Shirley Osborne delivering one of the calypso awards Calypso finals night
The 50th anniversary of Montserrat’s Annual Christmas Festival dubbed ‘Festival 50’, will see the first Annual John Bassey Award for the Best Social/Political Commentary in Calypso, in memory of late Chief Minister John Alfred Osborne, who was also very well-known by his nickname “John Bassey”.
The announcement came in a press release issued on December 11, 2012, by Shirley Osborne, daughter of the late Chief Minister.
The release said, “The award will consist of a trophy and a financial award which is intended to increase each year as the number and quality of submissions increase.“
Shirley announced another award saying that “the winner, and possibly some of the other artists will also have the opportunity to perform at each year’s “The Gift of The Gab” which will form part of the John Alfred Osborne Debates and Speaker Series, the inaugural event of which will take place in May 2013.
She explained the decision for the annual awards: “Politics and public speaking were two of the skills at which my father excelled, and both of these require knowledge, logic, analysis, and self-confidence among other things, she said, adding, “calypso is an art-from as well as a formidable social commentary vehicle that requires the same set of skills.”
The decision was that “one of the best ways to honour our father’s memory and make an ongoing contribution to Montserrat and its people, would be to provide opportunity for Montserratians to develop some of these skills, engage in and support their development in others, and enjoy the events in which these skills will be showcased for public enjoyment, uplift and information,” she informed.
She closed the release further explaining: “We chose his nickname for the calypso award because calypsonians always use a nickname, and because that award will be conferred mostly by the public, so we wanted to ensure that the process was not excessively formal.
“The Debates and Speaker Series will also be a mix of formality and fun, with serious debates on important issues, comedy and satire, as well as calypso,” Osborne also said.
