Long before the competition started last Friday April 23, competitors in Round two of the LIME Barbados Karaoke Championship were sizing each other up and there were whispers of the ‘big guns’ being out on Friday night at Braddies Bar. By 10:00 pm the crowd both inside and out was buzzing with excitement to see who would be the singing knockouts for the night.

First on stage and commanding the audience’s attention from his first words, Grantley Sylvester did justice to “Only You” performed by The Platters in the 1956 movie “Rock Around The Clock”. Finishing the night in second place Grantley said, to master a song it takes practice and “all songs have a message, once you find that message and find the tune you can sing it without even needing to see the words”.
Mary Clarke took first place in this qualifying round, blowing the audience away by singing “The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” by Gladys Knight. Mary, from Pinelands in St. Michael, has been singing for 37 years and is no stranger to the stage. She has come through the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Shows, sang with the Barbados Gospel Mass Choir and entered other competitions. In a bold voice Mary declared she was very confident about her chances but will see what the competition looks like as time goes on.

A great night was had by all and long after the competition was over patrons stayed on to sing, eat and drink into the early morning. Another two will be chosen from a field of twenty this Friday with registration from 7:00 pm. So come early to make sure you get registered for the contest which starts at 10:00pm.

It was a prestigious event that attracted the crème de la crème of Barbadian entertainment, which is why it was so surprising they let me in, Am blogging about the COSCAP fund raising gala hosted at the Barbados Hilton on Saturday night.
It was an event that I had touted saying it was worth bathing for and it lived up to expectations, in fact it was worth 2 baths.

The décor at the Hilton was pretty magnificent with the lighting and special effects, the COSCAP girls looked good as well. I started the evening by complaining to them about the fact they took away the wonderful ticket that I thought would have made a perfect memento. After being told like Ali Singh I “Can’t get it back” I moved on to enjoy the proceedings.

To me the highlights were; The Food: I enjoyed the potatoes you know that is my favorite food, plus I had loads of vegetables and then I had loads of fruit for dessert, while eating the musical entertainment was by the Mike Sealy Quartette which included renown drummer and entertainment specialist Antonio “Boo” Rudder who also honored us by doing a song at a point. Honored was the word I used but M.C Market Vendor Vic Fernandes had a different opinion as it related to Boo’s singing when he came on afterwards.

Then The speeches came, they were concise and impactful, we heard first from Chairman of Foundation Glyne Murray then Chairman of Sony Music UK Paul Russel. Paul spoke of the Brit school which focuses on developing cultural arts, and one of them must be comedy as he was quite humorous in his presentation.

I thought it was really grand the recognition given to the Merrymen for the sterling contribution them made to the barbadian musical landscape, they have been together for over 45 years, that’s quite an achievement. Our Hon Prime Minister David Thompson was there and presented the first ever COSCAP Award of Excellence to the Merrymen on behalf of the foundation.

What I loved about the after dinner entertainment segment which was MC’ed by Cassandra Crawford, was the diversity of genres which were presented.
Example: Simone Pipe and his white protest music, he was the first up and sang a song lambasting the establishment, lambasting government who say we should have a voice but then want to tell us what to say, and this was right in front the PM then. It was refreshing to hear music other than calypso with a strong social commentary content.

Also enjoyed Cherish Breedy and Ayana John.I loved Black Kla Soyl, she sang, danced and played drums too, in case you didn’t know it she is the daughter of the late El Verno Del Congo”. I loved her segment, she reminded me of Sheila E from the 90’s who also drums and sings.

Don’t think I didn’t enjoy the other performers but I had to leave early and barely missed Kareen Clarke when she performed and prayed for the people present, I could have used the blessing, Darn.

My only disappointment for the night was not seeing Erica Smith CEO of COSCAP up close, I saw her once pass me obviously not paying attention to plebs like myself and then she was gone before I could say “hello, is it me you’re looking for” (by Lionel Richie)

A lot of you were wondering what Peter Ali Singh Boyce was doing at a $300 a ticket event,I would have to thank Tami for having the good sense and taste to take me along with her.I would like to congratulate COSCAP, Norman Barrow and Event Coordinator Ebonie Rowe for a well executed event

The Lime Karaoke Competition started Last Friday night at Braddies Bar, and guess who was one of the judges, P.Boyce me self along with musical stalwart Ricky Aimey, It was a most enjoyable night out! you know I don’t get out often and when I do I usually got bored. But the entertainment was engaging from country and western to ballads to oldie goldies, if you are looking for a great Night out, Braddies Bar on Friday nights is the place to be. Wait I did I mention the MC? How can I forget to mention MC Janelle, who is not only pleasurable to the eyes but presented the event with an impressive degree of confidence and competence. Check below for the press release on the results of the competition but make sure and be there to see it for your self…

