Epic Fete Promotions is new sponsors of junior parang

The National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NPATT) has a new sponsor for the secondary schools segment of this year’s Junior Parang competition.

Epic Fete Promotions (EFP) has agreed to sponsor the top three prizes for the secondary schools competition which is scheduled for November, a media release said.

Epic Fete Promotions is a US-based outfit, that hosts parang and soca parang events in New York and Florida. Its aim is to preserve Caribbean culture through live events, the release said.

Speaking at the recently held prize-giving ceremony for the 2022 winners at Mille Fleurs, Maraval Road, Port of Spain, EFP’s CEO Joan Nicom-Gould said her group was happy to support the junior festival. “We made a decision to invest in the youth,” she said.

NPATT and its youth officer Joseph Bertrand said they are grateful for the investment by EFP.

“This investment will go a long way in engaging our youth in parang and developing the craft and we look forward to working with EFP for future endeavours,” the release said.

The Junior Parang competition which started in 1978 was the brainchild of Henrietta Carter, who is the current vice-president of NPATT.

At the prize-giving ceremony, Carter expressed the hope that more schools will participate this season.

“We want to encourage corporate TT to support the preservation of the artform."

Before the youth competition gets into full swing, young parranderos and their teachers are invited to attend an online Youth Lecture Series, the release said.

Bertrand said the lecture series is meant to engage the next generation of parranderos, so that they understand the tradition of the artform.

“Appreciating parang comes with understanding how it came here,” Bertrand said. “The Youth Lecture Series will offer some background, to keep the youngsters motivated, so that they are inspired to continue participating the artform.”

On October 11, Dr Francisca Allard will discuss the history of parang and on October 18, seasoned parranderos Alicia Jaggasar, Neal Marcano, and Cassell George will discuss the house parang experience, the release said.

Both sessions will take place at 5.30 pm via Zoom.

To register for the junior competition and the Youth Lecture Series, contact Joseph Bertrand at 354-4419 or e-mail secretarynpatt@gmail.com