an immersive journey through the group’s distilleries. Students Vishan Mastiyage, accompanied by Sophie Picaut (Sucy-en-Brie), Orianne Guioullier, accompanied by Tristan Soulaine (La Rochelle), and Amandine Renée, accompanied by Aline Van Laeys (Ifs Caen), were given the opportunity to discover the world of Martinican agricultural rum from the inside, from production to tasting.
The tasting exchanges took place in the presence of Dominique de La Guigneraye, Commercial Director for Clément Rums and SPIRIBAM France, alongside Julien Thimon, Cellar Master, and Aurélien Laye, Head of Research & Development at Habitation Clément.
When rum enters the world of gastronomy
Philippe Faure-Brac also defends a gastronomic approach to rum. He does not deny its role in cocktails. On the contrary, he points out that this festive image is part of its identity. But he opens up another avenue: that of table tasting. He imagines an old rum with cheese or certain desserts. He also evokes a white rum served very cold, almost frosted, whose texture becomes more oily, greasier, and which could accompany smoked fish. This sommelier’s eye allows us to take rum out of its single use, without cutting it off from its history.
The challenge is clear: to show that great Caribbean spirits can be thought of with the same precision as great wines or eaux-de-vie. Not to freeze them in an elitist discourse, but to better show their depth.
A heritage to respect and pass on
At the end of the discussion, Philippe Faure-Brac reiterated a simple idea: spirits are a product to be respected. It must be consumed in moderation, but also with precision, gourmandise and care. This phrase perhaps sums up the meaning of his visit. AtHabitation Clément, rum is more than just a drink. It becomes a living heritage, linked to a place, gestures, teams and culture. “A great drink, as is the case here, brings people together,” he emphasized.
With this visit, Rhums Clément continues its dialogue with the great names in tasting. And Martinique is once again reminding us that its agricultural rum is not just an export product: it’s a way of telling the world about a territory.
Philippe Faure-Brac came to Martinique at the invitation of Clément rums to discover Habitation Clément, its production site, cellars, bottling line and teams. The visit was important because, although he was already familiar with Clément rums and had contributed to the book Rhum Clément, une histoire de famille, he had never before visited this Martinique heritage site.
What Philippe Faure-Brac particularly remembers is the very strong identity of Martinique’s agricultural rum. According to him, this singularity comes from the territory itself — the sugar cane, the climate, the geology, the expertise, and the framework of the protected designation of origin. He emphasizes that a rum produced in Martinique cannot taste the same as a rum made elsewhere, because it carries the imprint of its place of origin.
Philippe Faure-Brac defends a gastronomic interpretation of rum. He reminds us that rum has a festive dimension, particularly in cocktails, but it can also be enjoyed in other ways. For example, he suggests pairing an old rum with cheese or dessert, or a white rum served very cold with smoked fish. His view shows that Martinique rum can find its place in specific tasting experiences, in the same way as other great spirits.
In Martinique, the visit of Denis Mukwege gave special weight to the word reparation. From May 2 to 8, 2026, the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate met with residents, healthcare professionals, students and elected representatives to share a common message: treating bodies is not enough if societies leave violence against women in silence.
A week to hear a global voice
Martinique has not only welcomed a famous doctor. It welcomed a man whose name is linked to one of the great moral struggles of our time. Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynecologist, has dedicated his life to women survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His struggle earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018, shared with Nadia Murad, for their efforts against the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
This visit took place as part of the Festival en Pays Rêvé, in an “hors les murs” format, with the Anses-d’Arlet and Lamentin town halls, and the Rotary Club. The chosen theme already said it all: “Repairing women, repairing the world”.
In Anses-d'Arlet, a memory inscribed in the street
On May 3, a road bearing the doctor’s name was inaugurated in Anses-d’Arlet. The gesture is symbolic, but not decorative. By naming a public space after Denis Mukwege, we are inscribing a demand for human dignity in the Martinique landscape.
The town wanted to pay tribute to its fight against sexual violence, particularly when used as a weapon of war. In front of the assembled residents, this recognition took on a local dimension. Martinique is not the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it, too, knows the power of wounded memories, of silences passed on, of struggles for dignity.
In Madiana, cinema as a place to speak out
On May 4, Martinican audiences gathered at Madiana to watch the film Muganga – He who heals. The screening, organized in the presence of Denis Mukwege and Professor Guy-Bernard Cadière, transformed the room into a place for listening.
The film recounts the struggle of women victims of sexual violence in the DRC. That evening, the emotion was not only linked to the images. It also came from the presence of the man who, for years, has been receiving these wounds in his hospital, naming them, treating them and then demanding justice. A cheque for €5,000 was also presented to the Panzi Foundation.
Repairing doesn't mean forgetting
Denis Mukwege ‘s message is based on a simple and difficult idea: repairing does not mean erasing. At Panzi, founded in Bukavu in 1999, women receive not only medical care, but also psychological, social and legal support. This approach reminds us that sexual violence destroys much more than a body. It affects a family, a community, an entire society.
That’s why the doctor talks as much about justice as he does about care. Without recognition of the crimes, without the fight against impunity, reparation remains incomplete. His message also appeals to men, institutions, families and witnesses. Silence rarely protects victims. It often protects those who want nothing to change.
