ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

 

Amid a light-hearted atmosphere and sombre reflections with the hope for sustainability Antigua and Barbuda’s first-ever Heroes Music Festival, the brainchild of popular entertainer and promoter, Lester “Sober Silk” Buffong (formerly Daddy Silk), was launched Monday night at the Jolly Beach Resort.
 

Backed financial by business brother, Samuel “Ben” and Alexander “Zanda” Isaac of the prominent Super Power Electronics, a beauty and appliance store in downtown St John’s, the event will pay homage to the country’s five National Heroes – rebellious slave King Court (Prince Klass), pioneer educator Nellie Robinson, Father of the Nation, Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr., former Premier Sir George H Walter and cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards.
 

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and his predecessor Lester Bird will be among the honour roll.
 

Silk, who has rehabilitated from drug addiction, also announced that British rock legend, Sir Eric Clapton, the founder of the Crossroads Centre which washes Antigua’s pristine east coast where he recovered, will receive a lifetime award at the October 29 festival at a venue to be announced.
 

 Arnold “Tekel” Gomes, the first Antiguan to grace the hallowed NBA, businessman and commentator, Ludwig “LMR” Reynolds, noted for his sign-paintings and billboard advertisements and cryptic comments, and social commentator Said Greene will also receive life achievement awards.
 

With entertainment from rising Jamaican reggae crooner, Andy Livingston, and enterprising American Hip-Hop singer, Diva, the audience – a mixture of politicians, socialites and business executive – were given a launch to savour.
 

When Silk quibbled: “People are taking about retire. We are not going to retire. We are going to ‘re-tyre’. We are going to buy to four new tyres and come again “ people were in stitches.
 

“I went to Ben and Zanda with the idea and I had to talk to them for year for them to buy into it,” he said.
 

Greene, who delivered a critical oratory on the decline of Caribbean music and culture in some aspects, said the festival was befitting of Silk’s who overcame drug and alcoholic abuse to persevere with idea.
 

Greene bemoaned the “vulgar” lyrics used by some regional singers which he reasoned threatened the historical process the Caribbean endured from Slavery to Emancipation, contending the education curriculum needs “a cultural component.”
 

He made reference to the emergence of mobile phone as source of education and technology advancement while condemning its ban in schools.
 

He said the festival could be a “defining moment for a new Africa economic” quest called on the government and the private sector to support the initiative.
 

Greene said it could also explore new music and media potential.
 

He advocated for more sculptures depicting the Antigua and Barbuda’s outstanding citizens to be erected.
 

Richard Apparicio, the business manager of the National Festival Office (NFO), stand-in for finance minister Harold Lovell, said the potential of the entertainment industry in the Caribbean still remains largely “untapped.”
 

He wants to see HMF would become part of the national calendar and expressed the hope that it will be “turning point” in given Antigua more of a permanent presence on the regional musical landscape.
 

“Especially, when the government wants to brand Antigua and Barbuda as the music capital of the Eastern Caribbean,” Apparicoo said giving the Spencer administration endorsement.

Eustace “Teco” Lake, an opposition MP, also gave the Antigua Labour Party’s support for the HMF, as he remarked: “our culture has been recorded.”
 

Journalist Timothy Payne, creator and editor of the weekly NewsPages newspaper, said he was approached by Silk and the Isaac brothers to re-launch his Pages magazine which has been defunct for the past two years.
 

He the re-launch issue – which will feature a photo of Jamaican reggae star, Jah Cure, emblazoned on the front-cover, has been pushed back to next month to preview Carnival 2011.

Jah Cure and Antigua’s music maestro, “Sir” Clarence “Onguku” Edwards, the leader singer of the Red Hot Flames, will be the headlines for the HMF.
 

Payne said some of the country top and blossoming athletes will also be profiled in the August issue.
 

There will be a special feature on a nature park owned and operated by former West Indies batsman David “Supie” Joseph.
 

The launch was spiced up by performances by Livingston and Diva as they brought the audience to their feet in their inimitable and different style.