London,
United Kingdom
-
The British
Association of Steelbands (BAS)
celebrated their annual awards ceremony
at the Holiday Inn in Bloomsbury,
London. 2009 marked the 11th
anniversary of the awards, which were
established to celebrate the successes
of bands and individuals and - in
recognizing excellence - to honor the
wider and more sustained contributions
of individuals, groups and organizations
to the promotion of steel pan music,
culture and heritage throughout the
United Kingdom. The Association
congratulates all recipients on their
outstanding achievements. 2009 has
seen the Association’s continued growth.
In celebrating achievements BAS is
raising the profile of carnival arts.
Calypsonian Tobago Crusoe opened the
evening’s entertainment with a couple of
tunes and hilarious jokes before singing
an ex-tempo birthday song and making a
presentation to Elma Betancourt.
From its
initiation in 1999 in the humble
surroundings of the Tabernacle which now
houses the refurbished Carnival Village,
the Awards has developed in leaps and
bounds setting the standards for similar
events organized by the other Carnival
arenas. Distinguished guests included
Gerald Forsyth OBE and Frank Rollock -
members of the BAS Hall of Fame, HE Gail
Guy, Trinidad & Tobago High Commission,
Toussaint Clarke and Robbie Joseph of
the UK Pan Tuners Guild, Chris Boothman,
London Notting Hill Carnival Board
Member, Tony Isles, Chair of the UK
Carnival Arts Centre, Ricky Belgrave and
Lyndon Lacrette, Chairs of the Notting
Hill Carnival arts arenas and the new
President of Pan Trinbago, Keith Diaz
and his executive officers, Richard
Forteau, Secretary and Keith St Cyr,
External Relations Officer. The Pan
Trinbago contingency presented awards to
Gerald Forsyth, Frank Rollock, Ebony and
BAS on the night.
Pepe Francis,
noted in his speech the effect that the
current economic status is having on the
steelband community, highlighting the
support and involvement needed from the
new Pan Trinbago executives and also the
office of the Trinidad and Tobago High
Commission.
BAS in
conjunction with the UK Pan tuners Guild
will continue to pursue their current
programme of acquiring qualifications
for steel pan tutors and pan tuners and
their discussions with the University of
the West Indies is ongoing.
It is a fact
that BAS is the UK’s only carnival arts
based organization whose membership and
network extends throughout the UK. On
the night they had members and
representatives not only from London and
the Home Counties but also from
Newcastle, Plymouth, Bath, Birmingham,
Leicester, Cornwall, North Tyneside and
Portsmouth.
In the UK
there are less than a handful of bands
that have commercial sponsorship. BAS
are working hard to convince companies
of the many and varied benefits of
investing in a steel band – social and
community cohesion, regeneration,
education, preventative and diversionary
engagement strategies, employment
opportunities as well as to brand
awareness and promotion, marketing and,
of course, the positive impact and
influence on profit lines.
On the night,
special homage was paid to Joel ‘ Tubbs’
Hamilton –Mills for his organization of
the BASFDF Pan Explosion competition,
Debi Gardner for her outstanding and
continuous support to the UK Steelband
culture and Robbie Joseph for his
arduous work with the Pan Podium
magazine and website celebrating its
tenth anniversary this year. A Pan
Podium display to mark its anniversary
was mounted in the lobby of the hotel
featuring front covers of all issues as
well as copies of past and present
issues of the magazine.
MCs on the
night were none other than Martin Jay of
Choice FM 96.9 and Kavelle Savary from
the UKCCA. After having the truly
delicious West Indian cuisine,
witnessing the Awards and being
entertained by the live acts, Engine
Room, Tobago Crusoe and Brown Sugar,
patrons were treated to some lively
music by DJ, Sugar K who had them
dancing until the wee hours of the
morning. Everyone is now looking
forward to next year’s event with great
enthusiasm. Visit the Pan Podium
photo Gallery to view all the photos of
the BAS 2009 Awards ceremony.
