With the help of Sir George Martin, the Montserrat Cultural Centre opens its doors
Little Bay, Montserrat (May 2007) – The people of Montserrat, a country rich in tradition and fine arts, have celebrated another milestone on the road to the rebirth of their cultural core. The long-awaited Montserrat Cultural Centre opened its doors on May 12, 2007. The centre, made possible by the fundraising efforts of former Beatles producer Sir George Martin, is part of the country’s long-term strategy to develop Little Bay as a new urban area. The facility is a venue for concerts, conferences, exhibitions, ceremonies and other special events.
Years in the making, the Montserrat Cultural Centre was built at a cost of more than US$2 million. Most of the funds were a direct result of the efforts of Sir George Martin who fell in love with the island in the 1970s. During that time, Martin bought a house and created Air Studios, a state-of-the-art recording facility that quickly became popular within the music industry until it closed its doors in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo struck the island.
After the volcanic destruction of the 1990s, Martin led the way in raising funds for the new cultural centre by spearheading a major fundraising concert event. Dubbed Music for Montserrat, the concert was held at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1997 and featured many of the former Air Studios recording artists such as Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John and Eric Clapton. Martin also sold 500 autographed limited edition lithographs of the score he produced for the Beatles’ song “Yesterday.”
The Montserrat Cultural Centre, featuring the 700-seat Sir George Martin Auditorium, conference rooms, a bar and restaurant area, changing rooms, rehearsal areas, offices and a large outside area for open-air performances, already has a major event planned for this summer. On July 21, the 2007 Miss CARICOM International Pageant will take place at the centre. Award-winning actor Danny Glover is scheduled to appear at the event as Master of Ceremonies. For more information on the Montserrat Cultural Centre, visit montserratculturalcenter.com.
Montserrat, a lush, green and mountainous island of approximately 39 square miles, lies in the Eastern Caribbean chain of islands. Known fondly as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, this pear-shaped island is a traveller’s paradise for nature lovers, divers, adventurers, family and villa vacationers and honeymooners. This British overseas territory boasts the spectacular Soufrière Hills Volcano, a modern-day Pompeii in the form of its buried former capital city, Plymouth, alongside flourishing, green mountains, world-class nature trails, deserted dark-sand beaches, untouched reefs and a quiet, friendly charm reminiscent of the way the Caribbean used to be.
For more information on Montserrat and its breathtaking scenery and unspoiled, unpolluted coral and volcanic vistas, contact the Montserrat Tourist Board at (664) 491-2230/8730 or info@montserrattourism.ms.
For your FREE on-line Montserrat travel guide, visit www.caribbean.com.
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