For more on SteelPan In the UK  click here

 

BAS Awards In Pictures

BAS 8th ANNUAL AWARDS

 

 

United Kingdom - The 8th Annual British Association of Steelbands’ Awards was hosted at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury on the 2nd December 2006. This event has evolved from its humble beginnings in the Tabernacle, Ladbroke Grove in 1999 to recognise and honour the contributions of individuals, groups and organisations to the promotion of steel pan music, culture and heritage throughout the UK. Since its inception, the event has grown in stature and has now established itself in the UK community’s calendar. It provides the steelband community with an opportunity to reflect on the past, cherish the present and plan for the future.

Guests on the evening included Ashton Forde, from the Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commission, Directors of the London Notting Carnival Limited, Executives from the Notting Hill Carnival Arts Arenas and Arthur France OBE whose most lasting achievement is his promotion of the first ever Leeds West Indian Carnival in 1967. Throughout his life, he has had a love of steel pan music and has had ambitions to raise the profile of steel pan. In the 1960s he established 'The Gay Cavaliers Steel Band’ and, in an effort to continue to encourage young people to learn to play, formed New World Steel Orchestra in 1984. Now in retirement, he continues to press for the establishment of a fully funded centre for a Leeds Steel Youth Orchestra in Chapeltown, Leeds.

It was an evening filled with honouring individuals and groups for their outstanding performances as well as their unselfish dedication coupled with undying drive and determination in the promotion, and development of the steel pan art form. Four of Trinidad’s outstanding ambassadors in the likes of Floella Benjamin, Rudolph Walker, Andrew Ramroop and international singer, Billy Ocean were recipients on the night for their contribution to the promotion of steel pan music, art, culture and heritage. Two anniversaries, eight competitions and the BAS Hall of Fame awards were also presented on the night.

Entertainment was supplied by Engine Room featuring Carlene Etienne, Pan Explosion 2K6 Champion soloist and DJs Sugar K (Unique FM) and Mike Forbes dishing out some rather catchy numbers that had everyone on the dance floor until the wee hours of the morning. Roy McEwen of the Caribbean Music Association was the M.C. on the night.

BAS continues their sterling work in promoting this wonderful art form. It is without a doubt the perfect machinery for bringing together the UK’s diverse population and for reflecting and promoting the culture of Trinidad and Tobago.


They achieved a number of their planned initiatives, which included the creation of their youth forum – The Future Development Forum, affording all member bands web pages and email addresses, initiating the formation of a network of regional committees and hosting an international conference on pan to name a few. Future initiatives will see the Association play an active role in London and Paris in 2007 to mark the 150th and 200th anniversaries of the abolition of slavery.
 

For more information visit www.panpodium.com .

Email:  panpodium@aol.com  | All photos Robbie Joseph | From the News Desk of R. Joseph

BAS Awards In Pictures

 

 

contact:

Website: www.panpodium.com | Email:  panpodium@aol.com 

 

More On Steelpan In Antigua

Back To Pan Global Page

Click To Hear Current Pan Radio Show

Home *  Pan News  * Headlines * Events * Message Board * Guest Book * Pan Radio * Pan Global * Pan TnT  * Pan New York  * About Us * Join Mailing List * Contact

©2006 Basement Recordings, Inc. All rights reserved

ANY REPRODUCTION, REPRINTING OR COPYING OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS, OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL - AUDIO, VISUAL OR TEXT - FROM THE BASEMENT RECORDINGS/WHEN STEEL TALKS/PANONTHENET WEBSITES, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF WHEN STEEL TALKS.

Contact: When Steel Talks at whensteeltalks@hotmail.com