NLIS 4
February 14, 2006
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)
Cultural Tourism Award
This year�s Cultural Tourism Award has
been awarded to performing artist Jim Payne, one of Newfoundland and
Labrador�s foremost cultural ambassadors.
�Mr. Payne celebrates and promotes the culture, heritage and lifestyle
of Newfoundland and Labrador through his music, storytelling and
traditional dancing,� said Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture
and Recreation.
�For close to 30 years, he has passionately embraced the pursuit of
cultural expression by enriching the experience of the people who live
here, those who come to visit and those he encounters through
international performances. In all his artistic endeavors, he is
faithful to the authentic and complex culture of his beloved province.�
A native of Notre Dame Bay, Mr. Payne is a leading performer, collector
and producer of traditional Newfoundland music. He is one of the
province�s most prolific songwriters, as well as a storyteller, singer,
writer, actor, step dancer and instructor, and caller of traditional
Newfoundland set and square dances. He has performed extensively on
radio and television both in Canada and abroad, and has toured
throughout the world. He also teaches a course in traditional
Newfoundland accordion music at Memorial University�s School of Music.
Mr. Payne owns and operates his own record label, SingSong Inc. in St.
John's, which has released 18 titles featuring traditional and
contemporary music that reflects the Newfoundland experience. They
include recordings by legendary Newfoundland traditional musicians as
well as those by contemporary folk and traditional artists. SingSong has
just released Kenneth Peacock�s Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, the
most comprehensive collection of traditional music ever compiled.
�I am very pleased and quite overwhelmed by this honour,� said Mr.
Payne. �When I am performing in the province or for international
audiences, people seem to be captivated by the fact that the songs and
stories spring out of a place that they can point to on a map. I think
that when we talk about cultural tourism, it is about celebrating our
lifestyle. It is about people eking out a living in this spectacular
environment, which inspires and motivates cultural expression. �
The Cultural Tourism Award, sponsored by the Department of Tourism,
Culture and Recreation in partnership with the Department of Canadian
Heritage and Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL), acknowledges
and celebrates the innovative pursuit of cultural expression within the
tourism industry. It recognizes the efforts that result in an authentic
cultural tourism experience that, in turn, fosters economic benefit to
the province.
�The cultural experience that visitors have in our province makes
Newfoundland and Labrador a unique tourism destination," said Nick
McGrath, president of HNL. �Mr. Payne's performances and stories of
Newfoundland and Labrador certainly go a long way in promoting the
province and enhancing our visitors stay.�
Media contact: Susanne Hiller, Communications, (709) 729-0928, 728-7762
2006 02 14
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