Governor General’s Award Nifca Comment
Since I attended the Nifca Gala in November this is something that has been keeping me up at night…
How can a man performing a song entitled the “The Blue Bells of Scotland” be awarded the Governor General’s Trophy in our local National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (Nifca) competition?
It was determined by Governor General Sir Clifford Husbands that Samuel Millington who performed the song “Blue Bells of Scotland” on his trombone be given the Governor General’s award plus $5000, plus a trophy. That’s a lot of stuff for highlighting England.
I, being the idiot that I am, would stupidly figure that the words “National” and “Independence” mentioned in Nifca would mandate that such a special recognition be given to performance of song which highlights our own Bajan attributes, not a tribute to England.
If the song were “The Khus Khus Grass of our Scotland District” or “The White Sands of we Brandon’s Beach” or Gabby’s “Emmerton” that would be work. But the “Blue Bells of Scotland”??
The Governor General needs to go and come again….
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 !!!...
December 21st, 2007 at 11:34 am
correction. it’s not “highlighting England” or a “tribute to England”. Scotland is a country in its own right. Yes they are both in the United Kingdom / Great Britain but Scotland and England are both separate countries.
December 23rd, 2007 at 7:48 pm
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A COLONIAL MENTALITY THAT BELIEVES IN THE ENGLISH
BOY OH BOY
MERRY XMAS FROM PUERTO RICO
December 24th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Scottish is not English… Scottish come from Scotland, English from England.
December 25th, 2007 at 5:14 am
Thank you for the correction fyahkros, and merry xmas to a wee bonnie lassie such as your self (this was written in a scottish accent I think)
December 29th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Required reading Growing up stupid under the union jack. Enough Said
January 7th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Is NIFCA suposed to showcase local talent or local subject matter? Just asking.
January 8th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Trying to preserve the Bajan culture, I tried some of the Bajan words. I hope not to offend, remember, I’m really bad at the idiom but love it. But it doesn’t take Bajan proficiency to see that the NIFCA award was a deviation from the sentiments of the Bajans and may even be a violation of patriotism. Should we be singing
Oh ye’ll tak’ the high road An’ I’ll tak’ the low road
And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye
Blue Bells Of Scotland
By yon bonnie banks, and by yon bonnie braes
Local trombonist awarded for the song he plays
Unusual award especially since it was NIFCA
Remembering wah dis acronym stands fah
Bimshire was our original annual show
Everybody who is anybody used to go
Limited seats always meant people watching from outside
Looking through the cracks where the windows divide
Some patriots thought that to preserve our culture
Our Gala shouldn’t keep the name of England’s Bimshire
From then we promoted our own artistry
So we featured the Arts that belong to we
Creative stuff that shouts our Independence
The kind of stuff which promotes Barbados’ existence
Like Tuk, Land Ship, Spouge and folk songs that fit
A life at least Caribbean not some Scottish music
Now $5000 to an imposter, tek way from some other body
Don’t know wah cuddah possessed we awarding GG
February 15th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Peter, I am seeing this for the first time. Like you, I share a concern that we devote more attention to indigenous art. But I will say this: that performance by Samuel Millington was first class. And I think that is how it should be judged. It was a musical performance – no lyrics were presented. The award was for an exceptional MUSICAL performance. Now maybe we could argue that only Caribbean music should be allowed in NIFCA, but that has its own implications. Are we saying that a talented musician should not be allowed to perform a piece of jazz by Oscar Peterson?