Michael Jackson would have been 51 today had he been alive. Instead his death is now being ruled on as a homicide and police are now looking to charge the doctor who administered the deadly cocktail of sleep drugs that lead to MJ’s untimely demise.

When I hear of Jackson’s challenges with sleeping and the amount drugs it took to “take him down” I am in somewhat of a quandary, sleep like is the easiest thing for me to do, I would be writing this blog here and the next minute, fall asleep.

It however is a serious condition that mj and other “insomniacs” have where sleep can only be induced by some form of drugs which can lead to being addicted or the worst case scenario of what happened to Michael.

From what I have read about the sleep cocktail of drugs administered to Jackson it was not that he was put to sleep, it’s more like he was made unconscious. The question is who takes the ultimate blame?
It appears Jackson sought out and intentionally acquired a personal doctor whose job it would be to give him these “sleep” drugs.
Despite what Jackson demanded the doctor had a fiduciary responsibility that should have adhered to that would have prevented him from injecting drugs that ultimately proved deadly to his patient.
Now the doctor will pay the ultimate price as now he is liable to be charged with the death of Michael Jackson.
The irony of it is, maybe he is being charged for doing his job too well, for now Michael Jackson is sleeping, but permanently.
Happy Birthday Michael Jackson, had he lived, he would have been 51 today…R.I.P

When I heard what Trevor Marshall said at the Crop Over awards I realise he is better on historical topics than on talking about the future.
In fact, after hearing him doing the feature address at the NCF Crop Over awards, I would implore him as an acknowledged historian to stick to the history ting and leave the future to the futurians.
At the awards Trevor said the National Cultural Foundation should hold on to Crop Over and not allow it to fall into the hands of the capitalistic Private Sector who would put cultural objectives behind and have money making objectives as a priority.

Little did Trevor know that the same NCF who had invited him to speak had already put in place an entity to do the same things he dreaded.
The same people who had invited him and afterwards would be “skinning their teet” and eating fishcakes with him, has already adamantly proclaimed their objective to commence with the “Festival Events Bureau” with the stated objectives to exploit and milk the cultural industry dry.

I am sure the Chairman probably had to stifle a laugh when Trevor made his comment.

As for Trevor’s other comments about bringing 70’s “Back in time” dressing back into Crop Over and having cheerleaders competitions. Hmm I don’t think so.
When it comes to “Back in time” that’s what happens at the Plantations Garden theatre every month, and as for cheer leading competitions, sounds more like you are fantasising.
You might be an excellent historian Trevor but when it comes to advice on current trends, I think I will pass…

Did you read about the Zombie movie made with the mind boggling price of $70 that is now about to be released in cinemas? you are probably saying “Boyce you are such a nasty liar then”, but it’s true. “Colin” is the name of the movie made by a 30 year old British director Marc Price and he shot the movie during the day while working nights at a Taxi company.
To make a movie at $70 is dirt cheap, even years ago when I produced the “Best of Barbados Go Madd” DVD series which featured songs and skits which were shot on location the budget for one would be over $10,000 and that’s still low budget.
The good news is that Marc will be releasing a behind the scenes featurette on how he did it so that’s something we all need to see.
The success of Marc with his cheap movie making it big means that we here in the Caribbean stand a chance that one of these days we can pick up a camcorder and start shooting and possibly find our way on to international screens.
So if a $70 u.s dollar movie can make it, why not our Bongo Lights “Tek Dem Out” or “Hit for Six” starring Andrew Pilgrim.

What is amazing that not only Marc made the movie, but that he was able to get the attention of the powers that be to get his movie screened at the Cannes Film festival which give him break he needed. Getting those breaks are usually what most challenges the Caribbean film makers so lucky for Marc, he knew somebody.

Well Boyce is looking to go home pick up his camcorder and start shooting, in fact, I would like to start shooting with my cell and become the first person to release a $20 movie shot entirely on a Blackberry, Wish me luck!

The latest word to come out of National Cultural Foundation (NCF) in their “developmental” objectives is that no monetary assistance will be given to the calypso tents from next Crop Over.
However, I wish to emphatically state I do not blame NCF in this particular instance.
The blame lies wholly and solely on the shoulders of the Barbados Association of Tent Managers aka Batman.
At many Batman meetings I touted to our illustrious President St Clair Gittens, I beseeched him in the name of the lord to change the name of the organization to the Trinidad Tent Managers Association and register in neighboring T&T.
But Batman President Gittens was so hard ears then.
He thought the contribution that the calypso tents had made to building Crop Over would have made a difference to the NCF.

He thought that Tents being “stake holders” who had sat at the negotiation tables with NCF, worked on rules, selected judges and invested time and money into the festival and culture that somebody would cared for their well being.

He thought that just as how some of Corporate Barbados were willing to take money and sponsor Bajan calypso tents NCF would lead by example and look to do the same.
Well Mr. President of Batman you were wrong, NCF needs to be able to finance paying $30,000 to one Jamaican to fly down here and do 2 dub songs at we Crop Over,
Why pay Bajan Tents $100,000 when you could just spend that money on Machel show and done.

But like I said, I blame Batman; they refused to put Trinidad in their name and are now paying for it. They should now change from Barbados Association of Tents to “Barbados Asses” and done!

Speaking of Done, so am I!

