The Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago is pleased to recognise the hard work and contribution of renowned drummer and panman, Everald ‘Redman’ Watson and the talented and diligent student, Safiya Paul, both from the Yoruba Village Community, at this year’s Yoruba Village Drum Festival. The Festival, in its eleventh annual cycle is in tribute to the ancestors of the Yoruba Village, will for the first time be hosted as a virtual event Saturday 20th June, 2020. The Yoruba Village, which is synonymous with East Port-of-Spain includes Belmont, Gonzales, Morvant, Beetham Estate, Sea Lots and Laventille.
Everald ‘Redman’ Watson will receive the 2020 Keeper of the Tradition Award, which is given annually to someone from the Yoruba Village community, who has worked diligently to preserve and develop African cultural traditions in the community. Redman, the name by which he is popularly known, is an internationally renowned drummer, percussionist and panman, who was born and grew up in the Belmont community. His career of over forty years began at a young age when he participated in community Blockoramas and the Best Village competitions. In addition to his top performances with all the major national dance companies, choirs and theatre companies, and the accompaniment of artistes including Ella Andall ,3 Canal, Andre Tanker, Machel Montano and David Rudder, Redman has travelled and performed in 32 countries including throughout the Caribbean, North and South America, the United Kingdom, China , Japan, Lebanon and Wales.
Within the Yoruba village community he has been a member of BP Renegades Steel orchestra for 36 years during which time he also served as captain of the band. As a Keeper of the Tradition Redman’s work and contribution is significant in our communities as he can be seen on his drum on Emancipation Day, at African naming days, weddings and orisha feasts. His work with young people in communities and schools is testament of his concern for youth development and commitment to ensure that our traditions are passed on to the next generation.
Safiya Paul, a Form Four student at El Dorado East Secondary School will receive the award in commemoration of the United Nations International Day of the African Child. Safiya who lives in Beetham Gardens, has been identified as this year’s awardee based on her remarkable achievements in culture, sport and academics. Safiya, is a well-disciplined student who has demonstrated her capacity to not only do well academically and in sports but has also excelled as a pannist and dancer. At school Safiya has received medals for her performance in drama, music and history. She says that history is her favourite subject as she is very interested in knowing and understanding the origins of her culture. Safiya is also a member of her school’s netball team.
In the area of culture Safiya is a senior player with the Desperadoes Youth Steel Orchestra and the youngest female to play the Double Seconds pan on both the stage and road sides of the Desperadoes Senior Steel Orchestra. Safiya began dancing at the age of three and has performed with Marcia Charles Dance Company, the Malick Folk Performers and at present with the San Juan South Cultural Organisation. Performances on the national stage include at Best Village competitions, the Yoruba Village Drum Festival and the Camboulay re-enactment.
The Yoruba Village was named after the Yoruba-speaking population, who resided there from the 19th century, at which time the community was known as Yoruba Village and Yoruba Town. The Yoruba people, who were rescued from the ships of British, France and Spanish plunderers, following the abolition of the Slave Trade, were brought to that part of the city of Port- of-Spain, where they resided as free men and women. They came originally, mainly from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Benin. Today the only semblance of the town’s history and existence is the Yoruba Village Square.
However, despite the persistent, calculated and prolonged efforts to de-culturalie the community, many of the rich customs and tradition of the Yoruba, remain in the Yoruba Village. Indeed, it is from within the bowels of this community of highly spiritual and inventive Yoruba people that the steelband, calypso and many aspects of our Carnival traditions originated.
In addition to drumming, the event will showcase tamboo bamboo, pan, dance, song and rapso. However, the format for this year’s celebration will be different as a result of the “new normal” in the fight against COVID-19. Since congregating in large numbers is still restricted, the festival will take the form of a virtual event. The ESCTT has collaborated with UWI Open Campus and UWI TV to ensure that persons across Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean, Africa and its Diaspora can view and enjoy this special festival.
On Saturday 20th June the event will premiere on the ESCTT Facebook Page and UWITV (Flow Channel 102) from 5.00 -6.30 p.m. It will also be available for viewing on all UWITV Channels across the Caribbean and on the websites of ESCTT, UWITV and UWI Open Campus.
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About the Recipients:
Everald ‘Redman’ Watson
- Drummer /Percussionist / Panman for more than 40 years.
- Began his career at a young age – as a part of block drumming, blockoramas and the Best Village competition.
- He is also an actor, singer, steelpan drill master and a teacher of many aspects of the performing arts.
- Drummer: Works at various schools as a drumming instructor. Dance Companies: UWI for Caribbean Dance classes; Carlton Francis; Andre Ettiene; Aubrey Adams’s Ambakaila; Carol La Chapelle; Noble Douglas; Caribbean School of Dance.
- Choirs: Bishop Anstey; Sacred Heart Girls RC; Mucarapo Girls RC; Marionettes Chorale, Lydians Choir.
- Theatre companies: Trinidad Theatre Workshop under Dereck Walcott; Bagasse; Raymond Choo Kong Productions; Lilliput; and many Best Village performing companies.
- Pan: Played with BP Renegades for 36 years and was once captain; Super Novas; also assisted many other bands over the years.
- Travelled to 32 countries around the world representing T&T as a performer.
- Has supported artistes: 3 Canal, Ella Andall, Andre Tanker, Mavis John, David Rudder, Denyse Plummer, Machel Montano.
- At present, he still works with youths as a teacher of drums, pan and different aspects of our culture. He is also one of the persons who has been a part of the ESC’s Emancipation celebrations from its inception.
Safiya Paul
- A Form Four student of El Dorado East Secondary School who lives in the Beetham Gardens in the Yoruba Village Community.
- An accomplished pannist with Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. She is a senior player with the Desperadoes Youth Steel Orchestra and most notably, the youngest female to play the Double Seconds pan on both the stage and road sides of the Desperadoes Senior Band.
- A talented dancer, who began dancing at the age of three with Marcia Charles’ Dance Company. She has performed for a number of years with Malik Folk Performers. She now dances with San Juan South Cultural Organisation with which she has had the opportunity to participate in the Prime Minister’s Best Village Competition, the Yoruba Village Drum Festival and the Camboulay Re-enactments on Carnival Fridays.
- Safiya also plays netball for her school and excels academically having won three medals in the subjects Drama, Music and History over her academic career thus far.
- Safiya’s favourite subject is History as she is extremely interested in knowing about the origins of her culture.
- She hopes one day to be a Social Worker who works with child abuse cases