LABORIE WINS NATIONAL PANORAMA
Pictured, left to right: Marcus Ash, Quill Bathelemy, Andrius Richard Edwide & Joshua Muroi.
History was made in Saint Lucia last night when the steelband from our small community won the National Panorama Competition that had traditionally been dominated by large and wealthier bands from the north of the island. As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, the Laborie Steel Orchestra brought the trophy back to its home village for a weekend of well-deserved celebrations.
“I am glad to be part of that history”, says Marcus Ash, drill master for the PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars of Trinidad, who came to Laborie with six other members of that band to work with the Laborie band, and who conducted last night’s performance. “When I first heard the arrangement of the song, I was so impressed, I told myself ‘what the hell am I doing here?’, but we shaped the song and look, we took that trophy!”.
The beautiful and intelligent song arrangement was the work of 19-year old Andrius Richard Edwide, one of the original members of the Laborie band, who first arranged a Panorama song in 2015. “I’m so excited”, he said right after the announcement of the prizes, “we had so much energy tonight, I played like I won it already”.
When asked about his arrangement, Edwide said: “I’ve learned a lot from Andy Narell, he has been working with our group every year for the past 5 years, and I’ve been studying his arrangements. I played his music in Trinidad with Birdsong, and I also learned a lot from Liam Teague and Marcus Ash from Silver Stars”.
Part of the winning performance, at Darren Sammy Field, 16 July 2016.
“This victory is the product of team work” says Len Leonce of Labowi Promotions, the parent organisation of the Laborie Pan Project, “and the pillar at the heart of that team is band leader Quill Barthelemy, she has put so much work, so much energy into that steelband, Laborie is so proud of her, and she deserved to win tonight”.
“I knew it was coming”, said Barthelemy as she was celebrating at the Darren Sammy Stadium after the announcement, “it’s practice that made us win, practice is key. These kids have a lot in them, all we had to do is work hard. And Marcus Ash really helped us, he brought out the real Laborie Steel Band. I’m so happy!”
The Laborie Pan Project is a community-based volunteer initiative that seeks to develop musical and artistic talent in the community, and to give participants the opportunity to engage in a meaningful social activity and to gain pride and self-confidence in the process. Group members are between 6 and 21 year old, with most of them still attending school, “and doing very well”, says Barthelemy.
Next week the Laborie Pan Project will host a Brazilian percussions workshop with Dr. Jason Koontz of Eastern Kentucky University, who led a team of five US-based players in the steelband and who helped to strengthen its rhythm section.
Many more activities are planned for the celebration of the Laborie Pan Project’s 10th anniversary, and the players and organisers are grateful to the community for its continued support.
For more information about the Laborie Steel Pan Project, visit http://laboriepan.org.
ZIKA AWARENESS: COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP + MOTORCADE
The Saint Lucia Ministry of Health, in efforts to sensitize the public on the importance of a clean environment in light of the Zika virus, asked the Laborie Development Foundation to distribute these messages, advertising two upcoming events.
Friday 18 March: Zika Motorcade, from Laborie to Dennery
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Saturday 19 March: Community Clean-Up
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Laborie Development Forum: Thank You!
The Laborie Development Foundation thanks all group members and representatives for their attendance to the Laborie Development Forum held on Sunday March 6. Your efforts were very much appreciated as we continue to contribute to the holistic development of our community.
PAINT THE VILLAGE - FROM 14 JANUARY
Labowi Promotions, in collaboration with the Laborie Development Foundation (LDF) Inc., invites art enthusiasts, beginners and professional, Arts students and teachers to enhance their skills and talents with Jonathan Gladding at Paint the Village.
Paint the Village is the first event on the Laborie Calendar of Events, it will be hosted commencing Thursday 14 through to Saturday 16 January 2016. This novel art event aims to feature and promote visual arts as part of Nobel Laureates Week.
During the event a theme will be chosen daily on which participants are encouraged to focus, ranging from live models, nature, countryside and a free theme of various locations in the village respectively.
Sessions will be held outdoors based on the theme and in public settings based on the session’s theme ending with a collective sharing and critique with special advice given to beginners and young artists.
Work will be exhibited and available for sale at an exhibition open to the public in Laborie on January 30th and 31st.
Interested persons can register to be part of this event by filling out a Registration Form (click here) on the Laborie Development Foundation website, ilovelaborie.com or at the Laborie Development Foundation Office, Citrus Grove, Laborie Tuesdays and Thursdays during the hours of 9:00am – 4:30pm.
For further Information on Paint the Village contact the LDF Office by telephone at 455-9910 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
FULL PDF PRESS RELEASE - DOWNLOAD HERE.
REVIEWING THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR LABORIE 2002
On Saturday, December 12th 2015 the Laborie Development Foundation (LDF) Inc. will host a one-day workshop from 9:00am to 2:00pm at the Laborie Boys Primary School. The workshop is organized as part of the review process for the Strategic Development Plan for Laborie under a project entitled Creating Sustainable Communities – Building Capacity for Adaptation to Climate Change and Related Issues. This project is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Saint Lucia.
READ FULL LDF PRESS RELEASE HERE.
THE LDF SUPPORTS CYEN SAINT LUCIA'S CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
The Laborie Development Foundation invites you to watch the video here below, by Saint Lucia artists Arthur, featuring Mongstar, and promoted by the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), Saint Lucia chapter, to raise awareness for climate change and its impacts on our communities.
You are also invited to read and sign CYEN Saint Lucia's petition to support the Caribbean's States common position at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, asking for a binding agreement that would limit global temperature rise at or below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
This level is considered an imperative in order to allow communities such as Laborie to survive the changing climate patterns and its consequences. You can find the petition following this link.
For more information on the Caribbean's States 1.5 to Stay Alive campaign, please visit this website and/or join this Facebook page.
Our very own Jonathan Gladding contributed one of his creations to help raise awareness to the cause.
#1point5toStayAlive!