People are surprised some times when they are in my company in public with the regularity that members of the public call me Mr. Boyce…

I don’t think Edwin is called Mr. Yearwood or Lil Rick is called Mr. Reid as often as I am referred to as Mr. Boyce. When I first started out I was called mostly by the popular character I play “Ali Singh”. Then as time progressed I became known for being involved (some people say instigating but they are liars) in controversial issues. People started calling me Peter Boyce, trouble 3 and like I said before Madd ass Bitch. I was also called “Batman” for a number of years when I was the president of that organization. I liked the Batman name as it made me sound like a super hero.

What resulted in the “Mr. Boyce” being used on a regular basis was what happened in the controversy of 2002. The Madd vs Gymnasium Ltd case over the cost of their VIP section dominated Crop Over ‘02. So much so that the Prime Minister Owen Arthur went on Voice of Barbados’ radio call in show Tell it Like it is to speak to the nation on the issue. When the Prime Minister spoke of me it was not really in glowing terms but throughout the course of his radio submission he referred to me as “Mr. Boyce”.

From the next day it appeared that the general opinion is that if you are important enough that Prime Minster could calls you “Mr. Boyce” well Mr. Boyce it is then. From then on I found that the “Mr. Boyce” title stuck,coupled with the fact that when I am highlighted in the news it is by my last name.

So then “Boyce” became like another one of my alter egos. I much prefer when people call me Peter, Mr. Boyce makes me sound old. The latest name I am now called is Boyce Voice, from people like you who read the blog. The truth of the matter is I am known by so many names that sometimes I don’t know who the heck I am!

*I would like to give you the list of names I hear I am called by government and NCF behind closed doors, but then I would have to rate this article X. I’ll give you one of them though: Since 2004 I was known as “the C—t who F—ked up Crop Over”. Is that funny or what? No wonder they are called clowns.

Got a call from the Nation newspaper inviting me to contribute an article for their Barbados Business Authority. You know that is like the financial business edition of the Nation news so I was quite thrilled.

A young lady with the eatable name of Carmel invited me to write on the topic “Should Government Step out of Crop Over Entirely”. Well I am well versed on that issue so I readily said yes. Wrote my first draft and submitted it and some edits were done and the article passed back to me.

Out were my mentions of “puking” and utterances of “rats ass “and my suggested title “Festival Events Bureau My Ass!” was deleted. Also apparently calling some one a “nasty stinking liar” is frowned on in the Business Authority. I was quite disgusted, how ever with a little help from my assistant Keisha, I managed to put something together.

Despite the fact it does not come up to the usual Boyce voice standard I am posting article here for your perusal, insert any colourful language you might deem necessary…

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It took me a while to get over the news; I was overcome with grief and felt my self falling into a great abyss of despair when the impact of the announcement hit me.

Corporate communications officer Penny Gomez is leaving the National Cultural Foundation (NCF)! I took the news like a “horn” I cried like a baby for the whole day, I could not believe Penny was going. You know that is the end of me going to government meetings. When I attend those long arduous sessions during Crop Over, the only thing which kept me going was the sight of Penny. Some times I would be at NCF meetings and lies and allegations would be flying all over the place and I would just feel like getting up and busing. Then Penny would look at me and smile and it would be like, what’s a nasty lie that I can’t take.

Penny leaving NCF is a matter that should concern United Artistes and Batman. The industry needs to stand unified on this point and send a letter to the Prime Minister. I for one, am willing to go down to the NCF and chain my self to her car so she cannot leave. (some body would have to hide her keys first though)

The question is why does every one keep leaving NCF? Addington Forde left, Wayne Simmons left, and now pretty Penny. When will it stop? Are they leaving or are they being pushed? What deep dark bald headed secrets does the NCF hold that keeps repelling people away? But Penny leaving got me good, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep I now seeing a grief counselor.

Penny if you read this:

You are more than a penny to me,
You are more like a dollar,
and a U.S dollar too,
Not no Guyanese one

On that romantic note I close
Oh how I will miss Penny!

