Rose: Teach culture in our schools

We need to teach culture in our schools,” she said.

Rose made the comments last Friday during a panel discussion at a workshop on the Business of Calypso at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain. It was organised by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in collaboration with its state agency and subsidiary company, The Trinidad and Tobago Creative Industries Company Limited and the Trinidad and Tobago Music Company Limited.

Minister of Trade and Industry, Paula Gopee-Scoon, described Rose as “an outstanding example of a calypsonian who has excelled and shattered the proverbial glass ceiling in the process.” She said Rose entered the calypso fraternity, “at a time when this art form was primarily male dominated, and became the first female Road March winner and the first woman to win the Calypso Monarch title. She also copped the Calypso Queen title for five consecutive years from 1972 to 1977.” Gopee-Scoon assured members of the audience, “The Government of Trinidad and Tobago appreciates and understands the social, cultural and economic importance of calypso music to our nation and beyond.” She said Government is “fully committed” to the development of the creative sector of which music, indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago, is a key component.

Referring to the NAPA building in which the workshop was being held, she said “In fact, this facility, the National Academy for the Performing Arts, is testament to our Government’s vision to diversify the economy through investment in infrastructure to bolster the creative industry.

“In order to succeed, small and medium enterprises in the music industry must have greater access to financial support.” She said the Ministry of Trade and Industry, for instance, has been working with the World Bank to establish a Secured Transaction and Collateral Registry where movable property would serve as collateral, meaning that non-traditional assets, such as equipment could be used as collateral. She said another area which needs strengthening is that of intellectual property and those wanting to make a career in the music industry, including songwriters, singers and producers, must therefore be well-versed with assessing the value of their intellectual property and must use mechanisms to protect these assets to ensure their rightful income streams.” According to Pricewaterhouse- Coopers, revenue from the global music industry is expected to grow from U.S. $42.93 billion in 2015 to just over U.S. $47.7 billion in 2020.

Trinidad and Tobago’s burgeoning industry is therefore not only critical to the preservation of the culture, but also to the country’s sustainable development.