ABOUT THE LAVENTILLE STEELBAND FESTIVAL (LSF) FOUNDATION
The Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation started as a committee under the Board of Management of the Laventille Community Complex in 1999, with a mandate to uplift the communities of Laventille and environs through the vehicle of the steelbands which reside in the area. In that year, the first Laventille Steelband Festival Street Parade was produced as a celebration of Emancipation by the people of our catchment area known as Laventille and environs, which is: Charlotte Street on the west, San Juan on the east, Lady Young Road on the north and Beetham on the south. Also included within that catchment is Belmont/Gonzales.
After successful years of production of events and initiatives and with a vision of expanding our efforts and impact, we registered as the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation in January 2007. The LSF Foundation has a Board of eight members with Chairman, Michael Cooper and Vice Chairman, Julien Cudjoe, which was re-elected at the Annual General Meeting of 2011 and an Executive Committee which includes all members of the Board as well as specially interested members of the community.
Since inception the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation has produced
- Over 30 Panyard Concerts,
- Three (3) Steelband Management Workshops,
- Five (5) Children Pan Camps,
- Three (3) ‘Christmas in the Panyard’ Pan Concerts,
- Three (3) major “8 of Hearts” Steelband Concerts,
- Annual Community Awards,
- Thirteen (13) highly successful Steelband Street Parades, in celebration of Emancipation,
- Three (3) Las Lap – “Steelbands Tribute to the Protective Services” for Carnival 2007, 2008 & 2009
- Two (2) “March for Peace” in September 2007 & 2008 in recognition of International Peace Day.
LSF FOUNDATION PRODUCTIONS
AWARDS
From the inception, the LSF Foundation has recognized members of the community in the following categories:-
Adult – Contribution to the Development of Steelpan
Adult – Community Service
Youth – Sports
Youth – Culture
Youth – Education
Youth – Community Service
In 2006 the LSF Foundation introduced the special (Gems of, Laventille, Outstanding, Spirit & Soul) GLOSS Awards Function in recognition of lifetime contributions by residents of Laventille to the community and country. These awards were presented by his Excellency President George Maxwell Richards to the following residents of Laventille:-
- Lincoln ‘Delgado’ Noel, Fix it-Pan Tuner Par Excellence
- Fitzgerald ‘Terror’ Henry, Golden Voice & Former Calypso King
- Fitzroy Coleman, Guitarist Par Excellence
- Clifton Ryan – “Bomber”, Tune Smith and Former Calypso King
- Clive Bradley – Steelband arranger legend (posthumous)
In addition Special Awards were given to six Footballers from Celebrated 2006 “Soca Warriors” who reside in the catchment area of the LSF (Dennis Lawrence, Aurtis Whitley, Brent Sancho, Jason Scotland, Densil Theobald and Russell Latapy)
Among our past list of Awardees are Merle Albino De Coteau, Sydney Gollup, Roy Augustus, Bertie Marshall, Guppy Browne, Arnim Smith, Oscar Pile, Enid Browne, Candice Scott, Pillar Mc Shine, Nelly Williams, Karene Asche and Destra Garcia to name a few (see list of past awardees attached).
The GLOSS Awards was again held in 2009 as the Foundation celebrated its tenth anniversary.
PANYARD CONCERTS:
These represent the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation Panyard Concert series which began in 2001 and ran for 4 years until handed over to TIDCO and ceased after two years. However these concerts were revived in 2011.
The concerts were produced around the schedule of the Street Parade. They were held in Panyards within our catchment area and were geared to
1. Increase positive activity in the community
2. Provide an opportunity for income for steelbands
3. Create greater awareness and camaraderie within the community
4. Inject life into communities being forced into curfew because of criminal activities
Venues for these concerts in 2012 will be:
• Tokyo Panyard
• Morvant Ebonites Panyard
• Serenaders Panyard
Concerts will start at 7.00 pm and finish by 11.00 pm
Resident Panyard Bands selected their guest bands and artistes and decided on entrance fee or other revenue earning activities.
Promotion of the concerts provided assurances of security which must be sustained for best results.
PAN CAMP:
The Camps targetted approx 40 students from the schools in the area between the ages of 7 to 17 years. The Pan Camp took place over 5 full days and was geared to improve the participants' knowledge of the Steel pan, identify and generate an interest in careers in the steel pan industry, improve the image of pan and maintain the primacy of the Laventille area in pan production and innovation.
The Camps covered the follow topics:
/History and Development of the Steel pan
/Pan Making
/Music Theory and Practice Stage 1 & 2
/Performance Stage 1 & 2
/Careers in Pan
/The Steel Pan Industry
/Essay Competition
STREET PARADE
The LSF Street Parade is a celebration of the drum in the observance of Emancipation and represents the main celebration of the community during this period.
The Laventille Steelband Festival Street Parade has become the largest steelband event outside of Panorama. The attendance has been estimated at over 20,000 and have included the Patron of the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation, His Excellency President George Maxwell Richards and the first Lady Dr. Jean Ramjohn Richards, and The Prime Minister along with other government dignitaries and members of Parliament .
