You could not have asked for a better demonstration of the true feelings of government to cultural industries. I am Boycing about the recent demolishing of the unfinished auditorium at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center to make room for a car park and offices.

They were not just demolishing an auditorium they were demolishing culture.
In an country that is sadly lacking in adequate entertainment venues government while playing lip service to cultural industries is finding time to destroy one.

Why waste money on an auditorium when they can just continue to issue empty promises, like the promise to refurbish the Empire Theatre, I so tired hearing bout that then. Or the promise to fix up Queens Park theatre and reopen it, I don’t know if you can still call them promises, when is it that a promise crosses over and simply becomes a blatant lie. If a fruitless promise is given often and long enough it must be upgraded to a lie.

I didn’t mean to demolish the hopes and dreams of you in the cultural industries; government is doing a good enough job at that.
While government talks the talk it is time they walk the walk, if they are so sincere about the development of culture they need to show prove it.
By demolishing that unfinished entertainment auditorium, government demolishes our hopes and by extension demolishes culture.

Workman Demolishing Unfinished Auditorium

Ronnie Morris is moving up in the world, this local entrepreneur is about to break into the international scene in a big way, see his press release below.
Barbados may very well be witnessing the rise of a home-grown global music industry mover and shaker right before our very eyes.
Ronnie Morris, Director and founder of Timeless Barbados Inc and the Barbados Music Awards, is moving rapidly towards becoming a force in the global music industry.
Just months after being appointed as a member of the management team for Grammy winner Regina Belle, Morris has now officially added two more platinum artistes to his roster.
Grammy-winning soul diva Stephanie Mills was so impressed with the level of professionalism she encountered when in Barbados for the recently concluded Ultimate Soul Weekend that she held an extended meeting with Morris at the Hilton Hotel, expressing her keen interest in working with the young man as part of her team.
Similarly, super-group En Vogue, now globe-trotting in preparation for their highly anticipated reunion album set for release in the first quarter of 2010, also held a meeting with Morris mainly with regards to handling all of their business affairs and bookings within the Caribbean islands.
Intense negotiations took place even after the acts returned to the US, and on Monday, October 12th both acts signed on the dotted line to have Ronnie Morris serve as their official representative for the entire Caribbean region on an exclusive basis.
To fully understand the magnitude of his signings, the three acts which he represents have together sold close to 100 million records Worldwide.
All told, with his position as Deputy Chairman of COSCAP, recent appointment as Chairman of SHABEAU Magazine, Director of the Barbados Music Awards, Ultimate Soul Weekend and the current development of the soon to be up and running record label Gold Coast Records, of which he is CEO underway, along with his various positions of responsibility with the Springle Entertainment Group of Las Vegas, Nevada (head of their Caribbean and Latin American Division) and, of course with Regina Belle, Stephanie Mills and En Vogue, this island could very well be witnessing the rapid emergence of a major force in the global music industry.
Indeed Trinidad’s E-Zone Magazine seemed to have a premonition, as it listed Morris among the most influential executives of the Caribbean’s music industry in 2008.
Morris credits God, the assistance of the BIDC, Invest Barbados, various private sector sponsors, his business partner Russell Ruck, US business partners Brian Springle and Regina Belle, his public supporters and the strong ever-present support of his family (particularly his mother, grandmother, step father and aunt Margaret Morris) for his achievements.
“I hope that all of what is happening is seen as upward movement for all involved in Barbados’ music industry. We can make our mark. COSCAP, Pyramid, Hit Island, the new Association of Music Entrepeneurs, Invest Barbados, the BIDC, Enterprise Growth Fund, Gilbert Rowe, Freddie Hill, Al Gilkes, Good Vybz, CRS, Triple E, the NCF, Ministry of Culture, South Central, Got Rhythm, Richard Stoute and others are all putting in long hours to develop the local industry. Phil Phillips, Sonia Mullins, Santia Bradshaw, Ruel Ward, Phillip Forrester, Kerrie Armstrong and her business partner Allison are all proving that Barbadians have the brains and experience to manage major acts, and so I am but a small part of what is going on as this little island prepares to make a big splash on the global music scene”.

Boyce Voice is leaving the building

The furor being raised by the Swiss police arrest of Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski is in the Boyce focus today. While you often hear about the “price of fame” this situation is showing one of its many benefits.

76 year old Polanski has been on the run from an arrest warrant stemming from a sex charge he drugged and raped a 13 year old girl back in 1977 in the U.S state of California.
He confessed to the deed by fled to his homeland France before he could be sentenced while the case was still in court.
There he stood for decades, still making movies and winning academy awards which he could not set foot back in the U.S to collect.
Now he has been arrested there has been much public proclamations over what a great director he is, the great films he has done and the contribution he has made to the industry.
There has been support for Polanski coming from high ranking French politicians and famous Swiss personalities denouncing the shameful act of their Swiss police of arresting him for the U.S. There has also been support coming out of the United States with major movie stars signing a petition demanding his release led by people like Whoopi Golberg and Woody Allen. ( Well I could see why Woody would support him)

Now here’s the thing, if you take away the fame and film accomplishments from Polanski what do you have? A pedophile that raped a child and then escaped punishment.
If you were to discover your neighbor had done that you would be appalled and any bet you would not want a child molester living next to you, maybe if he was famous, maybe that would be another matter, you tell me.
If we forgive Polanski maybe we should start forgiving all the Priests who interfered with lil boys as well, provided the priest made a tangible contribution to the community since then.
Maybe the fact the victim wants the charges against Polanski dropped is germane to this situation, maybe the fact it happened in 1977 makes continuing with the case a mute point, you be the judge, I am only Boyce Voice.