Music Awards

On the weekend, we bemoaned the fact that not much exposure was being given to local music and the artistes who performed, while there were huge shows being advertised to take place during our independence Day celebrations, all featuring mega-artistes from Jamaica.
This coming weekend, we are going to witness our first-ever St. Lucia Music Awards show … a welcome initiative.
For a long time, when one referred to “local” St. Lucian music, it was mainly to look at the calypso scene and the songs that were performed each year at Carnival time … and in recent years, during an earlier period at the level of the primary and secondary schools – and the fact that calypso was the only genre of music looked at as being ours was emphasized by the competitions and training given in the schools, solely in calypso.

True, calypso is an “indigenous art form”, but one would think, with the avenues that are open worldwide (much more than calypso) in mainstream music genres, consideration would have been given to the advancement of all kinds of music, for those who would have the talent.
Fortunately, the interest in the performing of music other than calypso is gaining momentum in recent times, as evidenced in the holding of contests such as “Digicel’s Rising Stars” and others, where talented youngsters who have the aptitude to sing ballads, gospel music and a variety of other forms may now express themselves.
And now we have our own Music Awards, where all kinds of music may be recognized and honoured. With the vista that is open out on the international music scene, it is to be hoped that this encouragement empowers our talented artistes to expand their horizons and take advantage of the opportunities, both in popularity and financially, that can be within their grasp.
We congratulate those who have come up with the initiative and thank them on behalf of those to whom they are in the process of opening new doors.