Click here
to view all event photos at the Pan
Podium Photo Gallery
BAS
11th Annual Awards -
Recipients information:
ROBBIE
JOSEPH – PAN PODIUM
2009 Celebrating 10 years of
promoting steel pan music, art and
culture worldwide
Award presented by Martin Jay –
Choice FM 96.9
READING ALL
PERCUSSION STEEL ORCHESTRA (RASPO)
2009 Celebrating 10 years of steel pan
music, art and culture
Award presented by Toussaint Clarke,
UK Pan Tuners Guild
NORTH
TYNESIDE STEEL BAND
2009 Celebrating 20 years of steel pan
music, art and culture
Award presented by Robbie Joseph –
Editor of Pan Podium/ BAS PRO
CONTRAST
STEELBAND
2009 Celebrating 25 years of steel pan
music, art and culture
Award presented by Tony Isles, Chair
UK Centre for Carnival Arts
EBONY
STEELBAND
2009 Celebrating 40 years of steel pan
music, art and culture
Award presented by the British
Association of Steelbands
PANTASIA
STEEL BAND
Winners Pan Explosion 2009 (25 and
under)
Award presented by Frank Rollock,
Member of BAS Hall of Fame
EBONY
STEELBAND
Winners Pan Explosion 2009 (26 and over)
Award presented by Keith St Cyr,
External Relations Officer Pan Trinbago
PANTASIA
STEEL BAND
Winners Pan Explosion 2009 (26 and over)
Award presented by Keith St Cyr,
External Relations Officer Pan Trinbago
CSI
STEELBAND TRUST
2009 Junior Panorama Champions
Award presented by Lyndon Lacrette,
Chair Caribbean Music Association
LONDON ALL
STARS STEEL ORCHESTRA
Randolph Baptiste Inspirational Award
2009
Award presented by Tara Baptiste,
Stardust Steel Orchestra
REAL STEEL
Winners 2009 J’Ouvert Bomb Competition
Award presented by Chris Boothman,
Director London Notting Hill Carnival
EBONY
STEELBAND
Best Steelband on the Road 2009
Award presented by Gerald Forsyth
OBE, Member of BAS Hall of Fame
EBONY
STEELBAND
2009 UK National Panorama Champions
Award presented by HE Gail Guy,
Acting High Commissioner
DAVID
EDWARDS
2009 Ezekiel ‘Biggs’ Yearwood
Outstanding Achievement Award
Award presented by Donna and Lynette
Yearwood
RICKY DE
CARIOS
2009 Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement
Award
Celebrating a lifetime of personal
achievement and dedication
to the promotion of steel pan music, art and culture
Award presented by Keith Diaz –
President, Pan Trinbago
DEBI
GARDNER
2009 Outstanding and Continuous
Contribution to the UK Steelband Culture
Award presented by Matthew Phillip –
Mangrove Engine Room
The British Association of Steelbands
extends their thanks for your support of
their 11th Annual Awards
Presentation. They thank the following
for their support for without whom they
would have found their journey so much
more challenging:
Greater London Authority / Mayor’s
Office / Royal Parks
Trinidad & Tobago High Commission
(London) / Pan Trinbago (Trinidad)
Executive Committee of Carnival Arts
Westminster City Council / Royal Borough
of Kensington and Chelsea
Metropolitan, Parks and British
Transport police services
St John’s and London ambulance services
Children and Parents’ Carnival
Association
Smokey Joe Productions / Fink Unlimited
London Notting Hill Carnival Ltd
BAS Members / Future Development Forum /
Pan Podium
Guests, friends, colleagues, artists and
supporters
The Executive and members of the British
Association of Steelbands wish everyone
a festive season, happy, prosperous and
blessed 2010.
BAS 12th Annual Awards
Presentation and Dinner Dance will be
held on Saturday 4 December 2010
For further information contact
debi@panpodium.com,
robbie@panpodium.com or visit
www.panpodium.com
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