Accolade- The Music Awards Of Guyana

SALUTATION

It is an absolute honour and privilege to stand before you wonderful people this evening to share the vision of Accolade- the music awards of Guyana.

But first I would particularly like to welcome all those gathered here to celebrate with us the achievements in the music industry, especially those partners who have demonstrated their confidence in us by coming on board with resources that are necessary to make this event successful. The achievement I refer to represents a continuous journey by dozens of artiste, music producers, and DJ’s whose talent, immense hard work and absolute passion has driven us to this point.

Bringing people to a love of music and encouraging them to participate in and enjoy musical experiences is a special gift given to mankind unfortunately not to all of us in this room. It is the legacy of great sons of music of Guyana that dedicated their time, talent and enthusiasm to this new generation of musicians who in turn are expected to emulate the generosity to encourage the musicians of tomorrow.

I am personally delighted that this effort to host the music awards of Guyana is most timely as it coincides with a period of an upsurge in recorded music by industry veterans to the latest surge in fresh and new unsigned talent on the local music scene.

The vision of the Accolade is to create a product of excellence to showcase our rich and diverse art and cultures. It is the unleashing of vast potentials in the music industry.

These awards gives Guyana another opportunity to make its mark in the international arena by rewarding artistic excellence in the music industry through a premier event comparable to international Award shows such as the Grammy’s and the one produced by BET.

In November at the actual awards there will be a line up of fantastic performances which will represent a climax for the local entertainment diehards and at the same time promote and represent a hype for the local music industry. Guyanese are asked to prepare themselves for an event which can only be billed as an excellent experience – from red carpet entrances to outstanding local and regional performances from a mind blowing awards ceremony to international celebrity endorsements.

The music industry is at a critical crossroad and deserves every effort to highlight its achievements, motivate its artistes, elevate standards, encourage artistic excellence and utilize talents that may be inclined to engage in negative endeavours.

I would like to urge all stakeholders of the music industry to come together to collectively shape the industry. There are still challenges which we have to work collectively to confront, such as modern copyright legislation and improving the quality of our production to compete at the international standard. We are aware this is a huge task ahead of us but not one impossible to achieve with the cooperation and support of Guyanese including those in the business sector.

Importantly there is rising expectation by Guyanese and musicians themselves which is inevitable in an emerging competitive environment of increase quality and standard. The Accolade seeks to unleash the potential of musicians by first of all recognizing, appreciating and rewarding them for their contributions to the striving music industry in Guyana. We aim also to extend motivation and provide exposure for local artistes, all relevant to the growth and development of the industry and to provide them an opportunity to market and highlight their talent as a product.

We believe these objectives will encourage and promote quality as well as increase meaningful involvement in an effort to ensure the overall development of the music industry in Guyana.

The Accolade will live up to the expectation of all Guyanese. We thank you all for coming out this evening as an endorsement of Accolade- the music awards of Guyana. We look forward to seeing you November 30.