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Sept 19th 2003
Contact: Kanchan Paser
Tel: 212-963-0343
Fax: 212-963-1395
e-mail: kanchan@sunshineawards.com
For Immediate Release
THE MIGHTY SPARROW, TABOU COMBO AND FREDDIE MC GREGOR PAY TRIBUTE TO HAITI
AT THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL CARIBBEAN SUNSHINE AWARDS
Teaneck, New Jersey, USA, Sept 19th 2003….The SUNSHINE Awards™
organization today issued the following statement:
By Kanchan Gilfillian
On Saturday, September 27, the Caribbean SUNSHINE Awards will celebrate its
fifteenth anniversary, fifteen years of giving recognition to the creators,
performers and producers of Caribbean art forms. It promises to be a very
special night, not only because this year's Awards program marks a significant
milestone in the organization's history, but also because of the dedication of
this year's show to the celebration of the bicentennial of the Haitian
Revolution. The King of Calypso himself, the Mighty Sparrow, Haiti's most
popular band, Tabou Combo, Jamaica's reggae superstar, Freddie McGregor, and
Barbados' Arturo Tappin, along with Trinidad and Tobago's panist, Dane Gulston,
will all be a part of this year's Awards. They and all nominees will be there to
pay tribute to those African ancestors whose courage and fortitude gave them
victory against the most powerful army of Napoleon.
The Caribbean SUNSHINE Awards, over the past fifteen years, have honored many
of the Caribbean's talented and creative artistes, including the Mighty Sparrow,
who was inducted into the SUNSHINE Awards Hall of Fame in 1990 and given the
Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. His sentiment regarding the recognition from
the SUNSHINE Awards has been echoed over the years by many, "It is very
special to be honored by your peers, the people who follow your career closely.
These are people who really care about you and your music. …. Some awards are
given as a matter of course, but you know that this one is given from the
heart." Tabou Combo, perhaps Haiti's most well known band, and the very
popular and successful reggae star, Freddie McGregor of Jamaica are both being
nominated for special Caribbean SUNSHINE Awards.
When the Awards program was first established in 1989, it celebrated calypso and
steelband music. Today, the chairman and founder of the Caribbean SUNSHINE
Awards, Gil Figaro, Sr. along with the Co-Founder of the Caribbean SUNSHINE
Awards Hall of Fame, Dr. Hollis Chalkdust Liverpool, are proud of the inclusive
nature of the program, "When you look at the Caribbean, you see so much
diversity - language, art and the mix of different races, each with their own
cultural heritage. This wonderful mélange gives us a rich and vibrant cultural
experience. The Caribbean SUNSHINE Awards is firmly committed to preserving this
rich cultural diversity for the education and enjoyment of future generations.
Art forms from across the region, English, French, Spanish, Dutch and Creole are
all celebrated as important facets of our collective cultural heritage."
Calypsonian, Swallow of Antigua, goes even further. "… The SUNSHINE
Awards brings out the best from all the islands. …. If it weren't for the
SUNSHINE Awards, some calypsonians would not be known today. It has been the
starting block that has propelled many musicians into the professional world of
calypso."
With the evolution of the Caribbean SUNSHINE Awards, new programs were
created, such as the Student Recognition Program, which celebrates the academic
achievement of Caribbean students by bringing the top performing male and female
students from a selected island to New York to be part of the Awards program.
The students are also taken on cultural and education tours in New York. This
year, students from Haiti will be honored as part of the Awards dedication to
the celebration of the bicentennial of the Haiti revolution.
The 15th Annual Caribbean SUNSHINE Awards Nominees are:
 | Lord Kitchener Caribbean SUNSHINE Award |
| Trinidad & Tobago 2003 Panorama Champions - Exodus |
| Special Honorees
 | Arturo Tappin - Music (Barbados) |
| Freddie McGregor - Music (Jamaica) |
| Frantz Voltaire - Movie Producer (Haiti) |
| Jean Julien - Historian (Haiti) |
| Paul Keens-Douglas - Drama / Comedy (Trinidad & Tobago) |
| Tabou Combo - Music (Haiti) |
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| Friend of the Arts
| Kenneth Blake (St. Thomas, USVI) |
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| Caribbean SUNSHINE Awards Hall of Fame |
| Calypso Music
| Clytus Ali (Mighty Dougla) - Calypso Music |
| Emmanuel Pierre (Caruso) - Calypso Music |
| Kenrick Randolph Patrick (Lord Creator) - Calypso Music |
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| Steelband Music
| Curtis Anthony Pierre - Steelband Music |
| Vernon Berdie Mannette - Steelband Music |
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| Female Vocalist of the Year
| Allison Hinds Song / Wine Back |
| Denyse Plummer Song / Cathersis |
| Fay-Ann Lyons Song / My Time Now |
| Singing Althea Song / Exposed |
| Sanelle Dempter Song / Chances |
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| Male Vocalist of the Year
| Crazy Song / Shoes |
| Kevin Lyttle Song / Turn Me On |
| Red Plastic Bag Song / In Meh Pants |
| Rupee Song / Blame It On The Music |
| Scrunter Song / Jumbie |
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| Best Social Commentary of the Year
| Crazy Song / Shoes |
| De Fosto Song / Are We The Mecca For True |
| Man-Child Song / Non For Now Mentality |
| Singing Althea Song / Exposed |
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| Best Party Calypso of the Year
| 3 Canal / Andre Tanker Song / Ben Lion |
| De Fosto Song / Firestorm |
| Fay-Ann Lyons Song / My Time Now |
| Rupee Song / Blame It On The Music |
| Scrunter Song / Jumbie |
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| Best Recording by Group or Dance band
| Burning Flames Song / School Call Een |
| Krosfyah Song / Action |
| Square One Song / Don't Stop The Carnival |
| Traffic Song / Take Yur Time |
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| Best Chutney-Soca Recording
| Preacher Song / My Dulahin |
| Rikki Jai Song / Scopian |
| Heeralal Song / Leh We Go To Mayaro
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The Fifteenth Annual SUNSHINE Awards is sponsored in part by Propel Fitness
Water by the makers of Gatorade, Hennessy, Keyspan, BWIA, Air Jamaica, The New
York Carib News, Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation, Calypsocity, Travel
Span Vacations and WWRL 1600 Radio.
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