“Open The Gates”; My Ass!*
*Photo of my Ass above!
Have you seen the filler video commercial the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has on TV advertising our National Party Monarch Competition? It’s the one that starts with the Trini Winchester song.
“Open the Gates” “Open the Gates”
It is the most insulting piece of crap I have come across for some time. It is insulting to us as entertainers and also as Bajans! You are promoting a National Competition which contains some of our biggest acts of our Crop Over Festival. Lil Rick “Eating Conch”, Khiomal with “Bashment Bacchanal”, Timmy with “Sauce”, Peter Ram with “Pumping”, Mikey, Barry, Blood, Mr Dale, all those big Bajan acts and the only artiste that NCF can find to highlight in the ad is Sherwin Winchester? That is so igrunt then.
Yes they also have an ad jingle that I heard with Edwin singing about Party Monarch event but a majority of the marketing thrust is based on Sherwin, especially on television.
When I first saw the ad on TV I thought it was just a Sherwin Winchester music video playing and I thought “Ok, CBC is showing some Trini music in addition to all the Bajan fillers they have been showing recently, that’s cool”. It was only when I saw the little words running along the bottom that I realized it really was the ad for our own Party Monarch.
I am all for CSME and all that crap, I am not saying that you should not have Sherwin on the show. We have become accustomed to the fact that NCF will pay over $50,000.00 to Trinis to perform here while viciously resisting any attempts by locals to get even a meager raise. But now to turn around and highlight them exclusively in the advertising that is adding insult to injury.
On the radio the Party Monarch ad starts with audio of Sherwin saying, “Barbados, this is your boy Sherwin Winchester inviting you to Party Monarch” somebody should tell him he is not our boy. Our boys would be Barry, Lil Rick and Mikey and them, we should be inviting. Sherwin to party monarch as a guest not him inviting us. At this time nobody gives a rat’s ass about “opening gates” people talking about eating “conch” and who “bite” who.
The bumper crowds that are coming in for Crop Over are coming to see Bajan acts. If they wanted to see Sherwin they would go to Trinidad Carnival. When you see Winchester being highlighted it gives the impression that our local acts and music are failing and we have to resort to a foreign act to sell the show. That could not be further from the truth, the general opinion is that overall the quality and standard of music this year is way above previous years.
Now here’s where I will shamelessly plug.
That is why in the marketing of Bacchanal Time we are proud to say we highlight our local stars in our ads and still have successful events. In our advertising you will see Mac Fingall, Edwin, Rick, Madd, Spin Pooch and even youngsters like Nard and John Mahameed. Bajan acts are highlighted to attract people to a Bajan show.
You know CBC does say that CBC is we TV? Well Crop Over is We festival and the marketing of We National Competitions should reflect We!
I dun wid that! (Say like badman Sickie …. dun!)
P.S; If you disagree with me you can comment so I can curse your ass too!
And while you are at it also read “To Curse or Not to Curse”
Thank you for tuning in……
If during the reading of this blog there is any thing I might have written which might have incensed or offended you, GET OVER IT! There are many things I read and hear in the media on a daily basis that I don't like either. SO DEAL WITH IT! You are welcome to leave your comments though. Make sure and come back yuh hear !!!...
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July 29th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
there was anudda advert that started with a dub song. i was trying to figure out how you have a crop over event advert with a dub song, and then i realized everyting fuh cup
July 30th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
will the real ass please stand aside
the real ass do stand part
will the real ass please stand out of the way
the real ass do stand apart
similar words can be heard in the house assembly on tuesdays
July 30th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
When they performed after the featured act yesterday at the Party Monarch Competition, I had to ask if a DJ was playing a CD. People were clearly ready to party to some nice Bajan 2007 Kaiso rhythms, pelting waist and wukking up as we are accustomed to at this time of year. No ill will towards the guys from outa T & T cause they are artiste also, but they just did not fit down at de coast yesterday. With their mixture of softish rap and sweet kaiso fusions.
The NCF has to realise that the focus of the east coast is the Final between the top (20) songs even if they include a cupla unpopular ones and a few gospel songs. then a hype dj to keep the spirit up as we await the results. We do not need a foreign act to keep the bowl going. Remain focused NCF please, do not kill our festival by wasting so much money every year. Unnecessarily???????? The popular tunes that did not make it to the coast, could be used to fill any gaps.
How was it also that Sherwayne Winchester and Traffic received Hot meals in their dressing room, that was manned by two stationed guards at all times, and the local competitors, had to trek to the hills with a food coupon to receive a choice of food, without salad? What is the difference between Sherwayne and Local Artistes? I searched high and low for an answer and the only one I came up with is the huge lumpsum of Money paid to him for his performance. Are I rite or are i Write or are I right?
Our own local Guest artiste, such as multiple crown winner, Red Plastic Bag did not receive a food coupon, was that an oversight (Bajans cant see)at least he got some water and a lill drink, but was never fed. Shame, how do we treat our artiste so?
The many dancers, aint get no food neither. But there were food warmers, and a selection of drinks available to Mr. Winchester and crew, for their convenience and at their disposal. I wanted to cry when I heard this.
Man I dun.
July 30th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Man look I real upset bout that thing. Wen we gine change how de artiste are treated?
Artiste, You need to view yourselves on a better scale, and stop accepting instant gratification as the norm, start believing in your craft and your ability, and believe that you have an opportunity to create a change here in Barbados where you are respected and fed and watered. Join together and make a difference nuh? before it is too late to change anything more. Common man, I gone man!
July 31st, 2007 at 9:57 am
tassa said it clearly this year in a song that i believe shouldbe at the finals but it shows where the judges are as a people
tassa sang ——-slavery aint done
the mentality that prevails at the ncf is responsible for this-it is master/servant mentality that leads to discrimination and inequality
August 1st, 2007 at 12:50 pm
WTF is the NCF doing…..we have a lot of local artiste that could have fill the slot Sherwayne Winchester had cause he was HORRIBLE on sunday. I aint hear no-one comment about his set when he did that “Move Bit*h” song by rapper Ludacris without even editing it…
anyway NCF will contiune to do
N uff
C #%t
F areal
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:58 pm
I would like to know if the NCF meets everyday and asks “What should we f$@#^k up today?
I am sure that with the money that was paid to Shurwayne could have been split in two and half could have helped increase the prize money and the other half could have paid Rupee and Band, Edwin and Krosfyah and The Alison Hinds Show. And based on the cries of our entertainers they might still have change to spare.
Why doesn’t the NCF look at having a raggasoca competition in the daytime and the party monarch competition when the sun starts to go down?
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:18 am
ADVICE; when you see sutuations like this it means that one or two persons are making decisions unknown to others –this is classic colonial behaviour which has come thru from slavery thru emancipation and right up to this present day. it is a serious problem that must
be eliminated. you see it in calypso, in cricket, in football and all other aspects of life especially at the work place. watch the west indies cricket board good and you will see that decisions which affect the players do not involve the players, look and see how the players are treated, look at how those in charge behave, study it good
it is a kind of hatred for people where they rate some as it and the rest as s**t and treat them accordinly—-
August 25th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Although i do not agree that the Crop Over music from this year was better than that of previous years, I agree whole heartedly that that ad was completely out of place for the marketing of our national festival. I would suggest that NCF allow the local artistes to be directly involved imn te marketing of the festival like what they did two years back with “Festival Feva”.