Here’s an interesting Shontelle interview sent to me by a friend you will find interesting, She mentions meeting Rihanna in a sub military organisation re cadets; Also Shontelle talks about working with Beanie man and how incredible he was, she also talked about when she worked with Peter Boyce and how fantabulous I was but they edited it out, Damn them like ass.. She also gives Barbados a good plug click and check it out you are not busy…..

This Morning Boyce Voice is educating your ass…

Here’s a free lecture thats on this morning that my friend and assoiciate Chris harper is staging….

It would be worth while attending from what I can see, if you are outside of Barbados its worth flying in for….read on

Notes to Notes Inc.

In collaboration with
The Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination

Present the

2009 Summer Scholarship Audition preparation workshop
Delivered by Berklee’s
 Associate Professor John Pierce
 
Time:   Saturday October 4th 2008 10:30am -12:30pm

Location:  EBCCI- UWI Cave Hill Campus, Barbados

Admission:  FREE

For details call Chris Harper @ 427-2555 or email notestonote@caribsurf.com

This initiative sponsored by
The Peter Boos Foundation

Berklee preparation workshop October 4th 2008 Press release
         This Saturday between 10:30am -12:30pm at the EBCCI, UWI, Cave Hill campus, Notes to Note in collaboration with the Errol Barrow Center for Creative Imagination will be hosting a free workshop conducted by Berklee College of Music, Associate Professor John Pierce.
      The workshop will be geared towards musicians interested in taking part in the annual  Berklee Summer Scholarship auditions which are held in Barbados at the end February. Therefore the material will be primarily focused on preparation for the audition process as well as general methods for practicing improvisation and overall musical growth.
       Notes to Note Inc. for the past five years have facilitated the Annual Berklee Scholarship Tour and Barbados in now the official audition location for the southern Caribbean. This strategic alliance has lead to sixteen summer scholarship being awarded, ten of which were won by Barbadians.
      Winners of the Berklee Summer Scholarship 2009 will have the opportunity to spend five weeks at the Prestigious College in an exciting accelerated program and have the opportunity to re-audition for the full time degree program. For additional information on the workshop please contact Chris Harper at 427-2555 or email notestonote@caribsurf.com .

Our local artistes continue to make impact internationally, Rihanna, Shantell, Livi Frank etc… and believe it or not a MAN is also reaping some success.
Remember some time ago I wrote about how only women were making being recognized internationally and it was looking like I would have to get a sex change to make it big?
Well after I saved up all that money up for the operation David Kirton is giving us hope there is still something out there for us men….

Here’s some info his manager/wifey Noelle sent out regarding David’s latest milestone.

David Kirton signs with UK Number # 1 Music Distributor.

David Kirton’s live performance at the 2008 Royal Chelsea Flower Show produced more than vibes among the beautiful and exotic blooms it also secured a distribution deal with the United Kingdom’s # 1 music Distributor Nova Pinnacle. His award winning album Time for Change will be launched in the UK September 30th. Kirton’s guitar driven
hybrid of rock – pop and reggae  moves past the reverent Caribbean
rhythms of the past and on to the airwaves, dance floors and digital
devices of future. It sits comfortably in play lists surrounded by
Jack Johnson, Nora Jones, Sting, Bob Marley, Seal and Ben Harper.
Kirton’s fans are not looking for prison stories, hate messages or
graphic sex songs to download on their ipod.  His music touches the
heart, head and feet, making you feel, think and dance.
Kirton pulled a hat trick at the 2008  Barbados Music Awards  winning

Reggae artist of Year, Reggae Song of Year (Green Camouflage)  and Best video. He was also nominated for the coveted Entertainer of Year.

Congrats to David Kirton and management  from Boyce Voice!

This morning at 9.30 is will be the funeral of Rolland Stephen.
Rolland was an entertainer who contributed quite a number of years to the industry.
I had known him as the manager of the musical band Axis for quite a number of years. In the era of the 80’s and 90’s Axis was one of the popular attractions, which packed venues across Barbados including the Ship Inn.
Axis featured people like Ian Allyene, Carol Ann Scantlebury, Ray Armstrong and Kim Derrick to name a few.
One of the first entertainment events I ever put together featured this group. Back in 1994 I organized a show/fete at a Club in Christ Church and I would have worked with Roland then.

What I did not know was that also a member of that famous Bajan group “The Dynamics”, of Wendy Allyene and the Dynamics fame. He has therefore left a perennial mark and made a valuable contribution to our music Industry.
That’s why tonight at the Ship Inn in St Lawrence Gap some of the same names mentioned above reunite for a special benefit concert entitled “Axis through the years”.
Carol Ann Scantlebury with whom as you know I am quite affiliated has come back to Barbados for this special event.
And when was the last time you saw Ray Armstrong on stage? Not since his days with Krosfyah right? Well for one night only you can see the entire original Axis crew doing all the back in time tunes from the 80’s and 90’s.
Also guest stars like Gabby, Gillo Blood and more. Special appearance by the band Masala.
Proceeds from this event will go towards Roland’s three daughters, your contribution will only be $20.00 so come out and participate, I’ll be there looking for you at this musical Tribute to entertainer Roland Stevens who passed away last week; May he rest in peace…..

