President Charles Savarin presided over the 2023 Golden Drums Awards ceremony where nine individuals and one group received the highest cultural awards in Dominica. The recipients were honoured for their contributions to music and cultural arts in the Nature Isle for the past 20 years.
The recipients of the Golden Drum Award are:
- Peter Letang – Promotion and Development of Contemporary Music/Music Composition
- Marie Jno Phillip – Promotion of Traditional Culture
- Donille Blackmoore – Theatre Arts Promotion
- Charlene White-Christian – coach and producer
- Romualda Hyacinth – Promotion of Pageantry and Performing Arts
- Thomas McNoelly Gasper – Preservation of Traditional Music
- Pellam Jno Baptiste – Promotion and Development of Contemporary Music
- Athlene Douglas-Murdoch – Arts and Culture
- Alixon Laronde – Preservation of Jing Ping and Sewinal Music
Others were Charles “Sour Sour” Isaac who was recognized for his contribution to Calypso music, and Lewis Valerie for the development of traditional music. Pan in Harmony was favoured for the preservation and development of steelpan music, while the Grand Bay Cultural Group was also highlighted for promoting cultural dances.
Sakis Lapo Kabwit got recognized for Preservation and Promotion of Lapo Kabwit Tradition
Letang plays the clarinet and is a saxophonist, pianist, and keyboardist that is also a top-tier music composer and producer. Jno Phillip, also known as “Ma Wyyam,” has competed in Independence events for several years and won the National Madam Wob Dwiyet crown in 2011. Hyacinth served in various capacities for the Miss OECS Pageant, National Queen Show, and Road Parade among others.
Blackmoore performed on stage in Dominica and throughout the Caribbean over the past 20 years and she voiced her delight to be honoured with a Golden Drum Award. White-Christian was mentor to many competitors at pageants across the Caribbean and served in the Road Parade Committee, National Cultural Council, Afrikulture Stilt Walkers, Konmite Pon Etid Kweyol (KEK), and the St. Alphonsus Junior Choir.
The Sakis Lapo Kabwit group originated in Grand Bay in 1997 and they expressed their joy to be honoured for their activities in churches, social events, funeral processions, and cultural programmes. Gasper, a former bandmember with Humming Birds String and native of Castle Bruce also thanked the organizers for the award bestowed on him.
Other recipients also expressed their joy for the recognition extended to them in form of the Golden Drum Awards. Two other persons and three additional groups were also given Special Recognition Awards for their impacts on culture in Dominica.
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