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ABOUT THE LAVENTILLE STEELBAND FESTIVAL (LSF) FOUNDATION

LAS LAP STEELBAND’S TRIBUTE TO OUR PROTECTIVE SERVICES

ABOUT THE LAVENTILLE STEELBAND FESTIVAL (LSF) FOUNDATION

The Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation started as a committee in 1999, under the Laventille Community Complex Board of Management. It started with a mandate to uplift the communities of Laventille and its environs, through the vehicle of steel bands which reside in the area.
In that year, the first Laventille Steelband Festival Street Parade was produced as celebration of Emancipation by the people of Laventille.
With a vision of expanding the efforts and impact after seven years, the Laventille Steel band Festival Foundation was registered in January 2007. The LSF Foundation has a Board of seven members with Chairman, Michael Cooper and Vice Chairman, Julien Cudjoe.
Since inception, the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation has produced:-

• Over Thirty (30) Pan yard Concerts
• Two (2) Steelband Management Workshops
• Five (5) Children Pan Camps
• Three (3) ‘Christmas in the Pan yard’ Pan Concerts
• Two (2) major “8 of Hearts” Steel band Concerts
• Eleven (11) successful Steel band Street Parades in celebration of Emancipation
• Three (3) Last Lap “Steel bands Tribute to the Protective Services” for Carnival 2007, 2008 & 2009
• “March for Peace” in September 2007 & 2008, in recognition of International Peace Day
• Awards:- Adult and Youth contribution to the development of Steelpan and Community Service, Sports, Culture and Education.

Standing among the list of awardees are:- Mrs. Merle Albino De Coteau, Sydney Gollup, Oscar Pile, Russel Latapy, Enid Browne, Guppy Browne, Bertie Marshall, Arnim Smith, Roy Augustus, Candice Scott, Nelly Williams, Fitzgerald ‘Terror’ Henry – Golden Voice & Former Calypso King, Clifton Ryan ‘Bomber’, Destra Garcia, Lincoln ‘Delgado’ Noel – Fix it- Pan Tuner Par Excellence to name a few.

In recognition of their lifetimes of contribution to community and country, the LSF Foundation introduced the special GLOSS Awards in 2006, and was held once again in 2009, when the Foundation celebrated its 10th Anniversary.
Five current Members of Parliament who grew up in Laventille and environs were recognized by Special Awards as well as several icons in 2009.

STREET PARADE

The LSF Street Parade is a celebration of the drum in the observance of Emancipation and represents the main celebration of the community during this period.
This parade has become the largest steelband event outside of Panorama. The estimated attendance for our Street Parade in 2007 was over 20,000 people including the LSF Patron, President George Maxwell Richards and the First Lady Dr. Jean Ramjohn Richards, Former Police Commissioner Trevor Paul, Former Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, Senator Joan Yuille Williams and other Top Dignitaries.

Steelbands from the expanded catchment area of the Laventille Steelband Festival including Belmont, Gonzales, St. Ann’s, East Port of Spain, Laventille, Morvant, Barataria and San Juan parade over a mile long stretch on the Eastern Main Road playing continuously to the large audience.
A road show depicting the story of the evolution of the Steelpan precedes the steelband parade which starts with tamboo bamboo and rhythm. A total of 15 conventional bands and 18 traditional bands reside in this area and the National Panorama Champion Conventional ‘Large’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Small; bands together with the Single Pan Band of the current year is specially invited.

Special characteristics of the Street Parade including pushing of pan (no motorized help) and a ban on the parade route. The LSF Foundation is proud of the 100% incident free record of this event over its eight years of life. This has brought people from all over the country into Laventille in a special unprecedented manner.

EIGHT OF HEARTS STEELBAND CONCERT

This LSF Foundation production showcased the national instrument in a concert form, featuring the eight (8) top placed bands in the preceding National Panorama Competition, performing some of their vast repertoire accompanied in some cases by other performers, for a period of thirty-five (35) minutes.

The inaugural show was produced for Carifesta IX in 2006 and was an unqualified success. The 2008 concert was held on the 24th May, 2008 with even grerater rave reviews. The concerts are held on the grounds of the Laventille Community Complex so that people are again welcomed into the Laventille community to expose our brighter side.

MARCH FOR PEACE

The Steelbands of the catchment area of the LSF Foundation had decided to further impact on our community by making a statement against the scourge of lawlessness and hatred which infects a few of our residents but affects all of our residents and the wider community in a major way and points our community with a broad negative brush. The statement was “We want peace and love in our community” and was made by a massive “MARCH FOR PEACE” held on Sunday 23rd September 2007, which sent resounding noise throughout the length and breadth of our community reaching all seeking to make a change to the wind of evil.

The “MARCH FOR PEACE” was supported by a broad cross section of community groups and individuals including religious, sporting, cultural, schools and scouts and attended by representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as part of their peace intitiative.

LAS LAP STEELBAND’S TRIBUTE TO OUR PROTECTIVE SERVICES

For Carnival 2007, the LSF Foundation with the support of the Renegades Steel Orchestra, staged the inaugural Las Lap on Charlotte Street on Carnival Tuesday dubbed “Steelbands Salute to the Protective Services”. This event was intended to fill the major gap of (1) the lack of steelband activity on the streets on Carnival days and (2) the absence of Carnival activity in Port of Spain (especially East Port of Spain) on Carnival Tuesday night. Due to the success of this event, it has been repeated since then.