An eager crowd gathered inside and outside Braddies Bar, every window and door filled with faces peering in creating an exciting atmosphere. People from all corners of Barbados gathered at this Dover Christ Church Bar and Restaurant to see who would be first to jump in the ring for this vocal battle.
Round one of the LIME Barbados Karaoke Championship started last Friday with the first two qualifiers for Eliminations Rounds being chosen. With only one point separating them Judith Alexander and Shelly Chase sang their way closer to the big cash prize of $5,000.
Chosen from a field of twenty contestants, Alexander of Bush Hall, St. Michael sang an expressive and crowd pleasing rendition of Tammy Wynette’s Stand by Your Man. Chase delivered Jennifer Hudson’s, ‘One Night Only’ with plenty passion, singing the entire song from memory. This Husbands St. James resident ensured she needed one night only to secure her place in the Elimination Round.
Within the coming weeks, the first (20) twenty people will be registered at Braddies Bar on Friday nights between 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm. More information can be found on the website www.barbadoskaraoke.com or the facebook page Barbados Karaoke Championship

Soon I will be $5000.00 richer and on tour all over the world performing, how? By winning the first ever Lime Karaoke Barbados competition that’s being staged by Plantation and Pyramid.
This will be the first time ever that you can sing Karaoke and get such a big cash prize, so start brushing up on your singing and read the details below…
The Plantation Theatre in association with VOB 92.9 FM and Pyramid Entertainment present the LIME Barbados Karaoke Championship 2010 with the biggest cash prize of $5,000 to date for any Karaoke Competition. The first qualifier will be on April 16, 2010 at Braddies Bar Dover, Christ Church and continuing every Friday until August 27, 2010.
Karaoke has become a featured event in Barbados and now singers have an opportunity to compete for the large cash prize of $5,000. The successful semifinalists and finalist will have a chance to display their talents on a bigger stage at The Plantation Theatre in September and October. The Championship is open to residents of Barbados who are not professional singers. Second Prize is $2,500, Third Prize $1,500, with $500 for each of the other seven finalist and sponsors prizes. The winner will also receive a professional recording from Pyramid Entertainment and go forward to the Caribbean Karaoke Competition. More information can be found on the website www.barbadoskaraoke.com or facebook page Barbados National Karaoke Competition.
(J.W)

All Rihanna did was ask the boy if he could get it up and that has been causing fuss galore. You would think that this is the first time in musical history that a woman has sung such a sexual song.

Madonna has been doing it for years and we can leave out Dorothy’s favorite Lady Ga Ga who is singing “she wants to take a ride on your disco stick” or she wants “your vertical stick”.
So with all these wuckless songs being sung why should a good and honorable magistrate choose to attack Rihanna’s song.

Why on the call in programs and Bajan blogs Rihannas song is generating a feedback of rage?
Let me give you my Boyce Voice opinion.
Rihanna has had the audacity to challenge the masculinity of our gender. She challenges the man asking if he can “get it up”.
How dare she! Now if she had said she wanted “it” bad that would have been no problem, if she had said she wanted to “ride it” that would have pleased mankind greatly. But she is issuing a challenge and mere men see it as a threat to their sexuality.

Rihanna is representing the sexually uninhibited females now on the rise. Who discard feminine stereo types of being shy and timid and instead are brazen and out spoken.
You see them on Facebook with their challenging status updates on what kind of man they are looking for and how they like to “get it”.
So lets not be “hard on” Rihanna…… hmmm let me rephrase that, Let’s not “get down” on Rihanna for choosing to voice the mood and the language of our new generation of females.
Next time you hear Rihanna asking “can you get it up?” Get it up or Shut Up!

Guess who is running Crop Over 2010? if you said NCF you would be dead wrong. If you had said “Festival Events Bureau” you would have been dead right. At the NCF Crop Over Launching the “team” that was constantly touted as the new “unit” which would be running this year’s Festival would be this new Bureau.
While it seems they were not introduced at the launching under this FEB name that is what they referred to themselves as in meetings with cultural stakeholders.
So when something goes wrong at Crop Over now, you don’t curse the NCF you now curse the FEB.

This formation of Festival Events Bureau was never something I was in favour of, it was an idea that was the brainchild of the previous administration and that’s not a political statement that is the truth.
I remember going to meetings with the previous government and myself and other cultural entities speaking up against the formation of this “Bureau” whose principle objective was to operate commercially and generate a profit and put cultural development objectives on the back burner.

If you were to put “Festival Events” in the Boyce Voice search engine You would see the numerous times I spoke on this entity so therefore it would be hypocritical not to speak on it now it has been formed under this new admin.

To Quote myself if I may be so bold, on September 26 2007 I wrote on Boyce Voice.

“on Tuesday 21st August 2007 to be exact Government hosted a cultural industries consultation at the Barbados Hilton. You remember, the one where I puked. Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Owen Arthur, proudly announced the forming of the Festival Events Bureau which was to “save” Crop Over from the “inept bungling of the imbecile NCF”.

That’s what I said back then, I somehow assumed and maybe that’s because I heard people standing on platforms making the statements, that there would have been an effort by this new administration to “free up” Crop Over and encourage more private enterprise and entrepreneurial participation.
Have all those good intentions now gone out of the window?
We are now left to see how this “Festival Events Bureau” operates, will it run Crop Over or ruin it. If I were to go from FEB’s stated objectives which I saw before which was to “milk cultural industries dry” we should be in for an interesting Crop Over 2010.