The parade consists of Steelbands from the expanded catchment area of the Laventille Steelband Festival including Belmont, Gonzales, St. Anns, East Port of Spain, Laventille, Morvant, Barataria and San Juan. Bands parade over a mile long stretch on the Eastern Main Road playing continuously to the large audience. A road show depicting the story of the evolution of the Steelpan precedes the steelband parade which starts with Tamboo Bamboo and Rhythm. A total of 15 conventional bands and 18 traditional bands reside in this area and the National Panorama Champion Conventional ‘Large’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Small’ bands together with the Single Pan Band of the current year are specially invited.
Special characteristics of the Street Parade include a ban on electronic music on the parade route. The LSF Foundation is proud of the 100% incident free record of this event over the years. This has brought people from all over the country into Laventille in a special unprecedented manner.
EIGHT OF HEARTS STEELBAND CONCERT
This LSF Foundation production has showcased the national instrument in concert form, featuring the eight (8) top placed bands in the preceding National Panorama Competition, performing some of their vast repertoire accompanied by other performers, for a period of thirty-five (35) minutes each.
The inaugural show was produced for Carifesta IX in 2006 and was an unqualified success. The 2008 concert was held on the 24th May, 2008 with even greater rave reviews. The concerts are held on the grounds of the Laventille Community Complex so that people are again welcomed into the Laventille community to expose our brighter side. This biennial event was again held on Saturday 8th May 2010 in honour of Mother’s Day.
The 2012 event will be held on May 19th,2012
MARCH FOR PEACE
The Steelbands of the catchment area of the LSF Foundation had decided to further impact on our community by making a statement against the scourge of lawlessness and hatred which infects a few of our residents but affects all of our residents and the wider community in a major way and paints our community with a broad negative brush. The statement is “We
want peace and love in our community” and was made by a massive “MARCH FOR PEACE” held in September of 2007 and 2008, which sent resounding noise throughout the length and breadth of our community reaching all seeking to make a change to the wind of evil.
The “MARCH FOR PEACE” which took place from the starting points of the Croisee in San Juan and Picadilly Greens in Port of Spain converged on the grounds of the Laventille Community Complex where a rally was held with prominent speakers. It was supported by a broad cross section of community groups and individuals including religious, sporting, cultural, schools and scouts and attended by representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as part of their peace initiative.
LAS LAP: STEELBAND’S TRIBUTE TO OUR PROTECTIVE SERVICES
For Carnival 2007, the LSF Foundation with the support of the Renegades Steel Orchestra, staged the inaugural Las Lap on Charlotte Street on Carnival Tuesday 20th February from 6:00p.m to 11:00 p.m. dubbed “Steelbands Salute to the Protective Services”.
This event was intended to fill the major gap of (1) the lack of steelband activity on the streets on Carnival days and (2) the absence of Carnival activity in Port of Spain (especially East Port of Spain) on Carnival Tuesday night. The event was successful and was again repeated in 2008 & 2009.
This event has been put on hold temporarily due to lack of funding support.
STEELBAND MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS
Three workshops have been held t date targeting steelbands in the catchment area with the intention of addressing issues relevant to their future paths.
The subjects were:
- Management Concerns of the Steelband Organisation - 2002
- Laventille Historical Perspectives – 2005
- The Role of the Panyard in Community Development – 2011
Presenters have included deceased Lloyd Best, Pat Bishop and Terry Joseph, as well as Brian Awang, Dr Debra Thomas and Frank Dolly. Steelband Icons of the community also presented in the Historical session.
THANK YOU
The Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation thanks our many sponsors for their contributions over the past ten years which have made it possible for a group of volunteers with concern for their community to produce these extensive and powerful programmes which have no doubt given Laventille and environs a ray of hope.
A very special thank you to His Excellency President George Maxwell Richards who have graciously accepted to be our Patron and has supported our efforts over the years by his presence and participation.
Special thanks to Angostura Ltd, Panland Trinidad & Tobago Ltd and the Laventille Community Complex, our perennial partners.
Thanks also to the Government of Trinidad & Tobago through the Ministry of Community Development, the Ministry of Multiculturalism, the Ministry of National Security and especially the Police Service
Thanks to the Steelbands of our catchment area who have been the backbone of our efforts and have accepted ownership of the events in an unprecedented manner. They are the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation.
Thanks to the people of Laventille and environs for their support, encouragement and exposing the positive warmth of our community.
Thanks to the Media for allowing a platform for our message.
The biggest Thanks to the committed generous members of the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation who continues to persevere with the vision regardless of the daunting obstacles
: COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Michael Cooper – Chairman
Julien Cudjoe – Vice Chairman and President of Executive Committee
Stafford Pierre – Executive Committee – Vice Chairman
Carol De Roche – Secretary
George Duncan
Richard Forteau
Wayne Jordan
Keith Harris
Denise Derry Harry
James Henry
Owen Serrette
Colin Mitchell
Nestor Sullivan
Joel Harding
THANK YOU FOR 13 YEARS OF UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS
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