Byron Lee at top of the bill for Batabano

Byron Lee

Friday,  April 15, 2005

A household name to West Indian communities all over the world, ‘Byron Lee and the Dragonaires’ will be putting a smile on the face of all Cayman’s Soca lovers and carnival fans as organisers of this year’s Cable & Wireless Cayman Carnival Batabano have secured their services for Batabano 2005.

“Byron Lee and the Dragonaires are well-known to people in Cayman, but this will be their first ever performance at Cayman Carnival Batabano,” said Donna Myrie, Chair of the Batabano Committee.

“We are thrilled that for the first time in the 21 year history of Cayman Carnival Batabano Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, the Caribbean’s number one band will be performing at our carnival.” 

Recognising the mass appeal of the group, the organisers of Batabano have arranged for Byron Lee and the Dragonaires to play at two fetes during carnival week.

On Thursday 5 May, they will play at the Masquerade Fete at Pedro St. James. This is a corporate event and members of the business community will be able to enjoy dinner, dancing and a carnival atmosphere under the stars with a champagne reception, Caribbean buffet and headline performance by the Caribbean’s number one Soca band. 

On the Friday Fete which takes place 6 May Byron Lee will be playing to what is according to the organisers going to be a sell out crowd at Safe Haven.

Formed in 1956, no other Soca band has performed together as long as the Dragonaires. The band is well known throughout West Indian communities everywhere and their international success rivals many major bands internationally. The band first performed at the Trinidad Carnival in 1974, going on to become a regular part of the carnival and the first non-Trinidadian band to win the Downtown Carnival Committee Award in Port-of-Spain for Best Playing Band in 1989.

With over 105 awards to its credit, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires continue to take the sound of Soca music all over the world, performing in 36 cities annually. The band has evolved over the years, however with the exception of a few, most members have been with the band 25 – 30 years.

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