Why this visit matters in Martinique
Denis Mukwege ‘s visit to Martinique raises a broader question. What does a territory do when it welcomes such a word? It can applaud, be moved, name a street, fill a room. But it can also extend this encounter with a deeper reflection on violence against women, prevention, listening, education and justice.
This is where the event goes beyond homage. It becomes a mirror. By placing reparation at its heart, Martinique reminds us that human dignity knows no borders. It is defended in Bukavu, Anses-d’Arlet, Lamentin, in families, schools, hospitals and courts. After Denis Mukwege’s departure, one question remains: how can we transform this week of meetings into lasting commitments to women, justice and dignity?
Denis Mukwege was in Martinique from May 2 to 8, 2026 as part of the Festival en Pays Rêvé – Hors les murs, with several meetings organized in Anses-d’Arlet, Lamentin, the CHU, the University and cultural venues. The aim of her visit was to share her fight for women victims of sexual violence, but also to remind us that reparation is not just a medical issue: it also concerns justice, collective memory and the responsibility of societies.
The link was built around the theme “Repairing women, repairing the world”. In Martinique, Denis Mukwege brought a universal message: violence against women is not just an individual tragedy, it also weakens families, communities and entire territories. His visit opened up a local dialogue on dignity, justice, listening to victims and combating silence. This message took on particular resonance in Anses-d’Arlet, where a road bearing his name was inaugurated.
Denis Mukwege was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Nadia Murad, for their fight against the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. A Congolese gynecologist, he is known for his work with women survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, notably through the Panzi Hospital and Foundation. His work combines care, support for victims, the defense of justice and the fight against impunity.
Barely a month after the first season went online, the possibility of a Bandi season 2 is now closed. Netflix will not be extending the series, which was filmed in Martinique, despite the popularity of this family and social drama with French and Caribbean audiences. For Martinique, the decision goes beyond the simple fate of a series. It raises questions about the place of Caribbean stories in the global platform economy.
Martinique series axed after just one season
Launched on April 9, 2026, Bandi immediately attracted attention for its Martinique roots. The series follows a group of siblings confronted with the death of their mother and the need to stay together, in a context where precariousness pushes some characters towards illegality. In the space of eight episodes, the series has created a world rarely seen on this scale: a contemporary Martinique, family-oriented, working-class and rife with social tensions.
Created by Éric Rochant and Capucine Rochant, the series features Djody Grimeau, Rodney Dijon and Ambre Bozza. The end of the series puts an end to an expectation that began with the last episodes. Many viewers were hoping for a sequel, so much so that the first season left so many paths open. But Bandi season 2 will not see the light of day.
Visible but insufficient ratings for Netflix
The decision is a reminder of an often brutal reality: on platforms, media noise and public attachment are not always enough. A series can be the talk of the town, the talk of the town, the talk of a territory, the talk of local identification, without achieving the expected renewal.
In the case of Bandi, the stakes seem to have been as much economic as editorial. The series benefited from significant visibility, including in Netflix’s international rankings. But this visibility was not deemed sufficient in view of production costs and the platform’s internal criteria. Bandi season 2 thus becomes a concrete example of the tension between cultural importance and industrial logic.
What Bandi meant to Martinique
Bandi’ s impact is not just down to its plot. The series placed Martinique at the center of a fictional story aimed at a global audience. It showed places, bodies, accents, family relationships, a Creole presence and social realities that are still all too rare in large-scale French productions. For many viewers, seeing Martinique filmed in this way had symbolic significance. Bandi wasn’t just a family thriller. It was also a moment of recognition. It was a way of seeing a Caribbean territory treated as a central setting, not just an exotic background.
This is where the end of Bandi season 2 creates a particular frustration. The first season had opened a door. It had shown that a Martiniquan story could circulate beyond its original space. But this circulation was not enough to build continuity.
A broader question for Caribbean narratives
The cancellation of Bandi season 2 raises a question that goes beyond Netflix: how can Caribbean stories find a lasting place in the major audiovisual circuits? The Caribbean has powerful languages, landscapes, memories, social conflicts, characters and stories. But to last, these stories must also find solid production models, committed broadcasters and measurable audiences on a large scale.
Martinique has proved that it can produce ambitious fiction. The challenge now is to transform this occasional visibility into a real industry. A discontinued series does not mean the failure of a territory. Rather, it reveals the difficult conditions under which Caribbean stories must exist in the face of platforms that think in terms of audience volumes, costs and international potential.
A stop, but not an end
The absence of Bandi season 2 takes nothing away from what the first season has already produced. It installed Martinican faces, voices and settings in a much broader conversation. It also reminded us that an audience exists for Caribbean stories told with ambition. What remains to be seen is what this experience will leave behind. New projects? Strengthened careers? Stronger public expectations for fiction rooted in the French West Indies? Netflix is closing the door on Bandi season 2, but the question remains: who will bring the next great Martinique story to the screen?
Bandi season 2 will not see the light of day because Netflix did not renew the series after its first season. Despite strong visibility, particularly with Martinique, Caribbean and French Caribbean audiences, the platform did not consider the results sufficient to launch a new season. This decision is a reminder that global platforms do not base their decisions solely on audience attachment or the cultural significance of a work. They also take into account ratings, production costs, a series’ ability to build subscriber loyalty and its international potential.
