Two Skatalites 'pop' up for Musgrave Awards

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Drum and bass form the throbbing pulse of Jamaican popular music and, continuing their lockstep as studio musicians since the early 1960s, before The Skatalites was officially formed in June 1964, drummer Lloyd Knibb and bassist Lloyd Brevet are being simultaneously honoured with Musgrave Awards.

Knibb and Brevet, who will receive Silver Musgrave Medals for music, are among 12 persons who will be honoured in mid-October at the Institute of Jamaica, the ceremony timed to coincide with Heritage Week.

Professor Terrence Forrester will receive a Gold for Science, Colin Channer a Silver for Literature, Gaston Tabois (painter), Gene Pearson (ceramicist) and Jon Williams (composer/teacher) Silver for Art, composer/conductor Sean Hird receiving a Bronze for Art.

Mechanical engineer Joel Saddler and researcher Dr Patrice Smith have been awarded Bronze Musgrave Awards for Science, while theatre arts practitioner and teacher Jean Small has also been awarded a Bronze.

Youth award

Newton Marshall has been awarded the Youth Musgrave, introduced in 2001, for his courage and persistence in completing the Idiatrod race. There would have been 13 awardees, but graphic artist Franklin Bernard declined the Bronze Musgrave.

Very few persons heavily involved in popular music have received Musgrave Awards, among them singer Ernie Smith (Bronze, 2002), Clement 'Sir Coxson' Dodd (Gold, 2002), Lloyd Parkes (2002, Bronze) and broadcaster Dermot Hussey (Bronze).

Former Third World Band member Michael 'Ibo' Cooper, who lectures at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, was awarded a Silver in 2007 for Music and Arts Management.

Background

Information provided by the Institute of Jamaica is that: "The Musgrave Awards was started in 1889 in honour of the late Sir Anthony Musgrave, former governor of Jamaica (1877-1883) and founder of the Institute of Jamaica who died in 1888 ... . The first medal was awarded to Mr C.R.W. Chander for his winning entry of an architectural design which depicted a peasant cottage in 1897. He received the silver medal as his prize, which was then the highest of the medals.

"In the early years of the Musgrave Awards persons won medals by taking part in competitions. This was done until 1906 when the concept of awarding medals was changed."

Information received from the Institute of Jamaica says that " … regulations allowed for a gold medal to be awarded only at intervals of not less than three years,

beginning in May 1893, and a special board meeting would have to be held".

Recipients of the Musgrave award receive a gold, silver or bronze medal. The gold medal is awarded for distinguished eminence; silver, for outstanding merit, while bronze is awarded for merit in any of the three field of study or practice.

The first gold medal was given to Edna Manley on March 23, 1943. She had previously received a silver medal in 1929 for sculpture.

Barbara Gloudon, who sits on the Musgrave Awards committee, says "The Musgrave is something that you dig deep to get. It is not because you hot now." She points out that the Musgrave Awards were established "to make people know they had worth". So craftsmen like tinsmiths were among the earliest awardees.

Musicians who do

Gloudon also points to the service element, saying "You don't get it because somebody paying you to do a job. We give a lot of musicians, but it is musicians who do something - Ibo got it. He got it for his teaching, his philosophy that people must learn something." That philosophy was put into action well before Cooper started teaching at Edna Manley. With Channer's involvement in literature going past writing to the Calabash International Literary Festival, Gloudon says "Calabash is only 10 years, but it is 10 years of digging deep".

Gloudon points out that the Musgrave Award process "is not intended to be a quick fix. Even upgrading, if you start with a bronze you would had to have moved significantly". A panel assesses recommendations to determine awardees.

"We don't give gold lightly. When you reach silver it means you have reached near the top," Gloudon said. There was at least one person, though, who declined the top award. Gloudon said "Marley was offered the gold and never took it. He said 'Rasta no take medal'."