Four Vincentian calypsonians to be honoured by UWI

Four Vincentians are among 35 Caribbean women who will be honoured by the University of the West Indies (UWI) later this year for their contribution to music.{{more}}

The Nita Barrow Unit of the institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS:NBU) at the UWI Cave Hill campus will be honouring the female ‘Kaiso Trailblazers’ as a part of the 100th Anniversary celebrations of International Women’s Day.

The institute will honour women from across the English-speaking Caribbean, who have contributed to the development of calypso, chutney, zouk and soca artforms. Women from the nations of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana will also be awarded.

The artistes span a period of over thirty years, an era in musical history which represents the development and rise of women who went on to make their mark internationally, contributing to the popularity and the changing face of Caribbean Music.

Some of the women to be honoured include Alison Hinds and Rita Forester of Barbados, Singing Sandra, Fay Ann Lyons, Destra Garcia from Trinidad and Tobago, among others.

The Vincentian awardees are Bridgette “Joy-C” Creese, Pat Ragguette, Monique “Princess Monique” Hector and Shaunelle McKenzie. The official awards presentation will take place on October 29, 2011.

The IGDS:NBU was formed in 1993 and since then has achieved important milestones in gender and development and has created visibility for issues of gender and women’s studies and has had programmes and courses integrated into the academic programmes of the University of the West Indies. The institute provides a forum for discussion and sharing of information on aspects of gender in the Caribbean society as it relates to culture.