The end of Bandi season 2 is significant because the series had placed Martinique at the center of a widely broadcast drama. It showed places, accents, social realities, characters and a Creole presence still too rare in internationally visible French series. For a segment of the public, Bandi represented more than just an entertainment program: it was a moment of cultural recognition. The end of Bandi therefore raises an essential question: how can Martinican and Caribbean stories be made to last in the major audiovisual circuits?
The cancellation of Bandi season 2 shows how difficult it is for Caribbean series to gain a lasting foothold on global platforms. Yet the Caribbean has strong stories, languages, landscapes, social tensions, memories and talents capable of nurturing ambitious fiction. But to last, these works need to strike a balance between cultural value, a measurable audience, solid financing and a distribution strategy. The Bandi case shows that a series can leave its mark on a territory and create a real conversation without necessarily getting a sequel.
Jazz AN BA TOL’ will take place on May 30, 2026, from 4 pm to 10 pm, in Monique Dostaly’s garden in Le François. Led by Jam Do Over, this #LaKouSamuel edition will make Afro-Caribbean jazz a terrain of memory, creation, participation and responsibility.
An open stage for memory
On May 30, Monique Dostaly’s garden will be no ordinary concert venue. It will become an artistic lakou, a communal space for meeting, circulating and expressing oneself. Jazz AN BA TOL’ will pay tribute to Samuel Tavernier, former mayor of Le François, a dedicated and committed man who was a loyal supporter of Jam Do Over. The mention #LaKouSamuel will give this edition an intimate and territorial dimension.
The event is also part of the commemoration of “22 mé”, a major moment of remembrance in Martinique. This depth will be reflected in the presence of the Nèg Gwo Siwo, linked to the figure of the runaway slave. Their artistic performance will recall the history of the maroon slaves and the resilience of Afro-descendant peoples. In this context, jazz will be approached as a living memory, born of history, resistance and creation.
A format that breaks away from the classical concert
Jazz AN BA TOL’ defends a different way of experiencing art. Audiences will not be assigned a fixed place in front of a single stage. Monique’s garden, designed with an open-air 360° stage, will offer an evolving itinerary. Each zone will have its own distinct atmosphere, with music, dance, visual arts, performances, painting, crafts, catering, eco-responsibility awareness and time for exchange.
This approach will give the event its uniqueness. In Martinique, music already occupies a central place in cultural life. Here, the challenge is to break down the barriers between disciplines. Musicians, dancers, painters, craftsmen and spectators will share the same space. Jazz AN BA TOL’ will thus seek to strengthen a multi-artistic, cultural, social, economic, tourist and civic ecosystem, in Martinique as in the Caribbean.
Three sets for an Afro-Caribbean evening
The musical program will be organized around three stages. Resident musicians Tilo Bertholo on drums, Stéphane Castry on bass, Miki Telephe on percussion and Mélodie Spartacus on flute and vocals will provide the backbone of the evening.
The first set will be devoted to the world of Mario Canonge. The pianist will share his experience with the Martinican public and guests, including Ralph Thamar on vocals and Alex Bernard on double bass. The second set will be directed by Thierry Vaton. It will feature several artists from the local scene, including Ralph Thamar, Kélia Paulin, Alex Bernard, Joël Lutbert, Chris Suffrin and JOacHIM DesOrmeaux.
The third set will open the jam, the collective improvisation session that gives the event its energy. Emerging musicians, guests and spectators can join the resident band. This is where Jazz AN BA TOL’ comes into its own: an open stage, built on listening, spontaneity and sharing.
Painting, craftsmen and eco-responsibility
Music is only part of the experience. The painting area, led by painter Syldia Zobeide, will enable the public to participate in a shared fresco. This place of free expression will give spectators the chance to express their emotions, feelings and desires through color and gesture.
The artisans’ village will showcase creations from Martinique and the Caribbean: honey, kombucha, fashion accessories, jewelry, lithotherapy and other short-circuit productions. It will also serve as a meeting place for creators and the public, with a view to networking, clientele and promoting local know-how.
Eco-responsibility will be an integral part of the organization, with a focus on waste management, the reduction of single-use materials and new selective sorting standards. The Salon de Eta will also have an awareness-raising dimension, in keeping with the origin of the event, which was born of a family tribute to Eta, a sister and cousin who passed away too soon.
An association born of a tribute
Behind Jazz AN BA TOL’ is Jam Do Over, a socio-cultural association created in 2022 by two cousins: Patrick Suffrin, president of the association, and JOacHIM DesOrmeaux, artistic referent. Their project has a clear ambition: to highlight the wealth of local and overseas artistic talent, to transmit the values of humanism, creation and sharing, while supporting emerging artists in their professionalization.
Pre-sales are priced at 35 euros on Monipass and Bizouk. On-site admission will be 40 euros, with free admission for children under 12. On May 30, at Le François, the question will be simple: how far can a jam expand the audience’s role in Caribbean creation?
Jazz AN BA TOL’ will take place at Monique Dostaly’s garden in Le François, Martinique, on May 30, 2026, from 4 pm to 10 pm.
Jazz AN BA TOL’ is a multi-artistic event focusing on Afro-Caribbean jazz. It brings together music, open jams, painting, performances, artisans, memory and eco-responsibility.