I was overwhelmed with the validity of the comments in response to this Festival Events Bureau article seen in the Barbados Underground Blog! The Commentators hit the nail right on the head! It is refreshing to know that there are people out there who the “Minister of Culture” cannot fool into believing that the Festival Events Bureau is for the sake of cultural industries.

Click here to read the Boyce Voice contribution as part of the comments.

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A resounding no confidence motion has been filed against the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Reverend Atherley by the D.D.A (Diss De Artiste) dept of the National Cultural Foundation. The head of the DDA presented the motion to Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Mr. Arthur highlighting several areas of concern as it relates to the actions of the Minister of State in the Prime Ministers office. The D.D.A is most concerned of the frank and fair methods utilized by Minister Atherley while transacting the business of cultural affairs during the just concluded Crop Over season.

It is alleged that instead of treating members of the entertainment industry like the nobodies they really are, Mr. Atherley has on several occasions treated them with respect and even allowed entertainer Dwayne Grazzette to speak at a meeting and responded to his concerns as though he mattered.

A specific incident was identified at a meeting where NCF attempted to renege on a previous agreement reached with cultural industries, instead going along with the attempt to diss de artistes, Minister Attherley stood on the side of the Artistes and honored the previous agreement . It was a most disgraceful action by a government minister.
DDA called the performance of Minister Attherley one of the most shameful acts he has seen for some time. “He refuses to go along with any concocted lies “It is like talking to a priest” the DDA head stated disgustedly.

It is also reported that Minister Attherley not only communicates with Peter Boyce of the cultural evil Madd group but accepted an invitation to attend Bacchanal Time during Crop Over and actually attended and appeared to have fun. Photographic evidence was presented to support this accusation. (see above)

“It is unacceptable” the Head of D.D.A Stated “that after all the progress made by NCF to disrespect local artistes as much as possible that Atherley has been reversing the process” We will not stand for it, it is time to send Atherley packing!
The head of DDA has issued an ultimatum to the Minister of Culture that if Atherley is not withdrawn as Minister of State that ….. Well something bad will happen don’t know what but it will not be good!

Attempts to get a comment from Minister Atherley up to press time proved futile.

Heres an email I thought I would share with you. Came all the way from the Big Apple, New York City. I’m not releasing the name of the writer but I just thought you should get another view other than mines sometimes.

Hi Peter,

In my news paper I notice that you are close to the PM. Did they finally see the light? After 33 years NCF still got it all wrong. The way Crop Over was done this year was like a child who does not know what he/she wants. You mean to tell me that they did not know that they could not use Kensington Oval? And all the other blunders they made. What’s the real story on Mr. Vegas? Where did they eventually put him after he refused the hotel they booked him in after he checked in? I live in NY but I know the answer. How much was he paid and how much was Sherwin paid. Don’t know the answers to those but I know it is far more than any Bajan artiste. I think….no I know it is an affront to Bajan artistes and the day that all of you get fed up and say enough is enough and get the backing of the people to go on strike then NCF and whoever would understand what culture really is and who really drive the CropOver wagon.

Ah gone. Catch you later.

Have you ever had one of those gut wrenching pukes where you feel you are going to bring your whole stomach up?

Well that happened to me at the Barbados Hilton on 21st August when the Government announced their plans about establishing a Festival Events Bureau (FEB) to run Crop Over. I got as sick as a dog and had to leave the event early. It was not that announcement that made me sick, even though I have some serious concerns about this FEB, what made me sick was CEO of NCF Ian Estwick.

In fact I would rephrase that, it was what Ian Estwick SAID that made me sick.. When the NCF CEO had the guts to get up on a stage an announce the Government’s intention to release another Crop Over DVD I just started to feel queasy in my stomach. Up to now NCF has not compensated some artistes including Madd for the unauthorized DVD they released two years ago.

