SPARROW’S $2M GIFT By Andre Bagoo Friday, December 19 2014 GOVERNMENT yesterday announced what amounts to a $2 million Christmas gift for the Mighty Sparrow. As shoppers all over the country continued to work on their Christmas gift list, Minister of Culture Dr Lincoln Douglas announced the State would license Sparrow’s (Slinger Francisco) memorabilia for a ten-year period with an option to renew. At a Cabinet media briefing held at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, Douglas conceded that while the move was meant to preserve and recognise the calypso legacy of Sparrow, the move was also designed to give the legendary calypsonian financial support. In an immediate reaction, Sparrow, speaking with Newsday from New York, said Santa Claus had passed his way. “This is most welcomed,” the calypsonian said. “Praise God, Santa Claus has passed my way.” After performances in New York this week, Sparrow is due to arrive in Trinidad on Boxing Day (December 26) for a series of further performances, kicking off what is planned as a hectic year for him. Douglas said the Ministry will license all of Sparrow’s memorabilia. This includes six calypso monarch crowns; 52 certificates; 42 compact disks; eight citations; four DVDs; 14 medals; 136 plaques; 76 pictures; 22 proclamations; eight tokens; 94 trophies; and 78 videos. “The terms of the agreement is that for a sum of $2 million, the Ministry will acquire the memorabilia for a ten-year period that will become part of a show and part of a museum experience,” Douglas said. “We will have a ten-year unlimited access and custodianship – with the option for renewal – to replicate, licence materials and derive income and show and curate the works of the Mighty Sparrow.” Douglas hinted similar arrangements may be forthcoming for other artistes. “I think that this is a tremendously positive thing as we continue to look into a lot of the works of some of our great artistes whom we will work with to continue to curate to display the works that they have produced over the years,” Douglas said. “We have started with the Mighty Sparrow because we are really honoured that he is here with us and is still performing all over the world. So it is really a privilege and an honour for us to participate in this regard.” Questioned by reporters, the Minister further stated, “It is also a support for Sparrow himself too.” The latest gift tops off a triumphant year for Sparrow, a diabetic, who continued to recover from serious illness – which saw him hopitalised and in a coma – in late 2013. In February this year, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that Sparrow’s medical expenses would be paid for by the State and that he would be awarded the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT), the nation’s highest award. The calypsonian was invested with the ORTT at a special ceremony by President Anthony Carmona at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port-of-Spain in June this year subsequent to that announcement. Asked about his health, Sparrow yesterday told Newsdsay, “I am very good. Last year I was sick, but now I am ready to roll. The next performance is at the end of this week in New York. I will be coming to Trinidad on Boxing Day. I have several performances planned for the coming weeks, including many birthday parties and events. In the middle of 2015, I think am doing Madison Square Garden and there’s a performance planned at Globe Cinema in Port-of-Spain as well.” Douglas said the memorabilia would be displayed at Sparrow’s home in Trinidad but there were plans for a “festival village” to be set up in downtown Port-of-Spain, subject to approval. However, there are also many other options for displaying the items, such as Queen’s Hall, the Carnival Institute, Naparima Bowl and the north and south campuses of the NAPA. He said the process of licensing should be done by February. In relation to Carnival 2015, the Minister said there were no plans to cut the ministry’s disbursal for the festival, including its prizes. “We have no intention and there is nothing planned for the cutting back of Carnival prizes,” Douglas said. “There has been no cut whatsoever in any of the subventions, whether it is regional Carnival or mas prizes, or steelband prizes. Everything is set to go for Carnival 2015. At yesterday’s briefing Douglas further announced that work will continue of three other “festival villages” at an overall cost of about $15 million. Douglas said a festival village at Laventille will be completed at a cost of $4.1 million and would be a facility done in collaboration with the Laventille Rhythm Section. A similar “incubator” facility tied to the Pamberi Steel Orchestra at Old Road, Santa Cruz, will also be completed next year at a cost of $2.3 million. A facility which started 28 years ago at the Mausica Old Road, Arima, for Mausica folk theatre is also due to be completed at a cost of about $8.1 million. He said a Ramleela festival village is also planned. newsday.co.tt/news/0,204455.html
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 10:26:02 +0000
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