Entertainment award
named for Chester York
NEW YORK/PHILIPSBURG--Island legendary steel pan pioneer Chester York has been honoured by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) with the naming of its entertainment recognition after him.
The Chester York Entertainment Award is one of three awards that will be presented at the Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit (ACTS) Ball set for the Ronald Reagan Building on Monday. The Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit (ACTS) will be held in Washington DC, from June 21 to 24.
“The Chester York Entertainment Award will be presented to a contemporary Caribbean American whose work exemplifies the dedication, perseverance and love for musical arts demonstrated by the York family of St. Maarten,” Tourism Commissioner Roy Marlin wrote in a letter to CTO members endorsing the idea.
Marlin said this is a well-deserved recognition of the contribution of York and his family to the preservation of pan music on St. Maarten, thus making this unique Caribbean art form sustainable in this part of the region.
“This is an honour for Chester York and his entire family as well as for our island. Nothing could be more gratifying than for a regional body of the calibre of CTO to recognise the work of a St. Maartener who has spent more than 50 years in the service of steel band music,” Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams said in a press statement.
The other two CTO recognitions are the Honourable James Manoah Bodden Public Service Award, named after James Bodden, described as “a consummate public servant from the Cayman Islands” and the Michael Findlay Sports Award, named after renowned former West Indies test cricketer Michael Findlay of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In previous years, CTO has honoured musicians Tanny and the Boys and local liquor maker Hervé Baker with a Lifetime Achievement Award and poet/author Lasana Sekou with the Award of Excellence.
