“An eerie silence” that is how the current calm non contentious Crop Over we have been having so far was describe in the Nation newspaper this week. The writer of the letter was a man called Larry Tull.

Its amazing that a word like eerie should be used to describe what really is a desirable situation.
Let’s look at some other pertinent points which were made in that letter that I would like to address.
Larry asked two very valid questions,

1 How is it that the tent managers association Batman who for years caused controversy every Crop Over asking for increases to the tent subvention is not requesting a a hike this year and making a big stink to get it.

2 How come now Peter Boyce Company coordinating Cavalcades they are no longer a problem when before the same Boyce asked for Cavalcades to be discontinued because they affected the tents.

Point 1; I cannot address as that speaks directly to the Barbados Association of Tent Managers (Batman) and I am not authorized to articulate on their behalf.

Response to 2; this is a good point Larry made and a valid question, this I can address.
I do not recall saying Cavalcades should be discontinued, my position was that when the tents opened Cavalcades being a free event would have a negative effect on the patronage of the tents.
Notice how ever the Cavalcades started on 9th May and finish on 14th June, most tents open around mid to the ending of June hence they would be not be affected.

Under the previous administration the Cavalcades had all sort of underlying objectives, they wanted to judge calypsonians they insisted that people to do new music ONLY. Those objectives sought to infringed on activities that were exclusively the domain of tents and would have threatened their existence.
I was at a meeting this year where some ass attempted to present that position that Cavalcades should be used to judge calypsonians for Party Monarch and I opposed it because my position remained that should be left exclusively to the tents.

On the new music issue, I always thought that the previous administration was shooting themselves in their foot insisting that persons on Cavalcades MUST do new songs.
Yes if your song 2008 song is ready we want you to perform it other wise do one of your old hits. Bajans love their old music the overwhelming success of the St lucy Vintage Back in Time Cavalcade is evidence of that.
The Banks Cable and Wireless Cavalcades 2008 have been successful because they have been utilizing effective new music AND old music as well.
The purpose of the Cavalcades is to set the correct ambiance and get the people in the mood for Crop Over 2008 so that when the tents open people would be more motivated to attend them.
In closing let us hope the contented calm that Larry describes as an eerie silence continues until then Boyce Voice will fade to exactly that….    An eerie silence…….

Me and my freind The Mighty Romeo

When the mighty Romeo took to the stage on the night of the Banks Cable and Wireless  vintage Cavalcade it was a significant achievement.
When it comes to surviving in the face of adversity Romeo is an excellent example of that.
Known as the love man of calypso his return to the calypso stage in 2008 is an example that regardless of the overwhelming odds once there is enough will you will succeed.
There have been two significant challenges that Romeo has survived.
In 2004 Romeo loss his home and all his worldly possessions to fire. All his pictures, calypso trophies were burnt in the blaze.
With the help of god and friends Romeo was able to recover from that fiery disaster rise from the ashes and stand again.

In 2005 Romeo faced his second challenge, little did he know that when he did a calypso some years before “Disabled people is people too” that he would have ended up in that position.
Romeo was suddenly afflicted by a condition that overnight reduced him to a cripple who was confined to a wheel chair.
With the support of his wife, family friends and with the help of God, he endured physical rehabilitation sessions and a 2 year break from the calypso stage.

On May 17th 2008  the Romeo has returned, he has risen from the challenges of his crippling physical affliction and he is standing again.
He truly deserves the title “The Mighty Romeo”.

“The Underdog”

This what happened at the Banks Cable and Wireless cavalcade on Friday night in Gall Hill St John.The introduction of “Underdog” the son of lil Rick…

Boyce Voice was there live on the scene (as if I had a choice anyhow) and is now able to bring you exclusive photos of the Hypa Dog introducing his real real son “the Under Dog” to the Crop Over stage.

Hypa Dog and Under Dog getting down

“Under” took to the stage like an excited exuberant pup following in the dance footsteps of his Hypa dog dad. (Is it footsteps or paw prints).

Not only was he dancing but Underdog also sang a song with his dad, had de whole place mash up.
Is this a sample of what Hypa Dog will be presenting for Crop Over 2008?

Well both the dance antics and the song of the Hypa Dog and his Underdog were lapped up the audience like thirsty dogs drink water.

It was interesting witnessing the “passing of the torch” stage introduction of his son done by Rick, it was a historic moment.

Keep coming to the Banks Cable and Wireless Cavalcades and keep tuning into Boyce Voice for more on this Hypa Dog UnderDog merger coming in Crop Over 2008.

Gone too soon;
An apt description for Terry Mayers whose funeral is today.
Terry was one of those energetic people who seemed so full of life and zest.
When you look at the multiplicity of work activities that Terry did in his short life time it almost seems as though he had somehow manage to fit the professions of several people into his one life time.

