Award for Despers at today’s Laventille Steelband Festival

TEN-TIME National Panorama champion WITCO Desperadoes Steel Orchestra will be honoured for its contribution to the development of pan - the national musical instrument of Trinidad and Tobago - at today’s fifth annual Laventille Steelband Festival (LSF).Showtime is 4pm. The presentation is scheduled to take place on the compound of Trinidad and Tobago Instruments Limited, Dorata Street, Laventille. The legendary Laventille-based steel orchestra is one of six individuals/organisations being honoured at this year’s Festival, held under the auspices of the Board and Management of the Laventille Community Complex and the Laventille Steelband Festival Committee.

Other awardees are Jimmy Singh and Deseire Frederick for community service; Karene Asche, culture; Nelly Williams for sports and Isreal Ramjohn for education. Desperadoes and Singh will receive the adult awards sponsored by the Laventille Community Complex. The other awards, sponsored by Angostura, are for youth development. The awards ceremony is but one component of the much anticipated  cultural event. Under the theme: “Proud To Be...Laventille,” patrons attending today’s production are expected to witness a re-enactment of the Emancipation story in the form of a road show, with infectious drumology exhibitions as well as tamboo bamboo and dance presentations. This will be followed by the much touted steelband parade.

The Festival is the LSF Committee’s contribution to the Emancipation celebrations. Columns of steelbands - a mix of conventional and single pan - are advertised to take to the streets, belting out musical melodies for the thousands expected to be in attendance. Mc Allister Street, Laventille is the designated starting point for the evening of steelband music pageantry, heading east to Leon Street. Among the bands listed to provide this aspect of musical entertainment are honouree WITCO Desperadoes, bp Renegades, Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars, reigning Panorama champion Exodus, Solo Pan Knights, Harmonites and Harlem Syncopators. President George Maxwell Richards and Acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams have confirmed their attendance at today’s Festival.

Julien Cudjoe, vice-chairman of the Festival committee has encouraged the estimated 10,000 patrons that attended last year’s programme to again support this year’s event and to bring along a friend. Addressing crime concerns in the Laventille district, Cudjoe stated that crime has always been around, yet the Festival, successfully, has been incident free. He added: “Last year the crime rate was high, but there was no talk about putting off Carnival. Whatever is taking place in the country and by extension Laventille will not affect this year’s Festival.”