Happy Birthday to Michael Jackson

Happy birthday Happy Birthday

happy Birthday to Michael Jackson

Believe it or not today 29th August is Michael Jackson’s Birthday!

What I find strange is there is no mention of it on the MSN home page, I discovered it reading an obscure article on BBC Mobile.
It does not seem as much attention is being paid to Jackson as say Maddona who celebrated her 50th last week and it was all over the media.
So while the main stream media seems to be ignoring MJ he still has a friend in Boyce Voice we as are heralding his half century birthday achievement.

Lets focus on the positive contributions he has made, his top selling album “Thriller” which sold over 65 million copies world wide according to the Guinness book or records

The 14 minute ground breaking cutting edge “Thriller” video which revolutionized the music video industry.

You know sometimes you meet some one you have not seen for a while and they’ve changed so dramatically you almost don’t recognize them, well Michael happen to change his nose, hair and skin colour as he aged, lets go to some pictures…

Here’s Michael in 1975 in the Jackson Five days, has a really cool afro and thing

Here’s Michael in 1978 releasing “Off the Wall” album

Michael in 1984 with his best Friend “Bubbles” the monkey (Thats where Bubbles from Hott 95.3 got his name from) Bubbles has a matching shirt thats so cute, and thats a big dog! his skin is glowing in a white kind of way

From the 1987 “Bad” tour his skin has changed and so has his nose, the pressures of entertainment do that too you

Michael looks pretty effiminate in this 1995 pic, its like he is going for a white black man woman look, thats what you call targeting all the marketing demographics

Here is Michael on the cover of his 2001 flop album “Invincible” it probably flopped cause people did not recognise him on the cover, its a sort of Peter Pan type bullerish picture

The only thing which has remained constant about MJ is his voice, even at 50 he still talks like a six year old girl…. Here’s the last picture Brace your self its pretty brutal

Ok, so what can you say about this picture aah, well it  definitely would make the girls scream I’ll tell you that, and probably some men as well, plus some little boys.

This was Jacko’s mug shot when he was arrested by the police in 1993, guess the law men didn’t let him put his make up on before they took him, the picture is not pretty and neither were the charges, he looks like he could play the Joker in the next Batman movie.

 About those child molestation accusations which have dogged MJ’s career, it was not helped by his statement “I don’t see any thing wrong with sharing my bed with children”
Normal people frown on that sort of thing Jacko, in fact you are usually put on a sex offenders monitoring list and scorned by the society.
 He is known as The Peter Pan of Pop, Wacko Jacko, The Gloved One. the unforgettable the Michael Jackson, still most known as “The King of Pop”! Happy Birthday to you

Edwin

Congratulations to all the winners of Crop Over 2008!

 All hail Pic o De Crop King Adrian, Party Monarch King Khiomal, People’s Monarch and Tune of the Crop King Edwin. Seven years ago Adrian won the Pic o de Crop crown and has done it again in 2008. He is one of the few talented Calypsonians who can do both party music and social commentary effectively. Plus Adrian does great character voices too it is he who voiced the Euphoria grandmother ad.    

Speaking of “grand mother” wasn’t it she that always said perseverance seldom fails, well the next winner is evidence of that.
Khiomal has been working at it for years and finally won the Party monarch this year. Once seen as a side kick to Edwin he has now stepped into his own and is proving he will stand in no one’s shadow. Khiomal is a shinning example to young people that if you keep working at your dreams you can achieve them.                 

And speaking of Edwin, the perennial winner who has lived up to his name from the time he started in 1995. (His name is Ed-Win, get it?). Back in 1995 Edwin won all the major calypso titles, Pic o De Crop, tune of the crop, and the first Party Monarch, which was quite an impressive triple win. 
His People’s Monarch and Tune of the Crop wining in 2008 speaks to his consistency and his talent as a seasoned performer.                                                                                                                                       So once again in closing Boyce Voice hails all the Kings of Crop Over 2008.                                

Log on Tomorrow for “where are the queens?”            

This is not R.Kelly!! (he says it isn’t him)

Why did so many African-American women support R. Kelly?

