The Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) has honoured legendary Saint Lucian artist Herman De Ashanti Hippolyte for his outstanding contribution to the country’s music and cultural landscape.
At an event on Monday, December 30, he received an honorarium and a plaque in recognition of his influence on calypso music, which has spanned decades and touched countless fans.
De Ashanti was also the featured artist at CDF’s recent inaugural MIZIK programme, a special event celebrating the diversity and richness of Saint Lucian music. The programme brought together veteran and emerging artists who performed De Ashanti’s iconic hits, showcasing the breadth of his work and the lasting impact of his music.
Executive Director of the CDF, Raymona Henry-Wynne said the foundation was delighted with the success of the MIZIK programme: “I think we were very pleased with the outcome of the activity. Just seeing the joy on Ashanti’s face. I got goosebumps just looking at him – that appreciation, just seeing people on stage performing his music; I think for me, that was terrific.”
“And we all know that music is a universal language. It’s a language that we all understand and we all appreciate. And for us as a CDF, our mandate is really to create platforms for creativity, create platforms for artists to thrive and grow and to be able to perform and to show off their best.”
A key highlight of the MIZIK programme was its focus on collaboration and pushing artists outside their comfort zones. “Imagine a soca artist in calypso, and you have that mix of young and the seasoned, like Invader performing Ashanti’s work. This is what the CDF would really like to do – to create that fusion, ensuring that young people have something to aspire to. And I think this is what the music of Ashanti has done over the years,” Henry-Wynne explained.
The event also highlighted the unique ways in which young and seasoned musicians reinterpret De Ashanti’s work.
“We saw that joy. If you listen to [musicians] Ezra and Arthur on their social media pages – how much appreciation they had for just this activity, how it gave them the opportunity to perform somebody’s work whom they looked up to for years but never got that opportunity,” Henry-Wynne added.
The CDF plans to expand the MIZIK programme, building on its success. “This was the first edition of MIZIK, and we are hoping that we can continue doing it in the coming years because we saw the connectivity; we saw that transference of skills to some of the musicians that’ve never done calypso before,” said Henry-Wynne.
“The CDF looks forward to ensuring that we can connect with the artist community – and these are the ways that you can connect. Sometimes people believe the only way of connecting is through giving people financial contributions. But if you can create platforms like this, I think it gives an opportunity for the CDF to connect with the community, connect with our constituents, and to ensure that we create that environment so that they can become the best that they can be.”
De Ashanti expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the event and the recognition.
“When I was told that CDF is doing a show and showed me the flyer, a joy came in my heart. Everybody sang lyrics to my song and on the night of the show. I could not sit down; I was [moving] up and down,” he said excitedly.
“I give praises to CDF for such a wonderful show and I hope you have many more shows.”
De Ashanti concluded by sharing his plans to return to calypso and continue performing.
