Celebrating Nelson Street icons

On August 26, from 4 pm, City Sunvalley Steel Orchestra will host Celebrating the Icons of Nelson Street, on Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain. The day’s programme features 2012 National Panorama champion Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars, runners-up Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove and BP Renegades, Witco Desperadoes, Carib Woodbrook Playboyz, Sapophonics, La Famile United, Freelancers and City Sunvalley. In an interview with the T&T Guardian, Sunvalley manager Gerard Mendez explained that his steelband and a committee, that includes PRO Lance Lashley, decided to honour the people of Nelson Street and environs who have contributed to the development of T&T on the nation’s 50th anniversary of Independence. “We were granted permission by Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs to cordon off a portion of Nelson Street, between Duke and Prince Streets for the event,” said Mendez. “We also received significant support from the Minister of National Security Jack Warner, Mayor Louis Lee Sing, his deputy Kerron Valentine, as well as from Pan Trinbago, especially its president Keith Diaz, and Pan Trinbago’s Northern Region. “We intend honouring citizens for National Service, Culture, Politics, Sports, Commerce and Education.”

 

 

About the inspiration for having this event, Mendez said: “This is the first in a series of events we intend staging in an effort to eradicate the negative stigma that is attached to Nelson Street, and by extension behind the bridge. “We also believe that this community has produced several luminaries in society.  “For instance, the Father of the Nation, the late prime minister, Dr Eric Williams, attended Nelson Street Boys’ RC School. Arthur Lok Jack lived in the community. “Other outstanding citizens with connections to Nelson Street have been former chief justice Clinton Bernard, former Commissioner of Prisons John Rougier, and calypso icon Chalkdust.” Mendez said the day’s events will be officially blessed and opened by RC priest Fr Clyde Harvey. Among the day’s headline guest artistes are SuperBlue and Allrounder. “I am throwing out a challenge to all the T&T media that, in the same way during the state of emergency they showed and reported about the 21 guys detained from Nelson Street, that they come out and showcase this positive side of Nelson Street. “We want the media to focus on the positives within our community, one which has good, wholesome and God-fearing citizens residing as well,” Mendez said.

Honorees