Happy Holiday from Boyce Voice but wheres the music?
Hope you had an excellent Christmas eating the Ham, Black Cake. Jug Jug and enjoying the things associated with this festive season.
A musical airplay trend that I have noticed in recent years is where radio stations no longer play exclusively Yule tide music in the days leading up to Xmas.
Years ago it was a standard that for the entire month of December it would be 100% Xmas selections that would dominate the radio.
I can speak to this with authority as I remember having a half hour on radio in the 90’s and having to seek permission from the Station Program Manager to play some non yuletide music I wanted to promote.
What is the possible negative impact of this? We here in Barbados don’t have snow and all the weather related characteristics that signal Xmas, the only thing which signifies that is the music. So if you are hearing less Xmas songs you are feeling less in the yuletide spirit which means you less inclined to go out there spending and injecting the much needed money into the economy.
Our retail industry depends on the ambiance generated by songs like “Dreaming of a white xmas” the xmas shoes” song (which I hate) ““little drummer boy” to motivate customers to come out.
A great percentage of the annual store retail sales happen at Christmas, December revenue becomes the savior of many shops and is the reason they exist.
One should then see the possible danger that might develop if we see a trend where less Xmas music is played in December which will equate to fewer retail sales less financial activity and become a possible danger to the economy.
Boyce Voice takes this opportunity to wish you the best of the season!
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 29th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I left Bim about 10 years ago and one of my fondest Christmas memories is that in the month of December all radio stations play xmas music 24×7.
Christmas would not be xmas without hearing: O Holy Night (Mariah Carey), O Come All Ye Faithful (Luther Vandross), All of the MADD xmas songs, The Salsoul Orchestra’s Xmas medley, The Christmas song (Nat King Cole), Once Upon a Christmas (Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton), etc…and a host of other songs.
I am sad to hear that this is no longer the case. The best things about xmas (other than the food) is definitely the music.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:20 am
I agree, and I realise now too that once December 25 is gone, the stations that actually play Christmas music often revert to other genres as if there aren’t 12 days of Christmas! They’re so pbusy promoting the Jazz festival and Old Year’s Night fetes that Xmas music gets swallowed up.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:51 pm
the BARBADIAN RADIO STATIONS ARE GOING TO FEEL SOME HEAT FROM ME IN 2009
OTHER ARTISTES NEED TO JOIN IN THE FIGHT BUT I DONT EXPECT THEM TO DO SO BEACAUSE BAJANS ARE A BUNCH OF PASSIVE SLAVE MINDED PEOPLE WHO DOES STAND FOR ANY FOOLISHNESS
ASIBA SAY SO
January 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Hey Peter, you seem to be having some trouble conjuring up so good time favourite Christmas Carols. I’ll share these ones with you that always come to mind, if you can find the 40 of them embedded in my acrostic poem. Sorry! Not many, if any are Bajan.
Sharing My All Time Favourite Christmas Carols
Silver Bells on a White Christmas and Sleigh Bells Ring
How You’ll Like To Spend Christmas? Caroling, Caroling!
And The Gift Goes On, so what can I give him? Little Alter Boy
Rhythms played by a Little Drummer Boy that brings him joy
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, everywhere you go
Noel, Go Tell It On The Mountain to Let It Snow
Guardian Angels watch over me on a Silent Night
Merry Christmas Darling, It’s Christmas Time and right
You Wouldn’t Trade Christmas for The Chipmunk Song
A Cradle In Bethlehem or O Tannenbaum
Last night I Saw Three Ships come sailing in
Look across the room at the Chestnuts Roasting
Then I thought What Ever Happened To Christmas
It’s Such A Lonely Time Of Year for us
Mary’s Little Boy Child, What Child is This? So blissful
Emanuel, O Come, O Come Emanuel, O Come All Ye Faithful
For the 12 Days Of Christmas, I’ll like to be
A child again with gifts all around me
Very young and hearing my mother singing
Oh Bambino and Sleep Well Little Children
Unusual stories like Grammy Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Rejoicing cause Christmas Comes To Us Once A Year
I’ll Be Home For Christmas, dad would promise me
Then Senor Santa Claus puts something under the tree
Each Christmas is for Kids so I wish today
Cheer comes and steals my Blue Christmas away
Happy Birthday Jesus, like I heard from them
Refrains of how Some Children See Him
I mentioned my favourite song last
So people may remember the more recent past
These songs I heard from varying singers
Mario Lanza, Bing Crosby, Nat and the Carpenters
All my oldies though I’ve left out a few
Sinatra Family and Andy Williams are just another two
Caroling at Christmas brings such great cheer
A small guess why it’s the best time of the year
Retailers enjoy the increase in trade
Overtime, the tinsel and the caroling serenade
Lyrics aside, regardless to the favourite celebrity
Singing Christmas Carols always brings cheer to me
Read more Bajan Acrostics by Khaidji for the season here
Bajan Christmas Acrostics
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
GREAT JOB AS ALWAYS KHAIDJI—(POET OF THE YEAR)
January 6th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Thank You Asiba- The Buffalo Soldier
That poem was long but fun for me
Hope you can see the acrostic clearly
Asiba-The Buffalo Soldier Says I’m poet of the year
Now I must bow humbly but I’m overjoyed to share
Kind comments and jest bring smiles to my eyes
You bloggers on Boyce Voice always keep me surprise
Oratories incredible and you actually read
Unusual submissions like mine, you are an amazing breed
See some more Bajan Acrostics from this and other Blogs at
From The Blogs
And My Acrostic Poetry Books