Well they paid out monies to their favorite people but you know we would be never on that list. It’s the standard victimization treatment we have become accustomed to. But when the CEO Estwick had the big guts to announce the authorities are again planning not only releasing DVDs but cds as well I started to feel sick to my stomach. I tried to control it but eventually I ended up running to the bathroom and puking like a dog.

Even the sight of pretty NCF Communications lady Penny Gomez waving at me from across the room at one point could not sway me from my sickality* I was so repulsed then. When my friend Santia asked why I had left the Government meeting early I did not have the guts to tell her the truth. Well at the time I had no guts as I had left it in the Hilton’s bathroom. I lied and told her I had to leave for business reasons, I can lie quite well now I learnt it from the NCF.

I would advise the government next time they are going to drop any revolting news tell us in advance so we can bring barf bags.

One of the points that Starcom Network announcer Dennis Johnson made in his presentation was that the same hundred and fifty million dollar Hilton we were meeting in had only been recently built and it yet had no entertainment facilities. Well that might be true Dennis, but I can tell you for sure, they have some nice bathrooms!

*Sickality; I mek up that word yuh idiot, and you looking to see wha it means too…? stupes

Because we sing about eating “conch” does not mean we are conchs! Government needs to understand that.

I am referring to the proposed formation of the Festival Events Bureau (FEB) which Minister of Culture Owen Arthur presented at the Government/Cultural Industries consultation on August 21st. FEB in reality is another form of the Cultural Masturbation which has become the norm of government.

For those of you who do not know (and there are many), Festival Events is a private public sector company that is to be set up by government to engage in commercial entertainment activities. According to the Government, FEB is to be so good for us in the entertainment industry. “It would be the greatest thing since slice bread and would include cheese” they said, but lets look at this thing closely shall we?

Of course looking at this new FEB is going to be pretty hard because being mere entertainers we have not been included in the process. This Festival Events Bureau is being drafted to be put in place and no one in cultural industries has being consulted about it. Not Batman, not United Artistes, not Krosfyah, not Dance Machine, not Entertainment Network, not Madd, not Malik, Nobody! Do you get my drift?

Here are some questions we need to ask the Government!

Why is the government seeking to develop an events promotion company to compete against the already existing promoters Floyd, Adrian Agard, Chris Harper, Freddie Hill, All Stars and Bacchanal Time? Why is the government not encourging calyponians to diversify and take advantage of the merchandising opportunities they identify (selling T-shirts etc.)

Why is the government looking to release CDS to compete against RPB, Mac Fingall, Lil Rick, Kidsite, Monsta Piece, Alison Hinds, Underground, Mr Dale, Madd,etc.

”But wait” government says “you will be able to buy shares in this FEB”! OK then, that means we would be able to buy shares in the company that would be shutting us down. Well praise the lord! (Put your hands in the air here). The truth is that the only entity that will benefit from FEB is the government; they will be pleasuring them selves at the expense of cultural industries.

That is why they are called Cultural Masturbators, it is a nasty habit and they need to stop it!

It pains me to write about the latest act of government sponsored victimization which is taking place against members of our Barbadian entertainment industry.

The latest despicable act consists the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) making a decision not to put top band Krosfyah or our reigning 2007 Party Monarch, Lil Rick on the BTA truck for the New York Labour Day Parade. NCF has also refused to include popular band Jabae which features our 2006 Party Monarch Barry Chandler even though they stated they would have performed for a mere honorarium.

Could you imagine, the Barbados Government sponsoring a truck on Labour Day and not including 2007 Party Monarch Li’l Rick? Rick, who placed 2nd and 3rd in the Tune of the Crop Competition and who also dominated the airwaves with his Conch song. Single handly the man has increased eating of conch in Barbados and made a lot of women happy. Just for that alone the man should be on the truck!

Could you imagine the Government putting a truck on the road for Labour Day and not including our international band Krosfyah who had some of the biggest hits for 2007 Crop Over? A band which includes renowned artistes like Khiomal and Edwin Yearwood?
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