I came across this article in Newsweek magazine which highlighted a phenomenon that I had already noticed.
When the R.Kelly verdict was announced there were all these women who had gathered around the court to show their support for the singer who were ecstatically happy on hearing the “not guilty verdict. They danced a jig like in my previous post!
The article focused that despite the overwhelming video tape pornographic evidence which featured him having sex and urinating on an underage black girl, black women stanchly defended him.
I find that concept to be amazing, wha I gun left home and go in a court yard talking bout I supporting R.Kelly? Wha I know something bout he?
Maybe he flipping well do it…
If that were you on that video tape do you feel you would have gotten off? Alright then!
On how women go to court supporting these high profile characters I have a parallel I would like to put to you to make a point.
Remember years ago when they had the Chico and Mac situation here in Barbados?
They were some foreign male strippers who came down here and did a show for the bajan females, the women loved them! And I mean that literally.
After Chico and Mac were arrested for their dastardly salacious acts Bajan women turned up in droves in the court yard to show their support for the strippers.
Men now, would go and watch women strippers, throw money at them, and if the price is right have sex with them.
When the female strippers get arrest you think you would see men in court talking bout them supporting them?
In fact a man would say “don’t call my name hear!” and would walk pass like he never see the woman in his life.
My theory is women fall in love and just feel the need to go out and support these people blindly.
I guess that’s what they mean when they say “Love is blind”.

Ps: by the way the Mac I mentioned above is not Mac Fingall, just so you know…

????????Business All is quiet in the gap, Dead quiet

No music after 3 am.

That’s the rule of law now being enforced in St Lawrence Gap. This stretch of road home to several night clubs and has a reputation for partying until the break of dawn, has had its partying wings clipped.

Is it coincidental that such a hard line enforcement of such a rule should materialise on the eve of our Crop Over season?

This is sure to have an extremely negative effect at a peak time when visitors will be flocking to our shores looking for places to frequent and experience our crop over music.

The point is made that not only the gap has nightclubs but also have resident house holds and hotels who obviously don’t appreciate blaring music up to 4 in the morning when people are trying to sleep.

There must be some balance met in order to settle this ongoing issue of noise in St Lawrence Gap which has been going on for some years.
While the Society for a quiet barbados association celebrates their quiet win the disastrous negative effect on commerce should not be overlooked.

It reminds me of a contribution I made at one of those noise legislation consultation meetings I attended some years ago.
We must be careful how we go about quieting barbados to conform to president of quiet association Carl Moore and his crew who keep so much noise about being quiet.
When you hear a business man say “things are quiet” it is not a good thing.
When we hear “business is dead” that’s even worst, that’s what quiet leads too.
That is what the entertainment venues are experiencing in “the gap” right now… Quiet,
Dead Quiet…

Where were you when Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video made its debut on television 25 years ago?

In 1983 Thriller was unleashed on to television screens thrilling audiences with its special effects and thrilling dance moves. Veteran movie director John Landis directed it, he had been specially chosen by Jackson because of the work he did in “An American Werewolf in Paris”. Michael wanted Landis to change him into a horrific werewolf like what he had seen in that movie.

Thriller started a phenomenon that exists up to now. You would have seen its influence in Madd’s effective 2004 stage presentation “Hard Ears” which featured dancing ghouls.

Click below and take a look at the perennial music video which has with stood the test of time and continues to be effective up to now. Happy 25th Birthday to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”!

Michael Jackson-Thriller

Ancient Al amazed that pictures can now be taken in colour 

My Name feature prominently in Al Gilkes Nation newspaper column last weekend,
Al wrote that Peter Boyce was one of the first people to publicly state he had to be close to be 100 years old based on the length of time he had been around.
Al is so amazing I dedicated a whole post to him last year entitled “Al Gilkes eats Conch”.
At Al’s age to be using a computer and still having the alacrity of mind to write a weekly column is pretty amazing. He should be in Ripley’s Believe It or Not…

One of the things that is amazing about Al is he still continues to be a significant player in the entertainment business as a promoter.
He is partner in F.A.S Entertainment which produces the phenomenally successful “Barbados Reggae Festival” which comes off here later this month.
This festival features a series of events with some of the biggest Jamaican acts which people pack venues at phenomenal prices to see.

Big names like Taurus Riley, Capelton, Jah Cure, Sizzla Kololji, TOK, Baby Sham and more.
Quite an impressive line up being put together by a man who also promoted shows with Jackie Opel and buddy boy Vic Brewster, I am surprised Al doesn’t think a “Jah Cure” is some sort of bush tea.

Even in his column last week Al gave a list of his favorite movies that he actually saw in the cinema when they first came out, and they were a list of ancient ones we now see on Turner Classics TV channel…
Al does not let the challenges of age deter him as he continues to set a set a positive example for current promoters like my self, Richard Haynes, Phil Philips and others to follow.
I hope I can be just as active when I get to Al’s age, in fact I would settle just to GET to his age…

P.S; I am not forgetting the role Freddie Hill plays in organizing the Reggae Festival, Al needs some one to remind him to take his pills…