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NACC's 2006 Top 20 Stars of Gold
LEFT: Winston 'Gypsy'Peters, Wade Mark, Mr. Makandal Daaga,
Mr. Nobel Khan, Mrs. Khan and Morel 'Luta' Peters
TriniSoca.com Reporters
Event Date: January 06, 2007
Posted: January 10, 2007
The National Action Cultural Committee presented its 19th Annual 2006 Top 20 Stars of Gold Calypso Award Ceremony on Saturday 6th January, 2007, at the Cascadia Hotel, St. Ann's Road, St. Ann's. The ballroom was filled with lovers of the art form and Calypsonians, some of whom were receiving awards that night.
Music was provided by the Top 20 Orchestra, Earl Knight and Services, and the talented Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille. The MC's for the night were Ms. Shirlane Hendrickson and Dr. Phaedra Pierre.
The "Grammy Awards of Calypso" began with an opening prayer by Brother Aiyegoro Ome followed by a welcome by Brother Akhenaton Daaga.
Chairman of the NACC, Bro. Kwasi Mutema, was the first to address the gathering for the evening. He began by thanking the representative of the government of Grenada, The Honourable Brenda Hood, as well as other international guests for their presence. According to Mr. Mutema, Calypso has to place itself at centre stage to fill that void that is present in the popular music scene and present to the world the brilliance of the art form. He congratulated the Top 20 Awardees for the excellent work that they have done for 2006, the sponsors that made things possible, and all others in the industry in Trinidad and Tobago.
The feature address was given by the Honorable Brenda Hood, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Culture and Performing Arts, Grenada. Minister Hood began by stating that the recognition of the top 20 Calypsonians at the Cascadia Hotel was a step in shaping Trinidad and Tobago's history, culture and identity. According to the Minister, the evolution of Calypso must be seen as a vehicle to bring people of the nation together and bridge the waters to link the Caribbean together. Mrs. Hood also pointed out the noticeable decline in attendance of Calypso in both Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada and the decrease in the quality of lyrical content in the music. Another dire concern mentioned was the issue of copyright protection for Calypsonians. She suggested that the media, managers, promoters and the Calypsonians themselves have a critical task to play in this regard. Mrs. Hood also advised that Calypso not only be seen as an art form, but as a profession. By introducing Calypso music to the school curriculum and adding the element of business to the subject, Calypsonians could better navigate the Calypso world.
Subsequently, presentations of awards and cheques were made to musicians in the business in the Top 20 Musical Awards to Musicians category. The awardees, some of which were absent, were introduced by Bro. Anum Bankole. They are as follows:
Awardees
Carlos Hepburn
Larry Donawa
Hayden Arthur
Eddie Wade
Joey Rivas
Joseph Cummings
Carl 'Beaver' Henderson
Jacinto Martinez
Next, Calypsonians sang their winning tunes and accepted their awards and cheques for their victories. The Top 20 Calypso awardees and their Calypsos are as follows:
Calypsonians / Song
Kelvin 'Mighty Duke' Pope / "World's Greatest Composers"
Errol 'Bally' Ballantyne / "20/20 Vision"
Roger 'Bodyguard' Mohammed / "De Market Cuss Out"
Winston 'Gypsy' Peters / "Get Yourself in Something Good"
Leydon Charles 'Organizer' Joseph / "Trinbago Yankee"
Doran 'Versatile' Hector / "Memories"
Sean Daniel / "True Government"
Edwin 'Crazy' Ayong / "Oh Land of Mine"
Brian London / "No Vacancy"
Karene Asche / "Sprit of Fear"
Winston 'Explainer' Henry / "All Inclusive (Potow Pow)"
Carlos 'Skatie' James / "Picture, Picture"
Alan 'Brother Mudada' Fortune / "Dem Judges"
Hollis 'Chalkdust' Liverpool / "Bandit Factory"
Emrold 'Brother Valentino' Phillip / "Pan from the West"
Machel Montano and Patrice Roberts / "Band of the Year"
Shurwayne Winchester / "Ah Cyar Wait"
Sandra 'Singing Sandra' Des Vignes / "Blind Justice"
Heather Mac Intosh / "Ma Therese Deposit"
Morel 'Luta' Peters / "Kaiso Kaiso" (Calypso of the Year)
Political leader of NJAC, Bro. Makandal Daaga ended the night's proceedings by alerting the gathering about NJAC's plans for the near future. He briefly mentioned their aim at endorsing scholarships for students who had few passes at O' and A' levels, their plan for implementing special computer programmes in schools and the establishment of a Black University in Trinidad and Tobago. According to Mr. Daaga, the public would know more about these and other objectives in the not-too-distant future.
The Top 20 Stars of Gold Calypso Award Ceremony was a resounding success and many look forward to this highly rated award ceremony next year.
NACC's 2006 Top 20 Stars of Gold in pictures:
www.trinisoca.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=49302
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