Republic Bank has again thrown its support behind the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s steel band competition, donating a cheque valued $2.8M for the hosting of the event set for this weekend.
The bank’s Marketing and Communications Manager Michelle Johnson on Tuesday presented the cheque to Minister Frank Anthony, at a brief ceremony held in his Main Street office. Permanent Secretary Alfred King, ministry officer Andrew Tyndale and the bank’s Public Relations Officer Jonelle Dummett also attended the presentation, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
This is the sixth year that the bank has supported the competition. “Republic Bank has been a steady partner and because of this we are able to invest in the art form and develop it out of the competition,” Anthony said. During the six years, the steel pan fraternity has grown. The minister said that previously most of the bands were located in the city and today there are bands across the regions. Additionally, the support received during the Mashramani celebrations has enabled the ministry to provide a set of steel pans to several schools and communities.
Anthony also noted that a number of developments have been made in music through the Music School where systematic training is offered and students write the Royal School of Music exams. The Music School has also conducted a number of steel pan workshops. In addition, the ministry has developed a steel pan music manual and DVD produced during collaborations with UNESCO. The same was also done for masquerade.
In her remarks, Johnson said the bank was pleased to sponsor the competition and it is committed to providing continued support.
According to Tyndale, the funding from the bank will be used to cover the prizes for the competition. This year, 16 bands are competing in two categories: the large band and school band. The competition will also include a seven-aside jazz ensemble and in the minor category: pan duet, senior solo and junior solo. He expressed gratitude to the bank for its unwavering support.
The competition is set for Sunday at the National Cultural Centre, having been relocated from the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The venue has been changed to facilitate the recording of the production, which would later be available for commercial distribution. The contest starts at 3pm and the public is encouraged to attend.