Was I experiencing Déjà Vu?!….I could not believe my ears when I heard the announcement of the Chairman of National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Ken Knight.

Ken’s big announcement was that the NCF had gotten the novel idea to form a Festival Events Bureau to run Crop Over with a view to making a profit.
Why did Boyce think he went back in time?

That same Festival Events Bureau had been proposed by the NCF under the previous administration.
I remember being at a consultation on August 21st 2007 where the then PM and Minister of Culture Owen Arthur touted the so called benefits of this Festival Bureau with the same commercial objectives.
I am therefore at a loss how the existing government who had stated that they would divest Crop Over events and encourage entrepreneur participation should now turn around and adopt the same flawed policy document.

The actions of the NCF remind me of a book I read while at Combermere School.
In the George Orwell classic “Animal Farm”, led by the Pigs the animals take over the farm from the humans and at the end of the book the pigs become the exact copy of the same humans they had overthrown. Go and study that!

What the Festival Events Bureau seeks to do is drop the “burden mandate” of developing artistes and instead set up a draconian entity which seeks instead to generating a profit through exploitation of our cultural industries.

The “Festival Events” documents speaks of government producing music, supplying sound services and producing even more shows to compete against local promoters.
Is that something that we want?

Congrats to “The General Edwin”!
The National Cultural Foundation must feel like dogs then, after they over look Edwin and Krosfyah for Cohobblopot in favour of foreign acts.
Edwin was able to prove his worth by winning not only the People’s Monarch title but also the 2009 Tune of the Crop Road March Title.
From its release the song “De Middle of the Road was tearing up the airwaves and mashing up the venues around Barbados and in Celebration Time calypso tent.

All of Barbados and Facebook people had identified that Edwin was the man to beat on the road kadooment day and he did not disappoint.
He allowed Celebration Time calypso tent in its inaugural year of operation to be able to already boast of having 2 titles.

The Question is why was all of Barbados able to see the worth in Edwin and Krosfyah while the NCF could not.

The NCF said they could not find money in their budget to pay Edwin, never wanted Krosfyah on the show as they had Machel’s HD band.
But they could pay u.s $30,000 to Trini Bands and u.s $15,000.00 to one Jamaican artiste to do 2 songs at Cohobblopot.
Fortunately local entertainment entity Barbados 246 was able to save the day with their “Climax” event at Plantation Garden theatre.
There you would have seen not only locals Lil Rick, Mr. Dale & Krosfyah, but also the Man who from 1995 when he first entered the calypso arena continues the prove he is unmatchable, Congrats again to General Edwin!!

The Question is; Is it right for the NCF to import Trini Consultant “Signal to Noise” to run Crop Over Festival and book local acts for our events? Hell No!!
It is a fact that our National Cultural Foundation (NCF) brought in Trinidadian promoter “Signal to Noise” to coordinate Cavalcades, Party Monarch and also Cohobblopot.
Our major events have been turned over lock stock and barrel to Trinidadians and they are the persons making the decisions and selecting which local acts they want on Crop Over events.
At the meeting which took place at NCF to decide whether Barbados 246 would be in or out of Cohobblopot “Signal to Noise” was present.
Could you imagine Trinidad having a Bajan decide if Destra will be in their Soca Monarch show? Well that’s what happens here.

It appears to me the message that is being sent here is that in all of Barbados there is no promoter who is capable of organizing a successful show hence such expertise needs to be brought in from outside.
The interesting thing is since the NCF has brought in the “Trini” advisors most of the events Cavalcades Party Monarch etc, have been dismal failures.
Boyce has studied it and have realized why the Trini’s performers are being so highly paid and have taken over our events. RPB says Home Drums have to beat first and obviously if you are a Trinidadian your “home drum” would have you booking Trinidadians first.

It has been renamed by Lil Rick “CohobbloNOT” and when you look at the 2009 Cohobblopot line up you can see why.
NCF has shown a total disrespect to the Bajan entertainment industry through their foreign selections and their local omissions from what was once known to be the premiere show of our Crop Over festival.

Though its laudable they are featuring Alison Hinds but there is a blatant dearth of acts that are uniquely bajan.Where is Lil Rick, where is Mr. Dale and Biggie Irie?
Where is “the General” Edwin and Krosfyah?

Our local acts have been thrown to the side like “cultural garbage” to make way for Trini’s Machel, Patrice, Zen and Jamacian Busy signal.
In an economic situation where NCF can’t find bajan money to pay locals, where they are cutting cavalcades (sorry crapacades) and decreasing opportunities for young bajan performers.
They can find bajan money to turn into U.S and ship it out in thirty thousands to Trinidadians and Jamaicans.
It is an ironic coincidence that RPB should win a NCF competition with the song “Home drums have to beat first” when that obviously is not a policy of the National Cultural Foundation.

The mistake that Edwin, Lil Rick, Mr. Dale and Krosfyah made was banding together and naming themselves Barbados 246, knowing the disgust NCF has for Bajan acts they would have stood a better chance if they were named Trinidad 868.

One last point, notice in the cohobblopot print ad, all of the local acts they have put on the card are lumped together under a heading “No Names” what the ass is that?

Where Edwin, Lil Rick, Krosfyah Biggie Irie and others will be is at Plantations tomorrow for a 100% Bajan “Climax”.
As for the cohobblopot I would go with the Rick rename, “CohobbloNOT”