Tabia, a reggae group from the Cayman Islands, was the grand prize winner in the “Rhythms of the Caribbean” promotion, as announced last week at the Caribbean State Ball in New York City, organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
The contest was launched last September by The New Yorker Magazine, in cooperation with Island Records Jamaica and the Caribbean Tourism Organization. “Rhythms of the Caribbean” was designed to discover new musical talent throughout the island region and to demonstrate the variety of indigenous sounds to an international audience. It was heavily promoted by the magazine.
Second place was won by WCK from Dominica; Tunates from Venezuela came in third; and a tie for fourth place was given to both Roderick Pinder and Kevan McKenzie of the Bahamas and King Posse of Haiti.
“Rhythms of the Caribbean” has uncovered a wealth of fabulous talent in the region,” said Trish Farrell, President of Island Records Jamaica. “Each island has its own special flavor of music, creating a good variety to choose from. All of the festivals attended were handled quite professionally and the people involved were more than hospitable. I look forward to the experience next year with even more countries participating.”
“No less than 25 of our member countries enthusiastically embraced the ‘Rhythms of the Caribbean’ music contest, covering virtually every corner of our multi-cultural heritage,” said Michael J. Youngman, director of Marketing for the Caribbean Tourism Organization.