The Marlen Awards, when it comes to gospel music, it is the regional equivalent of the Grammy's. The 2006 Marlen's will be given out this weekend in Nassau Bahamas and for the first time ever, a Belizean gospel group is on the list of nominees. The Heavenlies Gospel Band is up for the best soca vocal performance for "Hands In the Air." The band's leader Burton Brooks, manager Gilbert Gordon along with public relations officer Ian Mariano left Belize today. Brooks and Mariano stopped by our studios before leaving for Nassau.
Ian Mariano, P.R. Officer
"This is a very big award and actually it is very big for the group and for the country of Belize."
Burton Brooks, Band Leader
"The new album we just did, 'The Next Level,' and the song that was nominated was 'Hands in the Air,' and it was nominated in the soca/calypso category. We released the CD last year and that is the same CD actually that won Album of the Year last year here in Belize and then the band last year Gospel Band of the Year and also this year."
Ian Mariano,
"After being in the ministry for over thirteen years this is a very big step because after you've done what you can do locally, it is nice to be recognized for your efforts at an international level. And so actually it is a booster for the group. There times when you would like to test the waters to see exactly what level you are at, and I think there is no better place to do it than the Marlen Award."
Burton Brooks,
"As band leader and as leader of the ministry on a whole, what it means is that when we started back in 1993, we never in a million years had imagined that the band ministry would get this far as to be nominated in the Bahamas for the Marlen Awards. That is a real big thing. We didn't even dream that far. But it just comes to show that when you put God first in everything and he guides the way, he directs you, when you let go everything and let God...there is no limit to what we can do."
The Heavenlies Gospel Band is also expected to perform. The group returns to Belize on Monday.
