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?”            

Big Beautiful and Happy

If you think Big is Beautiful more power to you! I read in the media that the organiser of the annual Miss Big and Beautiful Beauty pageant lamenting on the challenges and obstacles which stand in her way.

Lead by people like health professional Dr Henry Frazier, the competition has received some harsh criticism for featuring full size (aka fat) women as encouraging obesity and a lifestyle that leads to heart disease.

One of the innovations that promoter spoke of putting place was the requirement that all the “Big” women in the pageant MUST join a gym.
Now to me that doesn’t make any sense, obviously women following that advice will get smaller which seems to go against concept of being “Big and Beautiful”. If you are going to the gym how will you make that 200 lb minimum weight requirement to enter the competition?

The promoter should not sway from her principles, she needs to “screw her courage to the sticking place”
If you believe that being Big is Beautiful Stand Up for it!
If Asiba and other skinny starve out people don’t like fat girls, that’s their frigging business.
They are men out there who will do any thing for a plus size woman so who the ass are you to say they are not beautiful.
Remember Captain Sawyer 2005 calypso about how he likes them “Big and Fat and Thick”? that is the national anthem for some men.
If I was the promoter I wouldn’t change a damn thing, in fact I would be promoting my contest and my girls will be better and bigger than ever and if you don’t like that well you know what you can kiss, that’s big too!

Admiral MC Nelson

Mac Fingall, Trevor Eastmond and KB Kleen watch out!
I happen to catch a piece of Admiral Nelson MCing “De Big Show” calypso tent this weekend and he was pretty damn excellent.
His joke delivery and comedic timing was impeccable.
Also impressive was his deportment from the time he stepped on the stage with his dazzling white suit he made a statement.
A statement he verbalised when he told the audience they would not miss Mac Fingall because “the Admiral was here”.

As you would know Admiral Nelson is more known for his “Festival Stage” radio show, where his acerbic and critical tongue has been used on many a calypso tent.
He would therefore know that if he were to make a mistake and not be a good mc, he would have had hell to pay. So he had no choice but to come up to the mark.

You would have seen Admiral as an MC for the Banks Cable and Wireless Vintage Cavalcades where he more dispensed historical calypso information with little jokes. But last night he made his intro with a comedic commentary on the different kind of sex people have in their kitchen bathroom and bedroom and established an immediate connection to the audience. It appeared most of the people there had engaged in sex at some time or the other and knew what he was talking about.

Admiral stated it was his objective to host the calypso finals and if his performance in “De Big show” is any thing to go by, that could easily be a reality.

“De cavalcades now start”

”Dat was the best cavalcade ever”

These are just a few of the comments Supreme Events has been getting in response to the special vintage “back in time” Banks Cable and Wireless cavalcade held in lowlands st Lucy on Saturday.

Rpb Gryner Gabby Romeo John King, Director Poonka mash up the place and now like Gryner the people are saying “we want more”.

It is amazing that the biggest response we would have received from the cavalcades so far would have been to the “old” music on Saturday night. It shows Barbadians have a special place in their heart for songs like “Brother Fuzzy” “Jack” and “Mr. T”

 Michael Forde aka Director also did a very effective folk music presentation which was well received by the audience. Also MC Admiral Nelson was effective and entertaining at the same time with DJ’s Radar and Mikey Mix who did a special “back in time” musical appearance.

One of the challenges of the Lowlands St Lucy venue was how to attract patrons to a site that was pretty much out of the way and the vintage Cavalcade did just that.

Congrats to the National Cultural Foundation for making sure there is a place for ALL calypsos in the Banks Cable and Wireless Cavalcades for 2008 including vintage.

Marilyn Monroe, did she or didn’t she?

Some weeks ago New York memorabilia dealer Keya Morgan claimed that he sold a sex tape for 1.5 million dollars which consisted of the original blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe performing oral sex on an unidentified man for 15 minutes.

Keya claimed that this tape was verified by official FBI documents and J Edgar Hoover him self had viewed the tape and spent time trying to figure out if the man in the film was John F Kennedy or Robert F Kennedy (apparently those Kennedy brothers had a lot in common). 

Mariyn and President John Kennedy at a function, according to this pic the only thing Marilyn would be putting to her lips is the drink in her hand

A tape that features Marilyn Monroe on her knees giving oral sex sounds a bit far fetched to me, to convince me you would have to send me a copy so I can view it like 50 or 60 times for research purposes of course.
What is a law enforcement agency like FBI doing with sex tapes any way; it would seem to me the F in FBI stands for more than federal.
Keya claimed that the footage was shot back in the 50’s, which was news for me; I did not know that sort of verbal sexual activity existed back then

Those of you who are concerned over what this tape does to the memory of Marilyn Monroe, maybe you can relax as the claims of Keya Morgan and his credibility itself is now being questioned.
The FBI is now claiming that its records do not confirm the existence of this tape and people are now calling Keya a fraud who is seeking publicity.

So the question remains, Marilyn Monroe, did she or didn’t she?

Keya Morgan with other Monroe memoribillia, but wheres the tape?

Also, dos’nt he look like Alfred E Newuman character from Mad Magazine?

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…

Wow! Talk about lucky, I went to the beach yesterday for my daily run, and happened to butt up on a photo shoot featuring not one, not two, but five beautiful curvaceous female models.
The photographer was there clicking away and the make up guy was running in “happily” adding finishing touches to the girls.
The make up guy is my subject here; he seemed to be gay, as usual.
Why do make up men always seem to be gay? All the productions I have been involved in when ever a make up person is involved and it’s a man it always seems to be a gay man.
Even when you are watching an international modeling show on TV, and the make up man is featured he always seem to be a bubbly happy “gay” kinda girl …. Sorry I meant guy.

