Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/2194/-1/134/
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Country Music Festival In Anguilla
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Performers from Nashville, Tennessee headed by well-known Billy Ray Cyrus, together with Anguillian artistes, produced two popular concerts last weekend for the first Country Music Festival in Anguilla. Funds raised are towards the Anguilla Tennis Academy and educational projects on the island.
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Performers at the Country Music Festival
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The group from Nashville was welcomed on Friday evening at a cocktail reception at the Anguilla Great House. Billy Ray Cyrus told members of the press that he was honoured to be in Anguilla and very happy to help the children of the island. He said that he grew up singing in church and started singing professionally at the age of eighteen. Before he left he said that he loves the island and will sure to be back again.
Up and coming star, Shannon Browne, was another of the performers and she has been singing professionally for the past twelve years. She has had several very successful singles and has just produced an album with Warner Brothers. She said that she was thrilled to be in Anguilla to perform for the people here. Other performers from Nashville were Chuck Cannon, Bob Dipiero, Scotty Emerick, James Slater, Kylie Sackley and Jeffrey Steele. Anguillian performers included Bankie Banx, Evan Webster, Ash Hodge, and Sproka.
The first concert was at Scilly Cay on Saturday, February 20th, and the appreciative audience enjoyed the music so much that it continued for some five hours. The second performance was at the Dune Preserve on Sunday evening where again the audience enjoyed the great rythms and singing.
Sponsors for the weekend’s event were the Anguilla Tourist Board, BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.), Travis Productions, American Airlines/American Eagle, the National Bank of Anguilla, Caribbean Commercial Bank, Cable and Wireless, Caribbean Juris Chambers and other businesses in Anguilla. The Anguilla Great House, Frangipani Resort, Shoal Bay Villas, Kerwin Cottages and Coyaba Villa all provided accommodation for the visitors and several restaurants sponsored meals for the performers.
Travis Productions from Nashville videoed the performances. The event is to be used as a promotional tool for the island and several story segments for the “Country Music Across America” television show hosted by Warner will be produced. Exposure will be wide, as the show is seen in over 40 million US homes as well as in Australia and throughout the Caribbean.