The 2026 edition will feature Mario Canonge, Thierry Vaton, Ralph Thamar, Alex Bernard, Kélia Paulin, Joël Lutbert, Chris Suffrin, JOacHIM DesOrmeaux and resident musicians from Jam Do Over.
Matnik Convergences opens up a new way of financing culture: a structured commitment by companies to projects of general interest. With seven founding members and the support of the Direction des Affaires Culturelles de la Martinique, this endowment fund aims to create a clearer dialogue between project sponsors, patrons and institutions.
A bridge between culture and business
In Martinique, many cultural project leaders face the same difficulty: identifying the right contacts, structuring a dossier, understanding the expectations of funders, and then defending their initiative within a clear framework. On the corporate side, a number of economic players are keen to support local creative, heritage or artistic initiatives, but don’t always know how to go about it.
This is where Matnik Convergences aims to take its place. Launched on the initiative of Martinique’s Direction des Affaires Culturelles, the fund is presented as a tool for convergence between companies, institutions and the cultural world. Its vocation is not simply to raise financing. It is also to create a method and a framework capable of bringing together worlds that often cross paths, but still too rarely work together.
Seven founders to launch the movement
The fund was created by a group of committed economic players. Seven founding members: Crédit Mutuel de Martinique, Groupe Elizé, Société Boris Constant, Distillerie Neisson, SACEM, SARL Maurice Laouchez and Contact-Entreprises.
This diversity counts. Matnik Convergences is not an isolated initiative, driven by a single company. On the contrary, the project seeks to build a collective logic. The aim is to enable Martiniquan companies wishing to contribute to the region’s cultural life to do so within a clearer, more transparent framework for project promoters.
However, the fund remains a company fund. The DAC Martinique provides support, notably in terms of framing and expertise, but the scheme retains its own logic. Companies contribute, projects are examined on the basis of public interest, and selection procedures will have to be confirmed by the fund’s governance.
A cultural patronage tool
For cultural players, Matnik Convergences could open up a complementary avenue. The fund does not replace traditional grant applications to the State or the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique. It creates another possible path for cultural, artistic, heritage or environmental projects capable of fulfilling a mission of general interest.
The distinction between sponsorship and patronage remains essential. In sponsorship, a company supports an action without expecting an equivalent advertising return. It may be identified as a sponsor, but it does not become the focus of the project. Sponsorship is more of a visibility strategy.
This is the kind of philanthropic approach the fund aims to establish. For Martinique, the challenge goes beyond the mere search for funding. It’s about creating a climate of trust between those who create, transmit or restore, and those who can contribute financial, technical or human resources.
A fund that doesn't replace public money
Let’s be clear: Matnik Convergences is not intended to replace public money. The fund must open up an additional avenue, supported by companies, without taking the place of government or local authority cultural policies.
This nuance is essential. Culture in Martinique is about memory, transmission, education and the attractiveness of the region. In an area where heritage, artistic and economic issues intersect, a structured sponsorship tool can give greater visibility to projects that sometimes struggle to find their place.
The test will now begin: which projects will be supported, according to what criteria, and with what governance? It is on these answers that the real impact of Matnik Convergences will be measured. For Martinique, the challenge goes beyond the creation of a financial tool: it’s a question of knowing whether culture can become a sustainable area of cooperation between those who create, finance, transmit and bring life to the region.
Matnik Convergences is an endowment fund created to support cultural development in Martinique. It aims to bring together companies, institutions and cultural project leaders around actions of general interest.
The aim of Matnik Convergences is to create a clearer link between the business world and Martinique’s cultural sector. The fund will enable companies to support cultural, artistic or heritage projects within a structured framework.
No. Matnik Convergences does not replace public money. It opens up a complementary avenue, supported by corporate sponsors, for supporting cultural projects in Martinique, without replacing the cultural policies of the State or local authorities.
In Martinique, the DAC and the ARS are renewing their agreement on culture and health for the period 2026-2030. Behind this text, signed on April 22, are hospitalized children, EHPAD residents, people with disabilities, caregivers and artists trying to maintain an essential link: access to culture, even in times of fragility.
An agreement to keep the hospital in touch with the world
The culture and health agreement enters a new phase in Martinique. On April 22, 2026, in Le Marin, the Martinique Department of Cultural Affairs and the Martinique Regional Health Agency signed a new regional agreement for the period 2026-2030. The subject may seem institutional. Yet it touches on something very concrete: what remains of cultural life when illness, age or disability alter daily life.
In a pediatric room, in an EHPAD, in a medico-social establishment, art doesn’t arrive as a simple entertainment. It can become a breath of fresh air, a way to speak differently, to bring back a memory, to put a person back at the center of his or her own story. This is what Séverine HUBY, artistic and cultural education and cultural action advisor at the DAC Martinique, sums up when she reminds us that “there must be no break in access to culture”.
Two objectives: access to culture and global health
The culture and health agreement has two complementary objectives. The first is cultural: to strengthen access to artistic works and practices for hospitalized patients, the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as their families, caregivers and professional teams. The second is health-related: mobilizing art and culture as levers for support, prevention, well-being, autonomy and inclusion.
This regional framework is part of a national policy that has been in place for over 25 years. The first inter-ministerial agreement dates back to 1999. A new national agreement was signed in July 2025, before Martinique renewed its commitment for 2026-2030.