I know you will start saying how I can look at some body and say they are Gay, if you can’t observe when a person seems to have an extra gay pep in their step and touch of femininity in their vocal variety that’s your business.
I don’t get the impression they are trying to hide it any way.

Is it that when you fill out a form to do a cosmetic course there is a question asking “are you gay?” And if you tick no they turn you down?

How do they go about enforcing a criteria where mostly gay people end up in a profession then?

Notice the bangle the make up guy is wearing? I rest my case

To summarize my point for the purposes of clarity; I am not saying ALL make up men are gay; I am just saying that MOST SEEM to be…
I get the impression they prefer gay people around the models so the girls would be safe… maybe that’s so…

I am not telling you to go out and start attacking make up people either and talk bout Boyce Voice encourage you cause you would be an ass, oops that might attract some people…. But really you would be a major jack ass! What people do in the privacy of their bedroom home and M.L cars is their own business.

I simply made an observation, I hope the cosmetic people out there reading this don’t get offended, next time you see me on TV and face looks off, it will be the make up guy getting back at me..

P.S: you always put on make up when you go on TV so don’t think nothing funny…

.

Boyce Voice mentioned Mr Antonio ” Boo” Rudder yesterday and as if on cue I looked in the newspaper and see him associated with an interesting entertainment development.
“Rudder heads new Copyright Group” stated the headline, the article announced a new copyright organization had been formed entitled the “Barbados Copyright Industry” (BCI).
The list of directors were given and the fact it had been incorporated since December 19th 2007.
The formation of this new copyright group makes interesting food for thought, most performers and song writers are already members of the long standing rights collection agency in Barbados COSCAP (Copyright Society of Composers Authors and Publishers Inc)

Does this new entity BCI compete against COSCAP?

Maybe COSCAP CEO Erica Smith and staff Gail and Paulette are quaking in their boots? (Not that I have seen them wearing boots that’s just an expression, I would like to see Erica in boots though those tall black ones that…. sorry I digress, lets get back to the point..)

This new agency BCI deals ONLY with the collection of reproductive rights as it pertains to books and other publications.
COSCAP is known for collection of music royalties but by virtue of the “authors and publishers” in their name I would assume maybe they collect for books too, of course “I could be wrong and I usually am” (Quote from COSCAP director Smokey Burke)
So poet khaidji should be looking to join up and collect some royalties on those excellent pieces he has written, Asiba writes some pretty long comments he could publish them as a book.
It also still means that maybe Boyce can join and benefit as I write, see what you are reading here…? That’s writing yuh idiot, therefore I can de deemed a writer.
Hence when I am finish here I will print off a couple stories from Boyce Voice staple them together  mek a book and bram! I joining up.
Question is as a writer which organization do I join, COSCAP or the new collection kid on the block BCI ?

Yesterday I blogged about “Nothing” today it is “Something”.
The challenge of finding “something” new….

This is a Herculean challenge that our tent managers and calypsonians face on a yearly basis, producing new material in order to feed that voracious entertainment monster we call Crop Over.
Krosfyah releases a great album this year and regardless of how good it is by the next Crop Over it is expected that they go back into the studio and release “something” new. In contrast our international counterparts would release an Album and then over a period of the next 2 to 3 years release several singles from that same album, giving the material more longevity.

Let’s look at shows, Bacchanal Time produces a quality show with dancers and special effects etc and by the end of Crop Over regardless of its excellence it is deemed dead and we must go back to the drawing board and produce ’something” new.

“Cats opened on Broadway in 1982 had 7485 performances and closed in 2002

Internationally now, we have Broadway musical shows that have been running for years.
Productions like “Grease” “Cats” Phantom of the Opera” and the longest running production ever “Les Miserables”, this production has been running for 21 years and is still going.

So all like now we should still be running our 1995 Bacchanal Time featuring triple crown winner Edwin doing his “Obadele” song.

But no, Crop over is again upon us and the question people are asking is “when you gun bring something new?”

So Edwin RPB Kidsite, Asiba and Bacchanal Time are all busy trying to find “something” new to be readily consumed by the coming 2008 Crop Over monster.

Now that’s “Something”!

“Why are we allowing our young event planners and tent managers to hit a glass ceiling because government wants to manage Crop Over events…
When we can contract them out and demand what we want in return and also earn something from them and give them the opportunity to be involved in large event management.
we need to give those persons with ideas in our cultural industries an opportunity to execute them”

Those are the words of Prime Minister David Thompson when he debated in parliament last week, they lifted the spirits of this event planner and tent manager aka P.Boyce, and indeed all of cultural industries should rejoice and embrace the PM’s comments.

Finally a Prime Minister who speaks of truly developing the industry and creating opportunities for us instead if the flawed exploitive policy which was transmitted from the previous administration.

I am not saying so just because government has changed, I have expounded this criticism of the BLP government several times in this blog when they were in power.
That’s one of the reasons why Boyce or Madd Entertainment was never given work from the previous Government and why our entrepreneurial efforts to do our own projects i.e. “Euphoria” were always met with opposition from the authorities.

I have always remembered ex PM Arthur making the statement at a consultation I attended, “there is nothing wrong with the government being entrepreneurial!” indicating how it was the prime objective of the government to make money “off” of the cultural industries.
In contrast to that flawed Arthur statement, we should be elated to hear the words of PM David speaking of removing the “glass ceiling” that stood in our way, now giving entertainment entrepreneurs the opportunity not only to make a tangible contribution to our national festival Crop Over also but to benefit from that contribution.