Toyota T&T Limited plans to invest $60,000 in four-time National Panorama champion Harmonites Steel Orchestra in support of its Panorama 2016 goals.Steve St Angelo, CEO at the Toyota Motor Corporation for Latin America and the Caribbean, made the announcement during a reception held in his honour at the band's Morvant Junction panyard last week.
"I know Harmonites band is very important to this country. It's also very important to Toyota and for them to allow me to come here today, to see this first hand, it's been the highlight of my trip.
"Effective January 1, 2016, sponsorship for the Carnival 2016 season, Toyota will continue to sponsor. But this year we want to do it a little bit different. We want to sponsor this year by donating $60,000 to Harmonites. So if I can make it next year, I will be watching you guys very, very close to make sure we get good value for our sponsorship," he said.
St Angelo added: "As I indicated to you, I live in Sao Paolo Brazil, and I have attended four carnivals in Rio, and obviously, I like carnivals. But I heard that Carnival here in T&T is something to be seen. I can't promise you, but I'm going to do my best to come to a Carnival here in T&T. What I saw here today, I think I'm going to have a very good time in Carnival in T&T."
During his visit to Harmonites, St Angelo was entertained by the band's stage-side before getting steelpan lessons. He started on the tenor pan where band manager Louis Nurse thought him to play the nursery rhyme Mary Had A Little Lamb in three musical keys. A visibly delighted St Angelo moved on to the triple cello pan where he learnt the accompaniment for the song, before tackling the infamous twelve bass.
St Angelo described his visit to T&T as a "great pleasure and opportunity" and expressed hope that it would not be his last.
"As CEO for Latin American and the Caribbean, I am responsible for 40 countries. I am very proud of the legacy of this country because of the steelpan. As you know I am an American. I live Sao Paolo Brazil now, but my home is in Kentucky in the United States. As many of you know Kentucky is the home of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). And, I understand you enjoy your KFC in this country. It makes me very proud and I will take a picture to show my friends back in Kentucky," he said.
"One area that I am very sensitive (about) and means a lot to my heart is Toyota's responsibility to be being a good corporate citizen. We focus very deeply on environmental (issues) and culture in the different countries that we sell vehicles. My understanding in Toyota in this country does an outstanding job of making society better.
"These types of sponsorship in these kinds of ways to make the life of this country better makes me very, very proud. I personally volunteered many weekends and many days on different projects in Latin America and this is what separates Toyota from other companies. We do more than just sell cars. We do more than just sell trucks. We try to make the world better."