Music teacher, Mrs. Nicole Brathwaite, briefing Minister of Education, Ronald Jones and Richard Stoute (right).
Bay Primary celebrates musical excellence
Thu, 12/08/2016 - 12:00am
By:
Tonisha Rock-Yaw
THE parents, students and teachers of the Bay Primary School contributed to a music wonder wall at the school.
This features some of the most celebrated entertainers Barbados has produced over the past 50 years, including some who are past students of the school or from the surrounding communities. Choosing the entertainers to be highlighted on the wall was as a result of surveys conducted between September and October among students, their parents and grandparents as well as staff.
Speaking at the exhibition last Wednesday at the school where Minister of Education, Ronald Jones, was present along with notable musicians Richard Stoute and Dr. Anthony Carter, better known as the “Mighty Gabby’, music teacher Mrs. Nicole Brathwaite said, “We selected three generations by ages to share from those surveys and we looked at it and pulled out the persons who were significant within those age groups to go on our wonder wall.”
She continued, “This is a reflection of their well-loved Barbadian artistes over the 50 years. We have from Irving Burgie who wrote the National Anthem, Jackie Opel, Joseph Niles and Sister Marshall. We also have bands like the Merrymen, the Police Band and the Spice band, so it is really a collection of the musicians who have been well loved over the years by the persons from the school.
“We at Bay Primary School are proud of their contributions to our music culture and say ‘Thank You’ for the legacies.”
Musician Richard Stoute said, “I am deeply honoured to be asked to come here. This initiative to have this wonder wall with the pioneers of Barbados’ entertainment is a great one and should be done in all the schools, because some of our kids know more about Michael Jackson than the Mighty Gabby.”
He added, “I think that we need to educate these kids. They should know more about us and where we started so that they become more involved.
It’s very sad that Movado from Jamaica or Bob Marley are more likely to be appreciated than another artiste from Barbados, so we need to highlight that a lot more.”