”Lord come fuh yuh world do!”Peter Boyce working for the Government?” “Looka my crosses though, he sell out…”

I thought so at first when first approached by Mr Antonio “Boo” Rudder head of the now defunct Festival Events Bureau back in November 2007. “Boo” said it was an opportunity to contribute and participate in the planning of Crop Over from a national level.

My first impulse was to refuse as I did see it as restriction of my usual “anarchistic” role of representing the industry. Most of my colleagues however saw it differently, they stated it was an opportunity that I could now represent the industry from the “inside” making input into the decisions that would more benefit entertainment.

So I accepted, bearing in mind it was also an generating opportunity. When the government changed I was fortunate enough that the David Thompson administration also recognized my potential and maintained my participation, and I thank them for that.

I pledge the Boyce Voice will continue to operate as it has in the past addressing contentious issues which affect entertainment.If for some reason I seem to be lacking in my usual acerbic tone and you need to buse my ass on any pro government position I might articulate, that’s what comments are for…

See me in the above photo?* I am pretending to be haughty, contemptuous, aloof, pompous and overbearing, in other words I am pretending to be a politician! Janette Layne Clarke the writer and producer of the recently concluded comedy production Pampalam, selected me to play this part of a politician.

At first I was lost at how to play it, then I thought of most of the politicians I have had the pleasure of transacting business with, and the supercilious pretentious attitude which they exuded. The servant of the people who become the master of the people until they have to beg you to become your servant again.

In Pampalam I played a Government Minister whose constituents (Eleanor Rice) are complaining about the state of the roads and I don’t give a rat’s ass! They are wasting my time complaining about dust giving them asthma when I have to go to a diplomatic lunch. Politicians are like that not just here in Barbados but internationally, they do anything to get your vote and then when they are elected, you become insignificant. They come to your house skin their teeth in your face and kiss your baby, and when election day gone they gone too!

The Government’s efforts to set up the Festival Events Bureau are an example of how politicians operate, they claim to have your cultural interests as a priority to get your vote, and then turn around and start talking about how they will exploit you for their own “entrepreneurial” gain.

Here’s another typical example of how politicians operate. Last election day a politician sent a car to my home to see if I needed transportation to go and vote, you think that if I was to wake up a morning now and my car would not start, that I could phone the same politician and ask them for a lift? I don’t think so!

Let me finish with some lyrics to a little ditty that Eric Lewis wrote for the Best of Barbados Gone Madd comedy show some years ago, sung to the tune of Sesame Street’s “The People in your Neighborhood”.

A politician is somebody who

Does come and get your vote from you

And when you put the x next to his name

You don’t ever see the bitch again!!

Well in defense of politicians Eric is not totally right in this one. You do get to see them on TV meeting important people and thing, its just the important people are not you….

Have a good day, You plebian rab!

* Do you see the supercilious look on my face? that is acting yuh idiot!
p.s; Asiba can complain about the tie as usual

Question;What do the 3 persons in this Groove Nation Newspaper picture with the Prime Minister have in common? answer at end*…

Every where I go people keep asking why I was not selected to that big cultural committee meeting to look at the Festival Events Bureau at the Prime Ministers Office last week? That is such a dumb ass question then. If you read Boyce Voice you should know why. Would you put a cultural trouble maker like me on your committee who asks questions that you cannot answer and you would prefer not to be asked?

The reason why that committee was formed in the first place was because of some salient points and queries that I and some others had made. (Will not call Santia nor Tony Hoyos name). The Government response was to eliminate from the process ALL of the persons who verbally challenged them at the consultation, myself included, to make achieving their objectives a little easier. Its like they are saying “who the ass are you to ask questions you plebian rab, skin your teeth and fall in line”.

I don’t blame them either, if I were them I would be the same thing, thinned skinned and arrogant. Fortunately there are some people on the committee who are quite capable of putting effective representation for the industry, would not call their names less they be “reshuffled”. So stop asking me why I was not invited dammit! I am just a small fry, a pebble in a big pond of political conspiracy, an insignificant egg that don’t get invite to big rock parties.

>* Answer;They are eggs and were all eliminated from the Process..

Two statements appeared in the media recently, one from Richard Stoute who has been running his teen talent show in Barbados for over thirty years, and another from the Government rep. Curtis Gibbons who is the national coordinator of the community independence celebrations. These two statements are an excellent example of the competitive conflict and self interest that reflects the true policy of the proposed Festival Events Bureau government is setting up.

Recently Richard Stoute made a statement that after thirty one years of having his Teen Talent contest he is still unable to acquire major corporate sponsorship and must go “cap in hand” attempting to do so and being turned down regardless of his tactics.
The Government also made a seperate statement stating that they are not happy with the level of sponsorship that they have been getting for the independence celebrations and they are appealing to corporate Barbados to inject more money into their event.

So here we have it where Government – the body that is supposed to be the facilitating cultural entrepreneurs like Richard Stoute by not only injecting funding into his show but by encouraging corporate Barbados to support Richard – is instead putting itself against Richard and “begging” for the same limited funds that should be going to him.

One of the major stated objectives of the Festival Events is to pursue and secure corporate sponsorship.
This obvious and blatant conflict is one of the issues that I raised when UAB and BATMAN met with the Prime Minister discussing the flawed policies of this Bureau back on 12th July 2006. That was one of the reasons I was removed from the committee which is now being convened to explore this same FEB.

How can you claim to be developing an industry when you are coming into the same industry and competing against the participants? The teen talent scenario is a good example. Government needs to get behind Richard and support his teen talent with financial grants and concessions not put itself in a position where it can be deemed that it is the Government Versus Richard Stoute!

My freaking hand is empty, empty like my head, empty like the promises you get from government! Freaking empty! What is this empty hand crap now you may ask? Allow me to elucidate.

35 days ago, 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”. (My quote here)

While I was in the process of making my contribution on this auspicious occasion, identifying salient points of concern about this new Bureau, the Prime Minister pointed out to me that the policy document I was quoting from was outdated. I did not have the current document from which he was quoting . Which translates to sit down and shut up yuh idiot you ent know what you talking bout! Being the uppity ignoramus I am, who does not know his place, I had the audacity to ask for a copy of the document to be circulated so I can peruse and participate in the process.

The PM had personally expressed concern to me that the document had not been circulated to the industry before hand and that that should have been done by the NCF. (He seems to forget they are imbeciles). It was stated that copies of this special document would be circulated to us so we can participate in the process. 35 days later, look at my hand, look, do you see a document?

NO, it is empty, empty like my head, empty like the promise we got from the Government!