The National Steel Symphony Orchestra gave members of the Culture Division of the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism a musical treat at Queen’s Hall this morning, as they performed some of the selections they will play on their upcoming tour to Costa Rica. Their wide musical repertoire ranged from classical compositions by Handel to local arrangements by Ray Holman, Jit Samaroo and the late Clyde Bradley. The performance was part of an official send off for the orchestra by the Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism, the Honourable Winston Peters, Permanent Secretary, Esme Rawlins-Charles, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Vel Lewis, members of staff of A&M and Costa Rican Ambassador His Excellency Ricardo Thompson-Thompson.

The NSSO, under the baton of its Artistic Director/Conductor, Jessel Murray are off to perform at the very distinguished Credomatic Music Festival, which started on August 7 and runs until August 22, 2010 in Costa Rica, a country renowned for its support of many types of music making. The festival has been in existence since 1991.

Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism, the Honourable Winston Peters, in his short send off address to the orchestra, said he was elated to see the heights that the steelpan as an instrument has reached. He noted that pan players are now regarded as musicians, who can make a living playing the instrument of their choice. Minister Peters went on to express his wish to see the NSSO being promoted by having its logo printed on its pans along with the letter G for the “G”-pan.

He then wished the orchestra and its Director lots of success, saying their representation in Costa Rica is essential in bringing others to Trinidad and Tobago. He gave his Ministry’s commitment to provide pins of the National Flag, which members of the orchestra will wear on their tour to be identified as being from Trinidad and Tobago.

CAPTION: Community Development Minister Nizam Baksh and his wife look at the work of a graduate of the Community Education Programme.

The following is the address delivered by the Honourable Nizam Baksh, Minister of Community Development at the formal opening of the new Community Centre in Guayaguayare earlier this afternoon, August 10, 2010 at Ferrier Circular Road, Guayaguayare:


Thank you all for being here. To you, and to all who built not only this community centre, but also, to all who build the Guayaguayare community every day -- congratulations on this truly beautiful community centre. It matches the beauty that is Guayaguayare, or as many affectionately say, “Guaya.”

Today is truly historic, not only because Guaya now has a new, state-of-the-art community centre, but also because this historic community now has a new landmark. Let us make a firm commitment today to keep it in excellent condition so that it can serve the people of Guaya for generations to come.

The commissioning of this new community centre is also an opportunity for us to thank those whose generosity helped to build it.
The National Gas Company’s generosity funded construction in the amount of $8 million. Today, we pay tribute to the generosity of this company that takes its corporate social responsibility very seriously. So on behalf of the Ministry of Community Development, and on behalf of the people of Guayaguayare, thank you very much. Every corporate citizen in Trinidad and Tobago should be inspired by your example.

To the Guayaguayare Village Council, local educators, healthcare professionals, business people, religious leaders, representatives of women’s groups, sports groups, cultural groups, youth groups, and to all the people of Guayaguayare, I am pleased be the first to tell you - your trips to use a community centre elsewhere are over.

Right here in Guayaguayare, you now have a community centre for recreational activities, social gatherings, group meetings, community meetings, community education classes, and much more.

The Ministry’s 226 community facilities across the country also serve a dual purpose as emergency shelters; so this structure is absolutely indispensable to the 2,300 persons who call Guayaguayare home.

This is what drives the Ministry of Community Development: the delivery of quality service to our communities. This is what drives the Government as a whole. As it is well articulated among Government’s Pillars for Sustainable Development our focus is on:

• People Centred Development – “We need everyone and all can contribute”

• Poverty Eradication and Social Justice – “Preference for Poor and Disadvantaged”

• Good Governance – “People Participation”

This is why this spanking new community centre comes with more than just a hall and a stage. This new Guayaguayare Community Centre features:

• a multipurpose, small building to the front

• this ample air-conditioned auditorium

• change rooms adjoined to the auditorium

• classrooms for community education and continuous learning

• a computer room with Internet access to bolster computer literacy

• a teaching kitchen for persons so inclined, to learn and perfect the culinary arts, which in turn could spur careers in catering, hospitality and tourism

• an indoor community gym and an outdoor basketball court.

With the conclusion of Local Government Elections on July 26, 2010, here is a list of some of the newly appointed mayors and chairmen of the various regional corporations. They were sworn in at ceremonies held over the past few days. The assignments are as follows:

Arima Mayor - Ghassan Youseph
Deputy Mayor - Patricia Cedeno Metivier

San Fernando Mayor - Marlene Coudray, former CEO San Fernando City Corporation
Deputy Mayor - Councillor, Dr Navi Muradali

Chaguanas Mayor - Orlando Nagessar
Deputy Mayor - Councillor, Gopaul Boodan

Port of Spain Mayor - Louis Lee Sing
Deputy Mayor - Kerron Valentine

Point Fortin Mayor – Clyde Paul, former CEO Point Fortin Borough Corporation
Deputy Mayor - Alderman Abdon Mason.


The Chairmen of the Regional Corporations are:

Chairman, San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation – Nafessa Mohammed

Chairman, Princes Town Regional Corporation – Ramraj Harripersad
Vice chairman - Councillor, Gowrie Roopnarine

Chairman, Siparia Regional Corporation – Leo Doodnath
Vice chairman – Fitzroy Beache

Chairman, Penal/Debe Regional Corporation – Premchand Sookoo
Vice chairman – Roland Abbot Hall

Chairman, Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation - Khadijah Ameen
Vice chairman - Rosana Sookdeo

Chairman, Sangre Grande Regional Corporation - Keshwar Maharaj
Vice chairman - Clarence Lalla

Chairman, Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation - Hazarie Ramdeen

Chairman, Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation - Dave Persad
Vice chairman, Henry Awong

Chairman, Diego Martin Regional Corporation - Anthony Sammy
Vice chairman -Robert Torry

Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism, the Honourable Winston Peters, will on Wednesday August 11, 2010 host a Reception in honour of the National Symphony Steel Orchestra as the band departs for Costa Rica on Monday August 16, 2010 to take part in the Twentieth International Credomatic Music Festival. The Reception will take place at the Foyer, Queen’s Hall from 10:00 am where the Honourable Minister will officially send off the band to the very distinguished festival, which runs from August 7-22, 2010. The Credomatic Music festival is considered as one of the most important of music festivals in Costa Rica- a country renowned for its support of many types of music making.

This is the second of such outings to an overseas Festival for the NSSO. In 2008 the National Steel Symphony Orchestra was labelled as one of the headline acts of the Carifesta X in Guyana. The NSSO’s participation in the Festival in Costa Rica is an initiative of Her Excellency Sandra Honoré, Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to that country. The NSSO is managed by the Culture Division of the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism and this project is a joint effort between the Ministry and our Embassy in San José, Costa Rica. During its eight day stay in Costa Rica, the NSSO will offer four formal concerts for the Festival and will conclude with a special command performance for the Embassy’s commemoration of the forty-eighth anniversary of independence of Trinidad and Tobago