Clico to sponsor Caribbean awards in NY

INSURANCE GIANT CLICO has become the major sponsor of the New York-based Caribbean Sunshine Awards Ceremony. Ian Garcia, senior executive at CLICO, made the official announcement on Friday at a press conference at the CL Duprey VIP room of the Queen’s Park Oval. Neither Garcia nor company officials would disclose the value of CLICO’s sponsorship. Gilman Figaro, chairman of the Caribbean Sunshine Awards, said the insurance company’s role as the platinum sponsor was more significant than stating its dollar-value for the function. The 16th annual Caribbean Sunshine Awards takes place October 16, at the Sheraton New York Hotel. Trinidadian dramatists Errol Fabien and Nikki Crosby will host the black-tie event which will honour the best in Caribbean art, dance, music and poetry.

Special honourees include Haitian musician and journalist Jean Jean-Pierre; Jamaican artist Barrington Watson; The Swingin’ Stars Band of Dominica, and Guyanese musician Moses Josiah. Former National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Ivan Williams is up for the “Friend of the Arts Award”, while TT pan tuners Alan Gervais (posthumously) and Lincoln Noel are to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for their contributions to the steelband movement. Inductees for  calypso are Percy Simon (Lord Ziegfield) of Grenada and Paul Richards (King Obstinate) of Antigua. Figaro said the Caribbean Sunshine Awards was launched on June 24 1989 in the United States and to his knowledge it was the only Caribbean awards function around at that time.

“Many others followed. Two years after my project was conceptualised, radio WLIB established its Caribbean awards programme and several other ceremonies with the same focus took the spotlight. Today, the Sunshine Awards is the only one still in existence.” Entertainers advertised to perform at this year’s ceremony include the Mighty Sparrow, pannist Dane Gulston (Trinidad); The Swingin’ Stars Band (Dominica); Adesh Samaroo (Trinidad); Ives Joseph and Tabou Combo (Haiti); Moses Josiah (Guyana); and Carol Jacobs of Trinidad.