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!

We are the winners again

And we will keep on fighting to the end

we are the Champions etc. etc. etc.

You should have seen it in the media by now.

The positive results which would have come out of calypsonians of United Artistes of Barbados (UAB) taking a position of not entering the 2007 calypso competitions until their concerns were addressed.

All the points have now been addressed in meetings with government chaired by Minister of State Reverend Atherley and we have won. When I say we I don’t just mean the calypsonians, I mean everybody, the government and NCF.

The public has won because the best calypsonians are again participating which should make a more competitive competition.

The government wins because they sat down with the calypsonians and engaged in meaningful dialogue of the problems which face the industry which would help to alleviate problems in the future.

The Ncf has won as they have been prevented from using *1 draconian contracts which sought to exploit the industry and also some of the underhanded things*2 they were doing came to light
which should prevent them from trying them again.*3

The NCF also won as they discovered again that when you do not heed the legitimate concerns of the industry and feel you can proceed like a bull in a china shop, your ass gets stopped!

Entertainers won because they proved that unifying and standing up for your rights can make a difference. So all the issues relating to contract clauses are resolved and we are getting increases in prize monies.

I often wonder if the calypsonians who don’t support these stands and speak out against don’t feel guilty when they benefit from the position taken by others. When they get increased prize money they should return the money and say they don’t deserve it.

Would like to thank Minister Atherley, Batman (Barbados Association of Tent Managers) UAB and lawyers Veronica Macfarlan and Santia Bradshaw, especially Santia who I will do a special blog for.

Again I want to big up all the entertainers who stood up for their rights making the industry not only better for themselves but for others…

*1 Draconian; I know I use this word a lot, it is the only big word I know, plus I talk about NCF a lot

*2. Ask Dwayne Grazette (Jabae and Barry Chandler’s manager)
*3 Just joking NCF, we know you have more nasty tricks where those came from…

Coming up Tomorrow a post entitled;

“NCF is Right” or “Dwayne Grazette want Cursing”
Log on to read about it…

This is what a member of the public shouted at me when I was walking through Super Centre car park earlier this week.

I do not usually take heed of people who shout insults but in this case I had to stop and query him on the girl statement.

As far as I remember I had checked just before leaving home and had verified I was indeed a man. At least my equipment led me to believe this. So what was it that led this “gentleman” to accost me in such a manner. Well he told me his name was Fred and he was a regular reader of Boyce Voice, “very good” I said. He went on to state that of recent times I have not been cursing the government as I use to.

You get invite to meetings at the prime minister office with the minister of state and you get muzzle!
Now every day you writing bout old keys, new keys, conch, admiral and sauce..You are not tackling the issues…! Yuh get get muzzle yuh is a girl*. Look at all de things that happening:

The Minister of Culture pushing to establish a Festival Events Bureau so government can commercially exploit the industry. You say any thing about that?

No!

UAB complain bout the NCF performers contract and meet the government about it but the NCF still continue to use it regardless of what UAB say.

Boyce had no Voice for that!

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So you want to know what happened at the big meeting between UAB Batman NCF and Minister of State Reverend Joseph Atherley which took place at the Prime Ministers office this week?

You are so malicious then! How you get so?

Well I cannot say because I am sworn to secrecy. This meeting was called in an effort to bring a resolution to the current calypsonian boycott of 2007 calypso competitions. At the meeting it was agreed parties would not speak to the press, and I was saying to myself well Boyce Voice is not the press so I can blog it here. Then some smart Alec Chairman (will not call Al Gilkes name) said “and not on Boyce Voice either”. Cheese dawn bread he get me.

Any ways you know no one swears Boyce Voice to complete secrecy so I want to raise one serious concern that I intend to take up with the UAB which occurred at the meeting. Bear in mind the press has been calling for comments and I have not been telling them any thing so this issue would be exclusive to us.

The meeting was slated to start at around 3.30 pm. I was busy promoting the Trevor Eastmond benefit show (on this Sunday) so I had skipped lunch in order to get to the meeting on time. Minister Atherley started meeting around 4.00 pm, I was expecting the meeting might last for like 90 minutes or so.

5.45 pm: Coming around to the one time of the day I usually eat .Starting to get hungry Meeting still gine on..

6.15 pm: I am now officially hungry, am expecting that we will break for government provided snacks; not happening, meeting still gine on..

7.00 pm: Beginning to move from hungry to early stages of semi starvation, my mouth is turning white, am delirious seeing double, there are now two Ian Estwicks speaking (what a nightmare); meeting still gine on..

7.15 pm: I am now in a state of starvation, am looking at Penny Gomez from Ncf and she is beginning to look good enough to eat, I mean with lettuce and mayonnaise, meeting still gine on.

7.30 pm: Am no longer making contributions to meeting, would collapse in bad feels if I were not sitting in a chair, Ian Estwick is making his 2000th presentation, it is now night, have not eaten since 5 am today. Am thinking we will probably get government sponsored dinner after the meeting, am holding on till then; meeting still gine on..

8.00 pm: meeting done, I waited to hear Minister Atherley say where we are eating, I have my order ready in my head, he says nothing, realize that I am eating at home, if I make it home.

As I am on my way home I realize the sinister plan of the Government. To invite UAB and Batman people to long extended meetings and starve us to death! After we are gone government will take over all the cultural industries with the Festival Events Bureau and engage in commercial activities.

I am no idiot, next time I gine to a meeting at the Prime Ministers office, I taking along some mauby and whole wheat biscuits! As I said at the beginning of starvation soliloquy, for me to reveal the discussions at meeting would be irresponsible at this time. Even though I am irresponsible I am not that irresponsible. At least not yet!

Suffice to say meeting was amicable and progress was made, no body locked off any body’s neck (I would have gone for Penny). Aside from the bout of starvation that almost killed me every thing was fine, will keep you up to date. I have to eat again.

As you may be aware by now, once again controversy has reared its ugly and clownish head to mar our Crop Over Festival. United Artistes of Barbados and BATMAN tents have released a statement saying that their members will not be participating in calypso competitions until outstanding issues are addressed.

I can hear you asking the question: “Why is it that the NCF (National Cultural Foundation) and calypsonians do not get their differences sorted out long before Crop Over?” and “Why is it that every year they wait ’till our festival comes around and hold our festival to ransom?”

You are freaking Right! All outstanding matters should have been settled every since…And why you may ask has that not be R______* done? (Darron edit my R_____word) (see he did it again)

The answer to your question is contained in the picture above this article.

You see that poodle with the fancy ass shades up above? That is how government and NCF sees our entertainment industry, and that is the problem!

Starting from September 2006 correspondence was sent to NCF and copied to government outlining our concerns and meetings were held where they were discussed. In spite of our pleas to have salient points addressed, Government did nothing! As though we are like dumb poodles who you can ignore and we will continue to sing and jump bout de place. Now being seen as a dog is one thing (lil Rick is already a Hypa Dog) but being seen as a poodle I have a problem with that!

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