Percy Yip Tong-Kaya reunion in 1992 in Paris for the “Africolor Festival”, after two years of separation. CREDIT: FACEBOOK PERCY YIP TONG
The good news came on Sunday. Percy Yip Tong, a figure who needs no introduction, stands out as one of the year’s inductees Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame. He was honored in the prestigious “Professional Excellence” category. This international distinction, which celebrates artistic and professional excellence, reaffirms its commitment to preserving and promoting musical traditions on an international scale.
The Transglobal World Music Hall of Fameby inducting Percy Yip Tong, citizen activist, performer at conferences and other international meetings, artistic director, including for groups in Ghana or Somalia, and who was the first to produce the late seggaeman Kaya – Joseph Reginald Topize – died in a cell at Alcatraz in February 1999 and Racinetatane, recognized his contribution to the creation and promotion of artistic projects that extended well beyond the borders of the island.
In a first reaction full of emotion, Percy Yip Tong expressed his gratitude while emphasizing the importance of this recognition for “We were the little island”.
“It’s a totally unexpected surprise. Finding myself in the World Music Hall of Fame is recognition from world music professionals and will, I hope, give me credibility with the Mauritian authorities so that a Mauritian cultural center can finally see the light of day 56 years after Independence…”he confided.
The Transglobal World Music Chart (TWMC), created in 2015, brings together a global network of music critics dedicated to the dissemination of music rootstraditional and of the world. TWMC produces a list of albums, a ranking, every month and also at the end of the year, selected according to their quality. The panel is intended to include any good quality production, recorded in any country, including self-productions and small label releases.
The “Professional Excellence” award, shared with renowned organizations such as Muziek-publique and personalities such as Simon Broughton, is a tribute to the crucial role of Percy Yip Tong in the recognition of world music and its transmission. This award provides unprecedented visibility to Mauritius, and places the island on the global map of cultural and artistic initiatives.
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