In the field, this means that artistic projects can be carried out in hospitals, nursing homes, facilities for the disabled and other care and support facilities. The culture and health agreement covers a wide range of fields: music, dance, theater, storytelling, puppetry, visual arts, books, cinema, intangible cultural heritage and digital creation.
110,000 per year and a professional standard
For 2026, a new call for projects is due to be launched in early May. According to Séverine HUBY, the annual budget is €110,000, with €60,000 provided by the ARS and €50,000 by the DAC. She also points out that, despite the tight budgetary situation, the funds earmarked for this program have been safeguarded.
Projects cannot be devised by an artist alone, nor by a facility alone. They must be co-constructed by a professional cultural player and a healthcare or medical-social facility. This requirement lies at the heart of the scheme. It helps to avoid proposals that are disconnected from the real needs of patients, residents and teams.
The agreement also emphasizes the active role of beneficiaries. The person supported must not remain a mere spectator. They must be able to participate, create, tell stories, move and pass on, depending on their state of health, age, disability or current abilities.
149 projects already supported in Martinique
The previous report gives an idea of what the culture and health agreement has already achieved. Between 2021 and 2025, 149 projects were supported in Martinique, for a total of €540,000. Performing arts and intangible cultural heritage projects account for more than two-thirds of the projects supported. Music, dance, drumming, storytelling, arts and crafts: these practices have a particular resonance in facilities for the elderly, because they activate memory, gestures, sounds and cultural references.
Among the projects highlighted is the Clowns Dokté association. At the Maison de la Femme et de l’Enfant (MFME) in Fort-de-France, in pediatrics in Trinité and at the Centre Hospitalier du Nord Caraïbe, clowns work with hospitalized children and their families. Before the intervention, a medical briefing is given to the care team. After the intervention, feedback can be given on elements observed in the child.
Their job is not just to make people laugh. It’s also about reducing stress, supporting families, taking the drama out of waiting or treatment times, and creating a childlike encounter. With Kloun Gran Moun, the association also works with elderly people in nursing homes, promoting social ties, memory and human presence.
A cultural policy, but also a social choice
The culture and health agreement poses a broader question: what place do we give to vulnerable people in the cultural life of the region? The answer is clear: hospitalization, age or disability must not exclude people from creation, speech, memory and sensitivity. For Martinique, the challenge is also one of heritage. When a drum, a puppet, a radio program, a dance workshop or a story enters a care facility, it’s not just an activity that begins. It’s a part of the territory that circulates, that’s passed on and that reminds us that culture doesn’t stop at the doors of fragile places.
The new Culture and Health Agreement 2026-2030 opens up a decisive period. It remains to be seen which artists, associations and establishments will respond to the 2026 call for projects. And above all, what stories will emerge from these encounters between care, memory and creation.
The culture and health agreement is a partnership between the DAC Martinique and the ARS Martinique. It aims to support artistic and cultural projects in hospitals, EHPAD and medico-social establishments, in order to maintain access to culture for hospitalized, elderly or disabled people.
Projects must be carried out jointly by a professional cultural player (artist, association, company or cultural structure) and a healthcare or medico-social establishment. This co-construction is mandatory to ensure that the project meets both the artistic objectives and the needs of the beneficiaries.
The culture and health agreement brings art into places where isolation can be strong. In Martinique, it supports projects involving music, dance, storytelling, intangible cultural heritage and the visual arts, while strengthening the social ties, memory, expression and autonomy of the people we support.
Great Blue Hole: seen from the air, it’s a dark circle in the middle of a turquoise lagoon. An almost perfect shape, set in the sea like an enigma. Off the coast of Belize, near Lighthouse Reef, this marine abyss, some 318 metres in diameter and 124 metres deep, has transformed a geological phenomenon into a global image.
A blue circle in the heart of the reef
From a small plane, the contrast is immediately striking. All around, the clear water hints at the shallows, reefs and nuances of the lagoon. In the center, the blue becomes denser, almost black. The Great Blue Hole is no mere natural curiosity. It’s an ancient limestone cavity, formed at a time when sea levels were much lower, then covered by the waters.
This uniqueness explains its visual power. Few places tell such a clear story of the link between geology, climate, sea and tourism. Here, the landscape is not just beautiful. It tells an ancient story that can be read on the surface.
A site off the coast of Belize
The Great Blue Hole is located near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a remote atoll off the mainland coast of Belize. NASA locates it some 80 kilometers off the Belizean coast, in an area where clear water allows the dark circle to stand out clearly against the reef’s shallow waters.
This site is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. This vast protected area comprises seven zones, including the Blue Hole Natural Monument. It is one of Belize’s great natural symbols and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the English-speaking Caribbean.
More than just a postcard
The figures are striking: around 318 metres wide, 124 metres deep. But there’s more to it than that. The Great Blue Hole is a reminder that the Caribbean is not just about beaches and hotels. It also has its own natural archives. Beneath the surface, limestone walls, ancient formations and geological layers tell the story of sea-level variations and climate transformations.
This is what makes the site so special. It attracts travelers for its spectacular appearance, but it also interests scientists, environmentalists and institutions charged with protecting the reefs. In a country where the sea is at once a resource, a heritage and an economic engine, this blue circle concentrates many issues.
