1ST NATIONAL BANK LAUNCHES CALENDAR HONOURING CARNIVAL LEGENDS

The much-awaited 2020 Calendar for 1st National Bank has been launched. This year the Bank has recognized the work and legacy of twelve Carnival legends and icons who blazed the trail and shaped this country’s most popular celebration into the phenomenal national spectacle it has become. The annual calendar from 1st National Bank has become a major outlet for documenting the outstanding achievements of Saint Lucians in all fields of endeavour. These range from culture and entertainment to industry and enterprise, sports, women and community development.

The 2020 calendar focuses on Carnival and those who unselfishly devoted time, their talent and creativity to what has become Saint Lucia’s biggest cultural event. Robert Fevrier of 1st National Bank says the objective was to ensure that those who have contributed selflessly to carnival be celebrated and documented: “We are pleased once again to be the first corporate entity to engage a project of this unique nature, honouring in a single document the men and women who have blazed the trail in their individual areas of Carnival.”

Fevrier says the process of research was quite a revelation: “Our country has many legends and icons who have been, and are still, involved in Carnival. Our challenge was to have criteria that would narrow down the field to twelve persons to fit within the natural space of a twelve-month calendar. As such, we decided to look at those who were either first in terms of their contribution or those who stood above the crowd in terms of awards. We are happy to overcome the challenge of selection and have presented a wonderful mix of the past and present, men and women, young and old across the many aspects of Carnival”.

Those honoured in the 2020 1st National Bank Icons and Legends of Carnival calendar were pleased to have their achievements documented for posterity. The calendar celebrates the following icons:

McGriffin Pancras Theodore, “Mighty Terra”: National ‘Kaiso’ trailblazer, first and only to win eight consecutive titles;

Regina Edwards: dress designer to the Carnival Queens;

Leonard Wellington, “Scrub”:Pan maestro extraordinaire;

Trevor Anthony, “Jah T”:modernizer of Calypso composition, first major exponent of Creole Kaiso;

Euralis Ethel Therese Bouty: first female president of the Carnival Development Committee;

Antonius Gibson, “Secra”:Mas maker extraordinaire,first mega band owner and creator in Carnival history;

Desmond Long, “Mighty Pep”:Caribbean Kaiso maestro,eight-time Calypso Monarch of the modern era;

Martina Francis, “Lady Spice”:Saint Lucia’s most flamboyant and controversial female Calypsonian, first female Calypso Monarch;

Norma Beaubrun: first Carnival Queen;

Agnes Louis, “Black Pearl”:exponent of Creole Kaiso,first female Socal Monarch;

Teddyson John “TJ”:Saint Lucia’s foremost Soca Ambassador, first Groovy Soca Monarch;

Jeff Eyre Elva “The Mighty Pelay”: prolific Calypso writer and performer, first Soca Monarch.

The 2020 1st National Bank calendar marks an outstanding year for the Bank which started in 1938 as the Penny Bank.

Just a few months ago it was judged the Business of the Year by the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce and recognised by the internationally-acclaimed financial magazine The Banker of London as the “Bank of the Year Saint Lucia” for 2019. And as recent as a few days ago it announced its agreement in principle to fully acquire the operations of RBC Saint Lucia and St Vincent and a stake in RBC Grenada.