Sage Award Winners in HNP Publications and Recordings

The following recipients of the Sage Cultural Award 2022 are matched with publications and recordings from House of Nehesi Publishers: Anastasia Larmonie (leading St. Martin musician; music educator, composer), in St. Martin Massive! A Snapshot of Popular Artists (2000); Laurelle “Yaya” Richards (folklorist), author of The Frock & Other Poems (2010).

Roland Richardson (impressionist painter, writer; environmental activism), was also featured in St. Martin Massive! A Snapshot of Popular Artists (2000). Lasana M. Sekou (poet, journalist, publisher; cultural activism), author of Born Here (1986), was the subject of Caribbean Counterpoint: The Aesthetics of Salt in Lasana Sekou by Sara Florian, PhD (2019).

Tanny and The Boys (legendary string band), featured in Fête–The first recording of traditional St. Martin’s festive music (LP, cassette, 1992) and St. Martin Massive! A Snapshot of Popular Artists (2000). Fête–Celebrating St. Martin’s Traditional Festive Music–Revised Edition was published in 2008. Chester York (St. Martin steelpan pioneer, pannist, pan maker), was the subject of Chester York–Making of a Panman (1999).

The full complement of the 2022 Sage awardees included Camille Baly (educator, writer), received Sage’s “Visionary of Cultural Legacy Award”; Veronica “Ms. Vero” Arrindell (community leader/organizer); Cynric Griffith (visual artist); Roland “Paben” Bryson (actor; TV show host/producer); and Clarence “Bongo” Richardson (jollification organizer).

For all awardees, the Sage celebrated the “immeasurable lifetime contribution to the development of, the continued perpetuation of our culture, our heritage, and our legacy,” said Reyes.

The Sage Cultural Award is named after the sage flower. Reyes said that “The sage flower has been chosen for its symbolic significance as represented in our coat of arms. The word sage also denotes reverence, legacy, and wisdom.” The words “Reverence,” “Legacy,” and “Wisdom” are parts of the Sage Cultural Award design.

This article picked out artists published by HNP to highlight the importance of, and to encourage more and better publishing and record-keeping about, for, and by the artists of St. Martin, South and North. But the videotaped gala awards ceremony, held at ALEEZE Convention Center and published online, is also a record of all the awardees at bit.ly/3jU0Xwi.