A showcase for tourism, but also a responsibility
The Great Blue Hole has become one of Belize‘s strongest images. It features in travel reports, tourism campaigns, aerial photographs and rankings of great marine sites. But this notoriety demands vigilance. The site doesn’t exist on its own. It depends on the health of the Belize Barrier Reef, conservation policies, water quality and the country’s ability to manage tourism development.
Belize has already experienced the tensions typical of coastal territories: pressure on reefs, development, tourist numbers, climate change. In fact, the Belizean reef was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2018, after conservation measures praised by UNESCO. This reminder is essential: a site admired worldwide can also be fragile.
What Belize is showing the Caribbean
The Great Blue Hole gives the country an immediate signature. It’s instantly recognizable. Yet its strength lies not only in its beauty. It comes from the fact that it forces us to look at the Caribbean Sea differently. Not as a backdrop, but as a living, ancient, vulnerable and strategic territory.
At a time when many Caribbean islands are seeking a better balance between tourism, natural heritage and ecosystem protection, Belize has a powerful example here. The Great Blue attracts the world’s attention. Now the real question is simple: how can we sustainably protect what everyone wants to see?
The Great Blue Hole Belize is located off the coast of Belize, near Lighthouse Reef, in the Caribbean Sea. It is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Great Blue Hole Belize is famous for its spectacular circular shape, visible from the sky, as well as for its impressive dimensions: around 318 meters in diameter and 124 meters deep. It has become one of Belize’s best-known natural symbols.
Yes, the Great Blue Hole Belize can be visited on organized excursions, notably by boat or aerial flight. The site attracts enthusiasts of diving, marine landscapes and natural heritage, but its frequentation must remain supervised in order to preserve this fragile ecosystem.
With Bandi, a 2026 Netflix series set in Martinique, eight episodes have taken a Martinican Creole expression far beyond its native territory. “Sa sa pé foutew” means much more than “What’s it to you? It’s a way of setting a limit, sometimes with humor, sometimes with firmness, but always with an element of identity.
Three words, one border
Three Creole words, one question, and one attitude. When the Bandi series arrived on Netflix in 2026, it brought with it a phrase that many Martiniquais recognize: “sa sa pé foutew”. For some, it’s pride. For others, it’s a silent victory. For all those who know what these words mean in a conversation, it’s a moment that counts.
Literally, the phrase can be translated as “what’s it to you?” or “what’s it got to do with you?”. But the translation always gives us away. In reality, “sa sa pé foutew” functions like an air bubble between self and other. It means: you have no authority over my life, what I do is none of your business, I don’t expect your validation. It’s a boundary, not an aggression.
A short formula, many emotions
And it’s precisely this dual dimension – defense and tenderness – that makes the formula so special. Depending on the context, the tone and the face, “sa sa pé foutew” can be a burst of laughter between friends, an icy clarification, or a resigned sigh. The Creole language excels in these short formulas that carry several emotions at once.
Martinique Creole is rich in such expressions. According to the Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures, it is spoken by around 400,000 people in Martinique, with an equally large diaspora. But numbers don’t tell the whole story. A language doesn’t live by the number of speakers alone. It lives on through intonation, usage, everyday situations, the retorts that circulate in families, neighborhoods, markets, songs or conversations between relatives.
In “sa sa pé foutew”, there’s more than just a phrase. There’s a posture. That of a person who refuses to be intruded upon. It’s a popular voice that knows how to say no without making a speech. This is also why the expression remains difficult to translate properly. In French, it sounds abrupt. In Martinique Creole, it can be funny, dry, affectionate or sharp, depending on the mouth that utters it.
When Martinique Creole arrives on Netflix
The arrival of the formula on Netflix marks something. For a long time, Martinique’s Creole language circulated mainly in local cultural spaces, whether musical, theatrical, family or militant. Seeing it installed in a series broadcast on an international platform changes perception. What was local becomes audible elsewhere. What was familiar to some becomes a subject of curiosity for others.
This does not automatically transform the expression into a global phenomenon. We must not exaggerate. But it does give voice to a language in an area where it is still rare. And, for a regional language often reduced to orality or intimacy, this visibility has weight. It shows that Martinique Creole can carry a plot, a tension, an emotion and a strong line without being decorative.
A Caribbean resonance, without erasing differences
This upsurge in Martinique Creole does not stand alone. It is part of a wider movement to recognize Creole languages in the Caribbean. In Dominica, the country’s official profile mentions English and French Patois, also known as “Kwéyòl”. In Saint Lucia, Kwéyòl pride is expressed every October around Jounen Kwéyòl, linked to International Creole Day on October 28. In Haiti, the 1987 Constitution recognizes Creole and French as the official languages of the Republic.
In Guadeloupe, there are also sister formulas. “Ki sa ou ka chèché?” carries a similar intensity, even if it doesn’t say exactly the same thing. But each island has its own music. Guadeloupe Creole is not Martinique Creole. Saint Lucian kwéyòl is not Haitian Creole. They are related languages, not a single language.
A popular phrase, a demand for autonomy
What makes “sa sa pé foutew” singular in the Martinican context is its social significance. The phrase expresses a relationship with authority, whether familial, social or institutional, and a demand for autonomy that runs through part of popular culture. In zouk songs, in comic theater, in carnival, we find this posture: I hold my place, I don’t ask permission.