He was a journalist, a news producer and presenter, he was into public relations and marketing and the President of a cricket club, how did he find the time?
He was as adept on radio as on TV as effective doing main news as doing sports.

I had the pleasure of working with Terry when he first started radio in 1989; we did Madd half hours together on the then Liberty 98.1 fm.
Terry was always fully congruent and interactive with the comedy sketches done on the Madd time slot which show the level of his flexibility.

My lasting memory of Terry would be of him as a roving reporter on television swaying in blowing hurricane winds oblivious to the danger that existed committed to his task of reporting to viewers at home.

Terry Mayers 1967 to 2008

Gone too Soon

Gone but not forgotten……

“De cavalcades now start”

”Dat was the best cavalcade ever”

These are just a few of the comments Supreme Events has been getting in response to the special vintage “back in time” Banks Cable and Wireless cavalcade held in lowlands st Lucy on Saturday.

Rpb Gryner Gabby Romeo John King, Director Poonka mash up the place and now like Gryner the people are saying “we want more”.

It is amazing that the biggest response we would have received from the cavalcades so far would have been to the “old” music on Saturday night. It shows Barbadians have a special place in their heart for songs like “Brother Fuzzy” “Jack” and “Mr. T”

 Michael Forde aka Director also did a very effective folk music presentation which was well received by the audience. Also MC Admiral Nelson was effective and entertaining at the same time with DJ’s Radar and Mikey Mix who did a special “back in time” musical appearance.

One of the challenges of the Lowlands St Lucy venue was how to attract patrons to a site that was pretty much out of the way and the vintage Cavalcade did just that.

Congrats to the National Cultural Foundation for making sure there is a place for ALL calypsos in the Banks Cable and Wireless Cavalcades for 2008 including vintage.

I consider it a very serious accusation, a written utterance which sought to cast aspersions on my character.
On Boyce Voice.com  “Piggles” made a comment that he or she or it went to a Banks Cable and Wireless Cavalcade where I stated there would be bakes selling but alas there where none. In other words he or she called me a bake liar aka bake prevaricator.
He accused me of false advertising. I was going to write a post and curse Piggles like how I did Wendy Burke and will do to Bajan Reporter but Darron (site Administrator) has this strange nise idea I should refrain from busing our loyal readers.

In an effort to then prove I am indeed a bake lover and not a bake liar, I present the below photographic evidence.

 Here I am at the Vintage Banks Cable and Wireless Cavalcade last night in Lowlands St Lucy, do you see what is in my hands and what I am eating?
That’s Right, IT IS A BAKE! Yuh idiot, view it and weep.

 
In the above picture there is a photo which proves the bakes were on sale evidenced by the fact that they are listed on said menu, at the ridiculously low price of .50 cents

Here is a shot of bake batter being dropped into the frying pan, it’s a special art and not many people can do it, the oil must be at a specific temperature and your hand must be at a specific angle to the position of the frying pan.
*Warning: Do not try this at home as Boyce Voice will not be responsible for “bake igrunt” people who go attempting this and burn their hands, or worse burn the bakes.

This is a wide shot of the women frying the bakesaka Bake fryers, these ladies are making a significant contribution to our culinary cultural arts, they are holding the fort against the onslaught of foreign “finger lickin” food imports which seeks to impede on our local gastronomical traditions and erode our cultural identity. May the good lord bless them, or their bakes.

 
This is a shot a shot of finish bakes, I am so sorry that Boyce Voice.com has not reached the stage where we can get the aroma of  bakes to come through your computer.
It was indeed a splendiferous privilege to stand in awe in the presence of freshly fried bakes and rejoice to their delicious existence.

 
Here is a shot of the staff at the Community Vibes stall, don’t they look spendiferiously happy? That’s how you look when you work where bakes are made.
To the bake detractors who claimed I was lying with my bake utterances cower in the face of this photographic bake proof presented in this post, I rebuke you in the name of bakes, be awed with the knowledge that I am indeed not a bake liar but a bake lover!

I just heard what has to be one of the nastiest songs I ever heard on the radio, it sounded “horrible and badd”.
It was a song written by the same Mighty Sparrow from my previous post who penned that evergreen “education” calypso I complimented below, but that’s not all he wrote.
Here’s the lyrics that caught my attention that were broadcasted on the radio this morning around 6.25 am,
She had a bad crack

And a nasty hole

In side she was smelling like a dead fish……..
That’s all I heard, but really how much more did I need to hear. according to the announcer, Sparrow is singing about an old boat he bought that had in a hole, yeah right, the song was described as a classic.
The radio station program manager would probably tell me it’s all in my mind and if I listen to the song Sparrow he clearly says “she” is really a boat. Yeah right cause I is a idiot.