When a formula like this leaves its home territory and reaches the ears of viewers who don’t necessarily have a direct link with Martinique, it doesn’t become universal. It becomes curious. And curiosity, for a language long kept at a distance from the major cultural circuits, is already a form of victory.
Next week, we cross the sea to Trinidad to find the equivalent. What expression over there will say the same thing differently?
“Sa sa pé foutew” can be translated as “what’s it got to do with you” or “what’s it got to do with you? In Martinican Creole, the expression is often used to set a limit, with humor, firmness or distance, depending on the context.
The expression is brought back into the spotlight by the Bandi series, broadcast on Netflix and set in Martinique. Its presence in an international production gives new visibility to Martinique Creole and its popular formulas.
“Sa sa pé foutew” is not just a literal translation. The expression conveys an attitude, a way of refusing intrusion and asserting autonomy. It demonstrates the expressive power of Martinique Creole in everyday life.
The 2025-2026 cruise season in Martinique has come to a close on a strong note, with 568,348 passengers announced and a clear increase in patronage over the previous season. In a region where tourism relies as much on hospitality as on the quality of experiences offered ashore, these results reflect the destination’s growing presence on Caribbean itineraries. They also show that Fort-de-France, Saint-Pierre and the local players are moving in the same direction: better welcome, better orientation and better promotion of Martinique’s heritage.
Two long-awaited final stops in Fort-de-France
The 2025-2026 cruise season will close on Friday, April 24, 2026 with two calls to Fort-de-France. RCCL’s ship is expected to call at the Tourelles terminal with around 2,000 passengers, while Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess is scheduled to call at the Pointe Simon terminal with around 3,500 passengers. Most of the cruise passengers are expected to be American, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
This final day also includes a cultural component. A class from the Alexandre Stellio secondary school in Anses-d’Arlet will welcome passengers to the Grand Port des Tourelles with a traditional dance performance. Students will also have the opportunity to visit the ship with crew members. The stopover thus becomes a moment of exchange: visitors encounter a living culture, while young Martiniquans gain access to a professional world often far removed from their daily lives.
Increased visitor numbers and a stronger economic role
Figures for April 1, 2026 show 234 calls between October 2025 and March 2026, compared with 208 in the 2024-2025 season. Cumulative traffic reached 568,348 passengers, versus 469,432 the previous season. This increase establishes the 2025-2026 cruise season in a phase of consolidation, with higher volumes and a greater capacity to attract customers from several geographical areas.
Head of line business accounted for 151,615 passengers over the season. This point deserves attention, as 59.7% of the passengers concerned are Martiniquais. The 2025-2026 cruise season therefore also functions as a gateway for the local population, beyond the mere reception of foreign visitors. This reality reinforces the role of the port, agencies, transport services and hospitality professionals.
Excursions sold on board are another important indicator. Over 83,000 excursions were sold over the past season, with a ratio to ship capacity ranging from 18% to 24%, depending on the month. The 2025-2026 cruise season thus generates spin-offs for the sites visited, guides, land-based service providers, craftsmen, restaurateurs and businesses located along passenger routes.
An international clientele broadens the destination's reach
Martinique attracts cruise passengers from a wide range of countries. Europe is the main source, with over 200,000 European cruise passengers, notably from France, Germany, Italy and the UK. The United States accounts for more than 84,000 passengers, Canada for nearly 18,000, and South America, the Caribbean and other markets are also represented.
This diversity gives the 2025-2026 cruise season a strategic dimension. It forces the destination to think in terms of welcoming visitors in several languages, adapting the information available, structuring travel and proposing offers capable of speaking to visitors with different expectations. For a Caribbean territory, this plurality is an asset if it is accompanied by sincere, well-organized experiences that respect the place.
Miami Seatrade as barometer for next season
From April 13 to 16, 2026, the Comité Martiniquais du Tourisme, accompanied by the Grand Port Maritime de la Martinique, shipping agencies, incoming agencies and cargo handlers, took part in the Seatrade trade show in Miami. Exchanges with cruise lines, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, American Airlines and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association confirmed the interest of professionals in the destination.
Feedback from cruise lines ranged from 7 to 8 out of 10 on destination attractiveness before and passenger satisfaction after a stopover. For the 2025-2026 cruise season, these ratings underline the gains made, while reminding us that Caribbean competition calls for constant improvement.
Martinique’s partners also highlighted a number of developments: modernization of reception infrastructures, directional signage to merchants, maintenance of emblematic sites, ongoing training of players, professionalization of services, digitization of information and marketing of innovative products. The 2025-2026 cruise season is thus moving forward on two fronts: attracting cruise lines and enhancing the passenger experience.
2026-2027: a season heralded as exceptional
The outlook communicated for 2026-2027 gives an idea of the ambition of the local players. Nearly 300 calls are announced, with the arrival of some particularly eagerly-awaited ships. The MSC Opera is due to call at Fort-de-France from November 20, 2026 to September 24, 2027, with 32 scheduled calls. This programming opens up the possibility of a continuous year-round season, a major change for the tourism organization.
The MSC World Europa is scheduled to arrive in Fort-de-France on December 5, 2026. Saint-Pierre is also due to welcome the Orient Express Corinthian, a 54-suite luxury French yacht, scheduled for October 27, 2026, with 6 calls. The 2025-2026 cruise season thus enters a sequence in which volumes, the quality of ships and the diversification of host ports can change the perception of the territory.