“Inside she was smelling like a dead fish”
Quite frankly I am not a woman and I was offended by these lyrics, to me it was totally lacking in redeeming qualities, saying things I would prefer to hear about a gender I am quite fond of.
It was not erotic nor funny it was down right nasty!
It reminds me how the older generation is always going on but how young people does sing disgusting songs when they have been loving the same songs for years.
Example “she got she pussy for sale” or that Sparrow classic bout how a white woman get eat raw in a jungle. Don’t get me wrong I like wuckless songs; didn’t I write a pussy post? Complete with pictures of pussy cats mind you.

To bring this loquacious discourse to a meaningful end, this is my point.
Radio stations have a convenient and hypocritical way of listening to lyrics and deciding what is offensive and is good to go.
The same radio station I heard that “nasty hole” song on, severely edited a song from a popular calypsonian this year not because of the actual lyrics but because of what they felt the lyrics mean. “If” I were them I would not do that, did I say “if’ or something else? We need to stop if ing around and get to the point!

Boyce is leaving the computer

Behold the Migfhty Sparrow

Children go to school and learn well

other wise later on in life u gun catch red hell

yesterday was 11 plus exam day in Barbados, and they were playing this old calypso on the radio.

These potent lyrics are from the calypso “education” written and sung by Slinger Francisco aka the Mighty Sparrow from Trinidad and Tobago.

If Al Gilkes is 100 years old Sparrow must be a 1000!

I remember hearing that Sparrow song when I was a small child in primary school 4 decades ago.
At that time even my 11 plus exam seemed like ages away and going to Combermere was a school fantasy.
The lyrics to this song impacted on me even at that young age, it took the words of my mother who was always drilling me to do well at school and converted them into memorable lyrics that imbued themselves into my brain.

I can remember almost all the lyrics to this song word for word, and 40 years later the same song that helped to motivate me is still there to motivate my children, and their children.
Sparrow’s “Education calypso has endured and survived the test of time and will continue to be a favorite for ever, it epitomizes how long a well written calypso can survive.
I hope the children who sat their 11 plus exam yesterday did well, I hope they listened and adhered to the warning tone in Sparrow’s lyrics which I will finish with…..

“For there is simply no room
in this whole wide world

for an uneducated little boy or girl

don’t allow idle companions to lead u astray

To earn tomorrow u got to learn today”

I challenge a calypsonian to release lyrics for Crop Over 2008 more potent that those…!

“U need to terminate your contract with ncf. They r contributing to the deterioration of boycevoice.com. The site is plagued with dated blogs. And it takes days before fresh material is added. This deplorable occurrence has caused great concern among avid boycevoice readers who have patronised this site from its inception. Failure to terminate the contract will result in assination and terrorist attempts to innocent people. The choice is yours.

Can I give you some professional advice? You can do Cavalcades reports..”

I will not tell you who wrote the above message as she would wilt; some people would interpret it as a terrorist threat and would advise me to go to the police.

 But I wish to thank my friend for being my friend enough to rebuke me when I need to be rebuked with her  constructive comment.

The above comment is absolutely correct and I wish to apologise profusely to her and all Boyce Voicians.

My apology is nothing unless it is back up by action; therefore beneath this post you will see the action.

I pledge that for the balance of Crop over I will not let my Boyce Voice slip in posting regularly again, even if I have to write about how I comb my hair today.

Seriously I have some hot topics and innovations we will be releasing soon along with the new music, so keep logging on and send the site to your friends.

Happy Mothers Day!!

Band Jabae performing at event

Here I am at my first cavalcade ever and I am coordinating it.
I swear before the 9th May 2008 I had never attended a cavalcade in my entire life, I watched it on TV but that was it.

The event started on time finished on time, and the entertainment was superb, here are some pictures I took with my Cable and Wireless Blackberry Curve. (If you thought I said that because they sponsored the event you are right).

Khiomal peforming to massive crowd

As you can see from the massive crowd the first Banks Cable and Wireless cavalcade for 2008 was a massive success.

Alison and Mac getting down

I want to thank the government and NCF for giving me Peter Boyce Voice the opportunity to contribute to the success of this national event. Also the members of my company Supreme Events for the good work they are doing that makes me look good, also the NCF staff who is so helpful and friendly and especially Karen who graciously tolerates my 4 am texts.
Also I cannot forget Dale and the Universal marketing team, I how ever will forget Dorsie and the stage crew and the excellent job they did setting up the production.Thanks to the entertainers for supporting and endorsing event.
Also the sponsors Cable and Wireless Sara etc and Banks Beer Bernard etc for giving Barbadians the opportunity to see top quality entertainment for free and contributing to our national festival Crop Over.

 Rick and Spin Pooch Ink wowing the 10′000 strong audience