A challenge of hospitality, culture and territory
The 2025-2026 cruise season emerges from this period with a clear message: the island has solid assets, but the real value of this activity will depend on its ability to transform each stopover into an organized experience that benefits the territory. The figures are favourable, the prospects are strong, and the cultural reception on April 24 reminds us of something obvious: Martinique wins when its tourism gives a visible place to its inhabitants, its young people and its places of memory.
The press release announces 568,348 passengers for the 2025-2026 season. This figure marks a significant increase on the 2024-2025 season, which recorded 469,432 passengers.
The last two calls are scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026 in Fort-de-France. RCCL’s ship is expected to dock at the Tourelles terminal with around 2,000 passengers, while Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess is scheduled to dock at the Pointe Simon terminal with around 3,500 passengers.
The next season is set to feature almost 300 calls. Highlights include the MSC Opera’s 32 scheduled calls between November 2026 and September 2027, the MSC World Europa’s arrival in Fort-de-France and the Orient Express Corinthian’s 6 calls in Saint-Pierre.
On January 28, 2026, the French Senate sent a strong political signal in favor of Martinique’s Caribbean roots. On April 16, the French National Assembly approved the agreement on accession to the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the Caribbean Community. Clearly, Martinique’s membership of CARICOM has reached a decisive stage in the French procedure, following a process that began with the signing of the agreement in Bridgetown on February 20, 2025.
From Senate vote to National Assembly agreement
This sequence gives real continuity to the Senate vote in January. With the vote on April 16, France has now completed the parliamentary phase of this dossier. The French Ministry for Overseas Territories speaks of “definitive approval” of the agreement by the French Parliament, confirming that Martinique’s membership of CARICOM is now moving forward on a consolidated institutional basis, even if the legal wording still needs to be clarified.
What this new stage means in concrete terms
What this new stage really changes is that Martinique’s membership of CARICOM is no longer just a matter of political intention or diplomatic symbolism. It is part of a framework validated by French institutions, giving the territory a more solid basis for participation in the work of the regional organization and its agencies. The French government also points out that this move could eventually pave the way for other communities in the Antilles-Guyana basin interested in similar status.
A status distinct from that of member states
Essentially, associate membership is not the same as sovereign membership. The parliamentary and institutional documents specify that the territorial community of Martinique will be able to take part in the work of the organization within the framework provided by this status, without this calling into question its French and European legal anchorage. It is precisely for this reason that Martinique’s membership of CARICOM represents a major institutional step forward, without upsetting the existing balance.
More operational regional integration
Martinique’s membership of CARICOM goes beyond mere institutional recognition. In concrete terms, the benefits lie in access to more regional information, more direct participation in sectoral programs, and the opportunity to more clearly articulate its priorities in the Caribbean. Economic cooperation, mobility, higher education, public health, risk management, culture and climate: several fields of action can benefit from more regular dialogue with Caribbean bodies. From this perspective, Martinique’s membership of CARICOM would appear to be as much a tool for regional positioning as a lever for cooperation.
A broader signal for the French territories of America
This dossier also says something wider about the place of the French territories of the Americas in their immediate environment. For years, there has been a gap between their geographical membership of the Caribbean and their level of institutional integration in the major regional organizations. The vote on April 16 does not solve everything, but it does reduce part of this gap. It gives Martinique a clearer capacity for action in an area where responses to economic, climatic and health challenges increasingly require regional coordination. In this respect, Martinique’s membership of CARICOM marks a strategic shift that goes far beyond a simple parliamentary text.
Setting course for July 2026
The next political deadline will be closely scrutinized. The CARICOM Heads of Government have accepted Saint Lucia’s invitation to hold their 51st ordinary meeting from July 5 to 8, 2026. This regional rendezvous will give particular prominence to the momentum generated since Bridgetown, as Martinique now seeks to transform this institutional advance into a useful, visible and lasting presence. More than a procedural victory, Martinique’s membership of CARICOM opens up a new phase of responsibility: that of bringing this new framework to life in the interests of the territory and its Caribbean relations.
On April 16, 2026, the French National Assembly approved the agreement on accession to the CARICOM Protocol on Privileges and Immunities. Following the Senate’s vote in January, this decision completes the French parliamentary sequence on this issue.
No. The official texts speak of associate member status, not member state status. This allows Martinique to participate in some of the organization’s work, but without being placed in the same category as CARICOM’s sovereign member states.
The parliamentary documents indicate that Martinique will be able to participate in the deliberations of several subsidiary bodies and organizations without the right to vote. It will also be able to attend meetings of the Conference of Heads of Government and the Council of Ministers of the Community, in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
According to the French Ministry for Overseas France, this step forward will enable Martinique to participate more fully in the work of the organization and its agencies, gain access to more comprehensive information on regional dynamics, and strengthen its capacity to act in its immediate geographical environment. In other words, the stakes are institutional, diplomatic and practical for future cooperation.
The next major regional event is the 51st ordinary meeting of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, scheduled to take place in Saint Lucia from July 5 to 8, 2026. This meeting will be particularly closely followed, as it is a continuation of the process launched around Martinique.
